Macalester College campus, with DeWitt Wallace Library in the foreground
Electrical Consumption by Building, 1998-99
Electrical Consumption, 1984-99
Macalester College campus, with DeWitt Wallace Library in the foreground
From 1998-1999, Macalester used 12.6 million kWh of energy.
*One kilowatt-hour (kWh) is equivalent to using ten, 100-watt lightbulbs for one hour.
Macalester pays a reduced rate of $0.05 per kWh, making energy costs for the college during 1998-1999 about $627,000.
The following graph shows a break-down of Macalester's energy use by building for 1998-1999:
The highest energy consumer on campus is the science building, Rice. This energy goes toward a mandatory, non-stop operation of labs. Other major sources of energy consumption in the building includes the operation of ventilation hoods and computer labs.
The following energy conservation measures are currently employed across campus:
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Use of long-lasting, energy efficient compact florescent bulbs in many buildings on campus |
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Motion-detector lights in the most recently renovated buildings on campus (library, Rice, 30 Mac) |
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Controlled-climate thermostats |
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In the test phase of motion-detecting sensors for classrooms |
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Use of a "chiller" that produces ice during the night (off-peak hours of electricity consumption) and uses the ice to cool buildings on campus during the day |
Increasing electricity consumption at Macalester can be attributed to the following:
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A growing number of computers and computer usage on campus |
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Construction of the new library (DeWitt Wallace Library) in 1988 |
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Renovation of numerous buildings, with the mandatory installation of air circulating systems and, often, air conditioning |
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Construction of George Draper Dayton residence hall in 1998. This was a large addition, and also the first dorm on campus with air conditioning |
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The completion of Rice Science Hall in 1997 |