Whole-Campus Performance Analysis Methods: Early Results from Studies at the Princeton Campus

Abstract

The Princeton University Campus provides an excellent opportunity for evaluating energy data analysis techniques that use historical energy consumption data for the entire campus to target conservation opportunities. The Princeton Campus is comprised of approximately 150 buildings with a total conditioned floor area exceeding 6.2 million square feet. The annual utility bills total $7.2 million. In this paper we present early results from efforts to improve the ability of campus administrators to make better decisions on energy-related issues by assembling a normalized energy consumption index that facilitates year-to-year comparisons of energy use. Our procedure combines plant operational data and utility consumption data with weather data and campus growth information. Utility consumption is normalized for varying weather conditions using PRISM, the Princeton Scorekeeping method, and then adjusted for conditioned floor area.