The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced the winners of the 2008 Best Practices awards during its regular monthly meeting Thursday, February 19.
Delta State University was awarded first place in the Finance, Business and Administration category for its energy conservation campaign.
Winners were chosen by institutional peer group and receive a cash stipend of $10,000 for first place.
Beginning in fall 2007, Delta State began an aggressive program of reducing energy consumption. The campaign raised the energy conservation awareness of faculty and staff. As a result, energy consumption was reduced to historic lows in FY08.
Delta State implemented a number of new practices to lower energy consumption. Campus heating and lighting systems were closed down during the holidays resulting in substantial savings.
Beginning in January ‘08, an energy newsletter was issued each month to the campus, encouraging energy wise consumption through such practices as turning off desktop computers, lights, and other electronic devices at the end of each day.
Because there are few state of the art HVAC control systems on campus, manual systems were created that further reduced consumption. Set point temperatures were standardized. Air handlers, lights, pumps, and other equipment are monitored, whereas before they ran constantly.
An energy website was created and it now serves as a campus resource on energy issues. A campus "hotline" was also established, encouraging campus personnel to report energy savings ideas or wasteful practices.
“Credit for this award belongs to everyone at Delta State,” said Greg Redlin, Delta State Vice President for Finance & Administration. “Faculty and staff have stepped up and taken responsibility for their own personal energy consumption. That energy awareness has made a huge difference, helping us weather the financial storms we find ourselves in.”
