Success! New HVAC System Earns LIPA Commercial Efficiency Program Rebate

By: Rebecca Anzel

Located at the corner of South and Marburger Drive on South Campus sits Sullivan Hall, home of the School of Dental Medicine and its state-of-the-art oral healthcare teaching facility. It is also the site of a new initiative by the University to increase the efficiency of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems (HVAC), decrease impact on the natural environment and receive a financial rebate through the Long Island Power Authority's (LIPA) Commercial Efficiency Program.

Completed in spring of 2013, rooftop HVAC units original to Sullivan Hall were replaced in a project estimated to save the University close to $10,000.00 a year. The new rooftop HVAC units provide heating, ventilation and air condition more efficiently and they consume less electricity than the units they replaced. But perhaps more important is the amount of energy and carbon dioxide emissions it will save: according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the 45.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions eliminated is the equivalent of carbon stored by 1,162 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Campus Energy Manager Thomas Lanzilotta said the units replaced were outdated and the new ones "use energy more efficiently." Tom and the University worked diligently with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) in order to communicate the project's status, submit required documentation and ultimately receive a LIPA Commercial Efficiency Program rebate for the project.

"It is really important to be recognized by the local power authority, limit environmental impact and secure funds in a time of budget constraints," Lanzilotta said. The rebate incentive is determined by the amount of energy the project will save – the amount Lanzilotta worked out with LIPA is close to $6,000.00, "which is a rebate that will be dedicated in part toward supporting additional energy-efficiency projects."

Laura Pellizzi, Project Manager of Campus Planning Design & Construction, added that similar types of HVAC projects were completed in the CMM/Life Sciences and Health Science Center buildings, and that additional HVAC units are continually replaced as they become less efficient and funding becomes available. In terms of other current related energy efficiency projects at Sullivan Hall, a second phase of this project includes installing a new rooftop boiler to the Hall's extension – which Lanzilotta will also look to receive rebates from both LIPA and National Grid.

For more information on this initiative, please contact:
Stony Brook University
Office of Sustainability
E-Mail: sustainability@stonybrook.edu

Tags: Offices Facilities & Services Provost Facilities Labs Energy Green Buildings Greenhouse Gas (GHG)