To upgrade all the university's hvac systems at one time, however, would be extremely expensive. So a decision was made in the late 1990s to phase in new equipment and systems through performance contracting and as capital funds became available.
Slowly but surely, change is taking place at the university. A new central steam plant, submetering system, and EMS are now in place, as well as all-new lighting and plumbing fixtures. The effect of these new systems on the utility bills has been tremendous, but a bigger bonus may be that it is now possible to have much more control over most of the hvac systems on campus.