ASU Campus Metabolism
Encyclopedia
ASU Campus Metabolism is a website
managed by Arizona State University
, demonstrating Energy monitoring and targeting
through use of real-time and historic energy use
data of buildings on the campus in Tempe, Arizona
. The site displays data from an Energy Information System
in order to support education, research, operations and outreach regarding sustainability of operations on the ASU Tempe campus
. The site is part of a plan for the campus to be carbon-neutral by 2025.
and chilled water
.
The Campus Metabolism site was opened to the public on May 15, 2008 as a student project to measure and encourage responsible energy use by building occupants. It expanded with the help of many organizations with an interest in reducing energy use on the Arizona State University campus including the Global Institute of Sustainability, The National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations, the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
,the ASU student chapter of Engineers Without Borders
, and APS Energy Services.
Campus Metabolism expanded from 14 buildings in October 2008, to 20 facilities and 21 renewable generation installations in July, 2011. Data from the system has also been used to advise facility management decisions on buildings that do not have energy monitoring systems. Future plans for the site include installation of utility submetering devices in additional buildings, additional campuses, display of metered potable
and recycled water use, recycled
, non-recyclable waste
and the ability to view energy use by floor in multi-story buildings.
The Campus Metabolism website is featured prominently on a kiosk at the entrance to Wrigley Hall of the ASU School of Sustainability
at the ASU Tempe campus and is publicly available through the World Wide Web
.
. The data is stored in an SQL
database. The system is maintained by ASU Facilities Management with support from APS Energy Services. The information is made available through a public interactive tab-based Adobe Flash
interface that displays individual building data and related information.
Similar to a home energy monitor
, the Campus Metabolism site records and displays energy use, but at a larger scale and includes renewable energy generation. The largest arrays of solar panels on the system are installed on the roofs of parking structures and parking canopies to provide shade for parked cars and due to a lack of vacant land in the area. As of 2011, ASU facilities have a solar generating capacity of 4.7MW, among the largest commercial producers of solar energy in the state of Arizona
, with plans to expand to 16MW.
s showing current data for each.
A virtual room feature allows visitors to model energy use in a typical office or campus residence. Clicking on the picture displays an estimated daily usage and monthly cost of energy for each appliance in the room.
A “Select Building” tab allows visitors to see usage of each individual building, compare buildings, or display a summary of renewable energy generation. Individual building displays include historical data in the form of time-based graphs that compare current use to the previous day, month or year. The data used to generate the graphs can also be downloaded to a .csv file
.
Building complexes, such as the Barrett Honors College are set up to allow visitors to view overall data for the complex or detailed information for each building. The Structure Comparison page displays a bar graph comparing energy use of each building in the system, and the change in use. It also provides the ability to download data for further analysis.
A weather sub-site includes an interactive page to view and download weather
data, which is displayed and accessible through the navigation bar
at the top of the page. Weather data allows a visitor to relate energy use to factors such as outdoor temperature, wind and humidity at the campus.
for Environmental Education or Outreach.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
managed by Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, demonstrating Energy monitoring and targeting
Energy monitoring and targeting
Energy monitoring and targeting is an energy efficiency technique based on the standard management axiom stating that “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”...
through use of real-time and historic energy use
Energy use
Energy use or similar terms are discussed in the following articles:* Efficient energy use* World energy resources and consumption* energy use intensity...
data of buildings on the campus in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. The site displays data from an Energy Information System
Energy Management Software
Energy Management Software is a general term and category referring to a variety of energy-related software applications which may provide utility bill tracking, real-time metering, building HVAC and lighting control systems, building simulation and modeling, carbon and sustainability reporting,...
in order to support education, research, operations and outreach regarding sustainability of operations on the ASU Tempe campus
Arizona State University at the Tempe campus
Arizona State University at the Tempe campus is the largest of four campuses that compose Arizona State University. The campus lies in the heart of Tempe, Arizona, about eight miles east of downtown Phoenix. The campus is considered urban, and is approximately in size. ASU's Tempe campus is...
. The site is part of a plan for the campus to be carbon-neutral by 2025.
History
In 2004, APS Energy Services developed an Energy Information System (EIS) to provide the energy manager and ASU personnel with tools to monitor and manage energy and building use at the Tempe campus. The EIS provided the foundation that was to become the public Campus Metabolism site and continues to aid decision-making regarding improvements and facilities management to reduce use of electricity, natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and chilled water
Chilled water
Chilled water is a commodity often used to cool a building's air and equipment, especially in situations where many individual rooms must be controlled separately, such as a hotel...
.
The Campus Metabolism site was opened to the public on May 15, 2008 as a student project to measure and encourage responsible energy use by building occupants. It expanded with the help of many organizations with an interest in reducing energy use on the Arizona State University campus including the Global Institute of Sustainability, The National Center of Excellence on SMART Innovations, the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
The Katherine K. Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona was created in 2009 by the merger of two existing academic units, the Herberger College of the Arts and the College of Design...
, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is one of the 24 independent school units of Arizona State University. It provides undergraduate and graduate programs for engineering, computer science, and construction students.-History:The Fulton School was started in 1954 as the College of Applied...
,the ASU student chapter of Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Without Borders – International is an international association of some national EWB/ISF groups, whose mission is to facilitate collaboration, exchange of information, and assistance among its member groups that have applied to become part of the association...
, and APS Energy Services.
Campus Metabolism expanded from 14 buildings in October 2008, to 20 facilities and 21 renewable generation installations in July, 2011. Data from the system has also been used to advise facility management decisions on buildings that do not have energy monitoring systems. Future plans for the site include installation of utility submetering devices in additional buildings, additional campuses, display of metered potable
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
and recycled water use, recycled
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
, non-recyclable waste
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
and the ability to view energy use by floor in multi-story buildings.
The Campus Metabolism website is featured prominently on a kiosk at the entrance to Wrigley Hall of the ASU School of Sustainability
ASU School of Sustainability
School of Sustainability is the first school in the United States dedicated to exploring the principles of sustainability. The school was established in 2007 at Arizona State University. It is located within Wrigley Hall, along with the Global Institute of Sustainability at the Arizona State...
at the ASU Tempe campus and is publicly available through the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.
Technology
The Energy Information System components throughout campus are connected through a dedicated fiber-optic network, collecting data on energy consumption, temperature, pressure, hot and cold water, and renewable energy generation through rooftop photovoltaic panels and wind turbinesWind power in Arizona
Utility-scale wind power in Arizona began in 2009 with the commissioning of the first phase of the Dry Lake Wind Power Project in Navajo County.- Installed capacity and wind resources :...
. The data is stored in an SQL
SQL
SQL is a programming language designed for managing data in relational database management systems ....
database. The system is maintained by ASU Facilities Management with support from APS Energy Services. The information is made available through a public interactive tab-based Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
interface that displays individual building data and related information.
Similar to a home energy monitor
Home energy monitor
A home energy monitor provides prompt, convenient feedback on electrical or other energy use. Devices may also display cost of energy used, and estimates of greenhouse gas emissions...
, the Campus Metabolism site records and displays energy use, but at a larger scale and includes renewable energy generation. The largest arrays of solar panels on the system are installed on the roofs of parking structures and parking canopies to provide shade for parked cars and due to a lack of vacant land in the area. As of 2011, ASU facilities have a solar generating capacity of 4.7MW, among the largest commercial producers of solar energy in the state of Arizona
Solar power in Arizona
Solar power in Arizona has the potential for, according to then-Governor Janet Napolitano, making Arizona "the Persian Gulf of solar energy"., Arizona has over 100 megawatts of solar power....
, with plans to expand to 16MW.
Site features
The Campus Metabolism website begins with animated graphics that relate the function of living organisms to economic processes of urban areas including growth, energy, and elimination of waste. The home page displays overall statistics of campus energy systems, provides links to news and events while cycling through real-time readings from individual buildings. A campus map shows the location of each facility represented in the system with tooltipTooltip
The tooltip or infotip is a common graphical user interface element. It is used in conjunction with a cursor, usually a mouse pointer. The user hovers the cursor over an item, without clicking it, and a tooltip may appear—a small "hover box" with information about the item being hovered...
s showing current data for each.
A virtual room feature allows visitors to model energy use in a typical office or campus residence. Clicking on the picture displays an estimated daily usage and monthly cost of energy for each appliance in the room.
A “Select Building” tab allows visitors to see usage of each individual building, compare buildings, or display a summary of renewable energy generation. Individual building displays include historical data in the form of time-based graphs that compare current use to the previous day, month or year. The data used to generate the graphs can also be downloaded to a .csv file
Comma-separated values
A comma-separated values file stores tabular data in plain-text form. As a result, such a file is easily human-readable ....
.
Building complexes, such as the Barrett Honors College are set up to allow visitors to view overall data for the complex or detailed information for each building. The Structure Comparison page displays a bar graph comparing energy use of each building in the system, and the change in use. It also provides the ability to download data for further analysis.
A weather sub-site includes an interactive page to view and download weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
data, which is displayed and accessible through the navigation bar
Navigation bar
A navigation bar is a sub region of a web page that contains hypertext links in order to navigate between the pages of a website....
at the top of the page. Weather data allows a visitor to relate energy use to factors such as outdoor temperature, wind and humidity at the campus.
Recognition
Campus Metabolism has been recognized by the National Wildlife FederationNational Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over four million members and supporters, and 48 state and territorial affiliated organizations...
for Environmental Education or Outreach.
See also
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- EnergyEnergyIn physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...