University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
At a Glance
Industry
College or University
Project Type
Commercial Energy Efficiency
Year
2011
Location
Brownsville, TX
Summary
Jennifer Morales-Munoz used a community-minded approach to assist UTB/TSC in planning for a sustainable future.
Goals
Jennifer Morales-Munoz spent her summer as an EDF Climate Corps fellow at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, a Hispanic serving institution in the Rio Grande Valley, where she planned to focus on lighting, user-oriented items, and campus and community awareness projects.
Solutions
Morales-Munoz's short-term recommendations included development of a weatherization schedule and investing in the growth of the Sustainability Council. The fellow became highly involved with the university’s Sustainability Council and assisted with the planning and execution of a successful outreach campaign and event. The event reached over 300 students and community members and showcased sustainable practices around the Rio Grande Valley. Morales-Munoz also conducted interviews with IT staff to determine potential savings from upgrading to all Energy Star appliances and installing free energy management software on computers. The computer management software by itself could save the university about $160,000 over five years. To set an example for the campuses and community, Morales-Munoz recommended it develop a Climate Action Plan and sign the President’s Climate Commitment.
Potential Impact
If all of Morales-Munoz’ projects are implemented, UTB/TSC could save over $180,000 in annual energy costs, reduce electricity use by more than 2.2 million kWh per year, and avoid 1,300 metric tons in carbon emissions annually.