Case Study: University of Minnesota Jones Hall

The University of Minnesota wanted to decrease energy costs in Jones Hall, one of their mixed-use buildings on campus with a combination of offices, classrooms, and public space. The building is a historic component of the campus, hosting many functions over the years, and is currently home to the University’s Admissions, Language Center, and College of Liberal Arts classrooms. The building had fallen behind in some of the University’s aggressive sustainability initiatives and needed new lighting and controls.

The Integrated Controls pilot program, co-funded by Xcel Energy and the US Department of Energy (DOE), could deliver the deeper, more holistic energy retrofit they were looking for. It included a complete lighting retrofit with a luminaire-level lighting controls system, wireless outlet controls, and a tie from the lighting controls to the HVAC building automation system. This took advantage of the highly variable occupancy in the higher education building.