Making buildings more energy efficient may not sound sexy, but once owners begin to save money on their utility bills, it gets a lot sexier, said Andrew Watterson, Cleveland's Chief of Sustainability, at last week's forum at the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University (CSU).

"Every dollar saved from energy-efficiency measures has an impact not only on the environment but also on your pocketbook," Watterson said at the event, entitled "Sustainable Cleveland 2019: Celebrating Energy-Efficiency in 2011."

The forum was held to highlight efforts that are boosting the energy-efficiency of homes and buildings in Cleveland. Sustainable Cleveland 2019, a citywide effort to build a sustainable economy here by 2019, has chosen the theme of energy efficiency for this year. Sustainable Cleveland 2019 organizers hope that events like the one held last week will educate the public and spur efforts towards energy efficiency.

Nathan Engstrom, CSU's Campus Sustainability Coordinator, highlighted the university's commitment to making the campus more energy-efficient. "In recent years, we've completed an audit of every building on campus, and we're expecting to realize a 40-percent savings on our utility costs over a 10-year period, plus a 14-percent overall return on our investment," Engstrom said.

CSU has begun implementing 93 different energy efficiency measures, Engstrom said, including building automation, energy efficient lighting, and more efficient mechanical systems. "This is a wonderful story that we can tell to our students," added Engstrom. "We're on track to reduce consumption by 47-percent within 10 years, and to reduce emissions by 45-percent."

Source: Nathan Engstrom, Andrew Watterson
Writer: Lee Chilcote