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Creighton, Verdis group partner on project to track peak energy use

Creighton University

Classes begin Wednesday for Creighton University students, and they’ll be part of a program to measure and reduce campus energy use.

Creighton and Verdis Group are doing a peak energy shaving pilot program. From now until Labor Day, everyone on Creighton’s campus will be encouraged take actions such as turning off lights when a room isn’t in use, and unplugging or powering down devices that aren’t being used.

Daniel Lawse, Chief Century Thinker for Verdis Group, says the start of the fall semester is often when Creighton’s peak energy use happens.

"It happens on hot, humid days, because that’s when a lot of air conditioning and cooling systems come on. And in Creighton’s case, it also happens at the beginning of the fall semester, because the campus isn’t used as heavily during the course of the summer, and then you get this flood of students and faculty coming back to campus and turning on all sorts of buildings, and computers, and lights, and things that weren’t on during the summer."

Lawse says once the pilot project ends, Creighton will receive a report about its peak energy days. The goal is for the energy savings identified during peak usage times to be maintained year-round.

Creighton has implemented other sustainability measures over the past several years, including the installation of solar panels and energy-efficient lighting.