Spring Break
Tyson building renovations save energy, money
Sustainability
Jaclyn Johnson
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: News
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Updates to the John W. Tyson building have been completed and are expected to save enough energy to pay for the construction costs, said a UA construction official.
The Tyson building is the first building on campus chosen to be refurbished under the Energy Savings Performance Contract. The changes made to the building will save major amounts of energy, said Larry Young, UA construction coordinator.
Bond money from the state of Arkansas was obtained to pay for the construction, Young said. Under these bonds, the money must be repaid within 20 years. However, due to the significant energy savings, the money should be replaced within 12 years, he said.
The energy-saving costs of the building are being accounted for and will go "back into the coffers," Young said. Therefore, the construction "didn't really cost anything," he said.
The contractors also have an agreement with the UA that if enough energy is not saved to replace the bond money within 20 years, the contractor will write a check for the difference, Young said. This makes the project a guaranteed success, he said.
Though many buildings on campus would benefit from this construction, the Tyson building was chosen by Mike Johnson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management, and Bob Beeler, director of Construction and Design.
There were problems with several aspects of the building, making it a good candidate for the project, Young said. Many of these issues were able to be fixed during the construction process, because of the projected savings.
Some of the energy-saving changes include new light bulbs that cut down on wattage, which are now used throughout the building, and lights activated by motion sensors that will also cut down on the amount of electricity used.
Electronic ballasts were also installed in the lights, Young said. The ballasts provide the energy to start-up a light and regulate the currency while it is in use, according to advancedbuildings.com. Electronic ballasts, as opposed to magnetic ballasts, can significantly reduce energy use.
The Tyson building is the first building on campus chosen to be refurbished under the Energy Savings Performance Contract. The changes made to the building will save major amounts of energy, said Larry Young, UA construction coordinator.
Bond money from the state of Arkansas was obtained to pay for the construction, Young said. Under these bonds, the money must be repaid within 20 years. However, due to the significant energy savings, the money should be replaced within 12 years, he said.
The energy-saving costs of the building are being accounted for and will go "back into the coffers," Young said. Therefore, the construction "didn't really cost anything," he said.
The contractors also have an agreement with the UA that if enough energy is not saved to replace the bond money within 20 years, the contractor will write a check for the difference, Young said. This makes the project a guaranteed success, he said.
Though many buildings on campus would benefit from this construction, the Tyson building was chosen by Mike Johnson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management, and Bob Beeler, director of Construction and Design.
There were problems with several aspects of the building, making it a good candidate for the project, Young said. Many of these issues were able to be fixed during the construction process, because of the projected savings.
Some of the energy-saving changes include new light bulbs that cut down on wattage, which are now used throughout the building, and lights activated by motion sensors that will also cut down on the amount of electricity used.
Electronic ballasts were also installed in the lights, Young said. The ballasts provide the energy to start-up a light and regulate the currency while it is in use, according to advancedbuildings.com. Electronic ballasts, as opposed to magnetic ballasts, can significantly reduce energy use.
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