The installation of a new variable frequency drive and an accompanying software system in the chiller plant at Temple’s Health Sciences Center campus determines the least amount of energy required to meet campus cooling needs, benefiting both the university’s sustainability goals and its bottom line.

Temple ’s Health Sciences Center (HSC) has installed a ‘cool’ new optimized air conditioning system in its chiller plant that delivers multiple benefits: The project is expected to save approximately $400,000 for the university annually while moving the university towards its commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. 
 
The new system includes the installation of a piece of equipment known as a variable frequency drive and a software system that holistically examines the chiller plant’s energy use to determine the minimum amount of energy required to meet the campus’ cooling needs, reducing overall energy used and thereby reducing costs and carbon emissions. The chilled water plant provides chilled water to the majority of the HSC campus, which is then used to cool the buildings. The project was led by Temple’s Facilities Operations and Maintenance division in collaboration with Temple’s Office of Sustainability, Johnson Controls and Optimum Energy. 
 
“As we move towards making campus zero carbon, we have to figure out how to get clean energy, and the cleanest piece of energy to use is energy you don’t use. This project is a good example of how we’re using less energy, which economically benefits the university but also impacts our efforts towards sustainability,” said Kat Fink, director of utilities and energy management.  
 
Temple’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050 is part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) signed in 2008. Temple also became a charter signatory to the Climate Commitment through Second Nature, a nonprofit organization that helps colleges and universities deepen their commitment to their sustainability efforts, in 2016. The charter expanded on the original ACUPCC by emphasizing resilience planning in the existing carbon neutrality plan.  
 
The optimized system is aligned with these climate commitments in that it is projected to prevent 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (the equivalent of removing more than 550 passenger vehicles from the road for a year) and will reduce the university’s total carbon emissions by 2%. The optimized system is one of several initiatives, including the acquisition of electric and hybrid vehicles in the university’s fleet, that demonstrates Temple’s commitment to creating a more sustainable campus for its students, faculty, staff and surrounding community.  
 
“More than two-thirds of the carbon emissions that the university takes responsibility for are directly tied to the university's operations,” said Rebecca Collins, director of sustainability. “So, we’re prioritizing changes in systems that will have the biggest impact.” 
 
Temple also received a one-time rebate of $397,178.06 from PECO.  
 
“Why is the electric company paying us to use less electricity? Philadelphia is using way more electricity than what can be moved through electrical wires around the city, so PECO is paying us to reduce electricity usage,” said Fink.  
 
The PECO rebate was deposited into Temple’s Green Revolving Fund to sponsor future energy-saving projects. Created in 2019, the fund’s purpose is to help pay for investments in efficiency projects geared towards energy, water and carbon-saving projects, the savings of which are “revolved” back into more projects.  
 
Facilities Operations and Maintenance is now considering similar optimizations at HSC and Main Campus that affect both heating and cooling. 
 
“If we can do projects that allow us to invest more money into the Green Revolving Fund, it’s only going to pay us back in the long run,” said Collins.