Higher education campuses across the U.S. have begun exploring their carbon footprints, with many already making specific commitments to some level of carbon reduction or carbon neutrality in line with the 2030 Challenge. The result most often includes frameworks for decarbonizing MEP systems through retrofits, such as reducing natural gas in domestic hot water systems and providing guidance for retrofitting existing campus buildings.
And, while it is true the easiest strategies campuses can pursue include upgrading aging, combustion-heavy mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, or incorporating electric or renewable systems in their new construction projects, it all must be done with an understanding of how the local energy grid operates. Here, we’ll discuss these strategies as well as how to use an understanding of energy grids to inform your campus’s decarbonization approach.