By Marion Wise
Daily Bruin Contributor
To combat increasing prices of natural gas, the Associated
Students of UCLA created an Energy Conservation Committee to
implement ASUCLA’s plan to reduce its energy consumption by
15 percent, including regulating temperatures.
ASUCLA, which already spends $1 million in utility costs
annually, estimates the rate increase will cost an additional $1
million in the coming year.
“In February, we started to realize that we were receiving
bills that were much higher than our original budget,” said
Keith Schoen, director of operations for ASUCLA. “We’re
coming up with ideas in all our major buildings on how to cut
back.”
Because UCLA runs a co-generator plant, the campus is not in
danger of facing black-outs, like much of California. But the plant
runs on natural gas, which is experiencing significant price
increases.
According to a report by Schoen, the additional $1 million
predicted cost will come from the use of steam, chilled water and
electricity. Steam will cost an additional $300,000, and chilled
water will cost an additional $200,000. But the main problem is the
cost of electricity, which will be $500,000 more than planned.
“As the price of natural gas increases, so has the price
of electricity ““ and that’s coupled with electricity
costs,” said ASUCLA Executive Director Patricia Eastman.
The association has not suffered price hikes on electricity, but
the increase will occur July 1. Though they only have results from
March, ASUCLA’s attempts to reduce energy has shown positive
effects.
“It’s a little early to say it’s a trend, but
we saw a 15 percent reduction in March,” Eastman said.
ASUCLA’s Energy Conservation Committee, formed in April,
meets weekly to investigate ways of reducing costs. The committee,
which has met three times, is comprised of Eastman, Schoen, ASUCLA
Director of Facilities and Maintenance Irene Thomas-Johnson and
representatives from Ackerman Union, Kerckhoff Hall and ASUCLA
restaurants.
“The role of the committee is to not only brainstorm on
how (the energy crisis) is affecting us and how we can come up with
solutions, but also to make people aware of the situation,”
said Thomas-Johnson, who chairs the committee.
The committee pinpointed heating, ventilation, air conditioning
and electricity as target reduction areas. As of April, ASUCLA
stopped providing air conditioning for its buildings unless outside
temperatures are 78 degrees or higher. Likewise, buildings are only
heated when the outside temperature is 68 degrees or lower.
The temperature range was determined by Thomas-Johnson, who
researched recommendations of utilities companies and the
committee.
“The key management group tried to estimate what we
thought would be a comfortable range,” Eastman said.
“Afterward, we read in the newspaper that, that was the same
range that President Bush used for the federal
buildings.”
But not everyone is pleased with the change. Carrie Witta, a
first-year English student and employee of Kerckhoff Coffeehouse,
said the temperature has been hot and uncomfortable recently,
particularly for employees behind the register.
“It’s disgusting. There’s no air conditioning.
We have no air circulating. We have machines going, and they add to
(the heat),” Witta said. “Maybe they could put in a
fan, because it’s unbearable.”
In addition to air conditioning and heating changes, ASUCLA has
reduced lighting in corridors and hallways, while maintaining
lighting in the student store and in study areas.
The association is also in the process of installing light
sensors and automatic toilet flushers to conserve energy, in
addition to adding window shades, blinds and door closures.
Signs in Ackerman notify staff, students and on-campus visitors
of ASUCLA’s efforts: “In response to the California
energy crisis, the temperature in the student union may seem
slightly uncomfortable. Please bear with us and help conserve.
Thank you.”
These signs are posted on the A-level of Ackerman.
Implementing these measures will eventually decrease costs, but
currently, ASUCLA must incur costs to pay for such things as
installing light sensors. But ASUCLA management said long-term
benefits will outweigh short-term costs.
“Even after the energy crisis may go away, it’s
going to have long-range benefits,” Schoen said.