Kansas State University

By Gary Weishaar, PE, Energy Manager

Spring greetings from the Division of Facilities!  Let me start this month’s message by introducing myself.  My name is Gary Weishaar and I had the privilege of joining the K-State family last October as the Campus Energy Manager.  I am honored to be here! I’d like to take this opportunity to share some thoughts on sustainability and energy usage on our campus.

If you have the responsibility of paying your utility bills at home, you know that the cost of living continues to rise.  With electricity, gas, and water usage thrown in with the rest of the bills, it can sometimes seem like there’s too much MONTH at the end of the MONEY.  Now, imagine you’re paying the bills for a small city.  Just like at home….budgets can get tight.

While many efforts are being made to conserve energy usage on campus, costs are still rising.  In fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015), we spent a total of $14,046,838.  This figure is broken down into the following:

Electric                                   118,785,034 KWH¹                           $9,702,093

Gas                                        581,591 MCF²                                   $2,720,158

Water & Sewer                    610,299 CCF³                                     $1,624,587

That calculates to $38,485/day……or $1,604/hour.….or 45 cents/second!!  That also equates to approximately $500 for every student, faculty member, and staff member on campus.  Knowing that might make your home bill a little easier to swallow!

So, with costs continuing to rise and budgets being cut, what can we do?  For starters, a significant amount of power that we purchase from Westar Energy is created using Renewable Energy.  Currently, system wide, they have 864MW of wind generated energy with plans to have a total of 1263MW of wind energy by the end of 2016 and 1743MW by the end of 2017.  In total, they will produce enough green energy annually to meet one third of their retail customers’ needs.

Closer to home, there are many things being done by K-State’s Campus Planning in building design and construction to help.  For example, the newly opened Engineering Expansion building, College of Business Administration, and Seaton Hall Expansion will all have cutting-edge technology and building controls to conserve energy.  This includes LED lighting, occupancy sensors and unoccupied setbacks among other things.  In fact, these buildings were all designed with sustainability principles in mind and two buildings on campus were built/renovated based on standards from the United States Green Building Council’s “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED) program.  Both Justin Hall and Leadership Studies were awarded Gold certification and it’s believed that Leadership Studies was the first building among higher education institutions in Kansas to be given this prestigious designation.  We are also completing the new $56,000,000 Chiller Plant Project to add more capacity and more efficient control to the chilled water supply, which is far and away the largest consumer of electricity.  Even small classroom renovation projects are installing new windows, cool roofs, high-efficiency lighting, and other upgrades to help in the effort.

In addition, individuals and student groups have approached me on ways they can help.  We are currently working with them to set up volunteer groups to help spread the message that “green is cool”.

The good news is that these efforts have paid off!  As an example, our electric usage (KWH¹) for the last three years has been:

123,048,802 in FY13 (07/01/2012 through 06/30/2013)

122,823,152 in FY14 (07/01/2013 through 6/30/2014)

118,785,034 in FY15 (07/01/2014 through 6/30/2015)

As you can see, even with the addition of more square footage, our USAGE has declined.  However, due to rate increases and other variables, our COST has increased from $9,454,442 in FY13, to $9,699,763 in FY14 and $9,702,093 last year.  Even when we do the right things, we find there is still a need to continue tightening our belts.

So, thanks for your help! Keep up the great work and let’s see if we can do even more.  Remember all that sage wisdom your Dad used to share with you?  (“Shut the door….do you live in a barn?” or “Turn off the lights….do you think I’m made of money?”)  Regardless of how goofy they may have sounded, there was some logic in those timeless phrases.  If all of us could try and remember to take those words to heart, we could potentially save thousands of dollars a year on utility costs as well as help reduce our carbon footprint for future generations. So, the next time you’re the last one leaving a room and the light is still on – flip the switch, shut the door, and smile at dear old Dad.

¹ A KWH or Kilowatt-hour is the equivalent of burning ten (10) 100-watt lightbulbs for 1 hour

² A MCF is 1000 cubic feet.  One cubic foot is the volume you can fit in a box 1 foot high by 1 foot wide by 1 foot deep

³ A CCF is 100 cubic feet. One cubic foot is the volume you can fit in a box 1 foot high by 1 foot wide by 1 foot deep

By Larry McGee, Director of Administration and Finance, Division of Facilities

Congratulations to Jim Chacon on his retirement from the Division of Facilities on March 31^st, 2016. Jim Chacon joined the Division of Facilities in 1989 after a distinguished career in the United States Army and a short tour with Food for Less. His Bachelor of Arts Degree from Eastern Washington University in 1970 established his foundation for future success. He was the anchor in our employee services department for over 22 years.

We here at the Division of Facilities have been indeed fortunate to have had the privilege of sharing Jim Chacon’s expertise, work ethic and commitment.

As you may recall he achieved countless goals and accolades – which included Jim having been selected and recognized as the Kansas State University Employee of the Year in 2003. Jim Chacon left a remarkable legacy behind and one which will remain with the organization for years to come. He left the Division of Facilities a better place than when he found it, and that in itself, will remain a lasting tribute to his professionalism. We will miss him as a colleague, a consummate professional, a confidant, a friend, a wise counselor, a shoulder to lean on, a visionary, a leader, and indeed a gentleman of note.

Congratulations to Roger Hinkle on his retirement from the Division of Facilities, Power Plant and Utilities Operations effective March 31^st 2016. Mr. Hinkle is retiring as a Building Systems Technician after almost 14 years of service working for the State of Kansas.

Roger’s experience includes 6 years in the Facilities Zone Preventative Maintenance shop, where he was responsible for routine maintenance in his assigned buildings and 4 years at the Biosecurity Research Institute. His self-confidence, knowledge, and abilities made him a valuable asset in the operations at the Power Plant. His exemplary service is a great credit upon himself, the Division of Facilities, and to Kansas State University

Diane Wester would like to thank her co-workers in Dykstra Hall for her birthday flowers and balloons. Diane is a Custodial Specialist who works on the day crew for Clifford Williams.

The Division of Facilities is proud to announce that two of our own have been named as award recipients for their outstanding work performance.

Josh Ricker, General Maintenance & Repair Technician Senior, is one of three KSU employees to receive the 2016 University Support Staff Award of Excellence. Ricker is the winner in the category of Service and Maintenance/Skilled Crafts. Ricker has developed methods of conducting maintenance work that save Facilities and the university money. With every task he completes, he has a refined method to cut down on time, money and labor required. Ricker consistently delivers superior service with a side of professionalism. He was nominated by Galen Hageman, Physical Plant Supervisor Senior in the Division of Facilities.

Jack Carlson, Project Manager in Campus Planning and Project Management, is one of four KSU employees to receive the 2016 President’s Award of Excellence for Unclassified Professionals. Carlson is the winner for the category of Distinguished Accomplishment Award. His ability to connect and coordinate across campus academic and administrative units led to collective success in architectural/engineering and landscape design teams, contracted construction professions and campus life constituencies. Carlson is respected by both the boots on the ground laying down massive 48-inch CW pipes and faculty in the buildings that seem to benefit from its installation. Staff working around him in maintenance zones, building services and grounds teams are engaged, committed and excited about positive outcomes and the integrity with which it has all been accomplished. Carlson is, many times, first in and last out of the office. He is highly organized and has been out front and on top of the many fluid elements of projects that arise. Carlson was nominated by Ryan Swanson, Associate Vice President of the Division of Facilities.

Congratulations to Tim Brunner on his promotion to Plant Manager. He is overseeing operations of both the Steam and Chiller Plants. He is working for Casey Lauer.

John Chubb was hired as a Custodial Specialist. He is working for Araminta Washington on the Vet Med Custodial night crew.

Brandon Boccia was hired as a Utility Worker. He is working for Joe Myers on the Grounds Maintenance main campus crew.

Gina Marker was hired as a Custodial Specialist. She is working for Jerry Negron on the Custodial day crew.

Marylou Nelson was hired as a Custodial Specialist. She is working for  Clifford Williams on the  Custodial day crew.

John P. Christie was hired as a Custodial Specialist. He is working for Steve Greinke on the Custodial night crew.