Texas Tech University: MRI Software management program expands as energy costs shrink

Texas Tech University is a Tier I University located in Lubbock, Texas with over 40,000 students. Since 2000, Texas Tech has lowered its energy budget by $6 million and reduced its energy use index by 33%; even as the campus has grown by two million square feet and student population has increased by 63%.

The requirement

Texas Tech implemented the MRI energy management software (EMS) as a means of effecting a transition from reactive maintenance to persistent commissioning. Reactive maintenance is the practice of correcting equipment failures after they make themselves known. Persistent Commissioning is identifying failures as or even before they occur and taking immediate action to restore as-new performance.

The solution

Texas Tech selected MRI Software for many reasons: MRI Energy provides an abundance of user- friendly analytical tools, particularly CUSUM analysis, and modular features that are not offered by any other software. The modularity and scalability of MRI Energy allowed Texas Tech to design a low cost pilot project and implement the innovation by integrating existing meters before investing in new meters. During the pilot, MRI Software worked with several control companies and Texas Tech’s Energy Management Team to integrate data from a select few meters into the MRI Energy platform. In addition to the industry-leading analytics of MRI Energy, the ease of deployment and low initial costs provided a quick return on investment.

Over $2.5 million savings on energy costs since MRI Energy was installed

The Results

On the day MRI Software EMS was powered up in July 2015 (FY15), it identified a $220,000 savings opportunity in the English/Philosophy building, on which Texas Tech quickly capitalised. In the second year (FY16), similar corrections produced savings of over $500,000. Since that astounding return on such a low-cost implementation, Texas Tech has integrated meters from 49 buildings with plans to expand to 200 buildings over the next several years. The following graphs highlight a few of Texas Tech’s energy savings identified by MRI Energy.

MRI Energy Identified savings

• IMSE FY20 – Programmed mixing valve controls ($78,000) saved)
• Chitwood FY19 – Fine tuned chilled water system ($18,000 saved)
• Law FY18 – CHW pump VFD failed (Persistent Commissioning)
• Biology FY17 – Pneumatic line disconnected from chilled water valve ($313,628 saved)
• English Philosophy FY16 – Chilled water valve stuck open ($222,67 saved)
• Mechanical Engineering FY16 – Steam valve leaking ($22,200 saved)
• Foreign Language FY16 – VFD programming ($13,516 saved)