PROGRESS REPORT
2025
Demand Response Program
The University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA's) ongoing participation at the Main Campus in the CPS Energy Demand Response (DR) Program resulted in an average load shed of 746 kilowatts (kW) during summer response events. As a result, UTSA will receive a $52,239 incentive payment, an increase from last year. We attribute this improvement to initiating our response before the official start of the DR window, ensuring a downward trend in campus energy at the start of each event.
We also participated in a winter demand response program for the first time at both the Main and Downtown campuses. This was primarily a performance test, with a total commitment of 75 kW (50 kW for Main Campus and 25 kW for Downtown). With minimal effort — mainly reducing supply fan statics at the Main Campus — we achieved an average savings of 60 kW, resulting in a $2,392 incentive payment. Note these DR numbers are pending a final report from CPS Energy.
Summer Savings
Working with Operations, we scheduled thermostat setbacks in several buildings across campus; nine of 28 targeted buildings were completed. These actions are estimated to have saved approximately $25,000 over the summer.
Student Assistance
We expanded student participation through a program called Watt Watchers, consisting of five electrical engineering students hired to support the summer savings effort. Their work included building on the utilities dashboard, documenting existing conditions for irrigation submetering and resetting pneumatic thermostats across campus. Three of these students will continue their work into the fall semester. Additionally, our utility analyst intern continues to support the utility billing process. We also collaborated with a student team that reimagined UTSA’s Santikos Building as a high-performance facility for the U.S. Department of Energy’s BuildingNEXT competition.
New Construction
Blanco Hall, San Pedro II, and the Volleyball and Basketball Practice Facility are currently under construction and scheduled to open this fiscal year. Blanco Hall is targeting LEED Silver certification, while San Pedro II is tracking for LEED Gold. UTSA also received a 179D tax credit for the design work on both San Pedro I and San Pedro II. Additional projects include:
- Hazardous Waste Facility – Under construction with submetering and Building Automation System (BAS) controls for utility tracking. This building is scheduled to open later this fiscal year.
- One Riverwalk Place – Purchase of an 18-story office building expanding the Southwest Campus. As part of the fall semester program, portions of the building were renovated with LED lighting and classes began occupying the space this fall.
- Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) Tenant Fit-Out – A new lease was executed and a new home for the ITC was constructed. The scope included efficient LED lighting with controls, two water-source heat pumps and a humidification system to preserve exhibits and artwork. This facility will open later this fiscal year.
Energy Performance Contracts
We have completed a detailed analysis of the main campus core buildings, estimating both the potential utility savings and required capital investments for specific energy conservation measures. Through several iterations with our contractor, we have prioritized these measures and are now in negotiations for the full implementation phase of UTSA’s Energy Performance Contract (EPC).
We are also working to align this effort with a broader, campus-wide deferred maintenance investment strategy to ensure coordinated infrastructure renewal. A comprehensive retro-commissioning analysis has been completed for the remaining critical buildings on the Main Campus, and collaboration with CPS Energy has secured rebate eligibility for selected improvements identified in this study.
Initial pricing is underway for submetering installations, with key meter locations and supporting infrastructure identified. In addition, a BAS and metering specification has been developed to standardize submetering requirements for all new construction and renovation projects moving forward.
Hemisfair Park Campus
The Texas Pavilion building has been fully shut down and under demolition since December 2024. Limited electric and water services are being maintained to support demolition activities, which are anticipated to conclude by the end of this calendar year. Relocating the ITC to a new leased location is expected to save approximately $240,000 annually in utility costs.
Renovations
Equipment replacements and retrofits continue across campus to improve efficiency and reliability. Highlights include:
- Southwest Campus: Ongoing repair of historic core buildings, including LED lighting upgrades, replacement of packaged DX units and water-source heat pumps, and replacement of condenser water pumps with variable frequency drives (VFDs). Work is expected to be complete by year-end.
- Biotechnology Sciences and Engineering (BSE) and Biosciences Building (BSB): Replacement of five autoclaves to improve reliability and efficiency.
- Downtown Campus: Replacement of chilled water and condenser water pumps to support new cooling towers. A new elevator installation was also completed.
- Chisholm Hall: Replacement of a cooling tower and installation of new condenser water pumps. Two rooftop dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units were replaced, and corridor units were demolished in preparation for new hot water reheat coils. A larger fan coil replacement project is underway.
- Main Campus: Smaller renovation projects completed across Main Building, Multidisciplinary Studies Building (MS) rooms, and John Peace Library (JPL) refresh areas, including LED lighting upgrades.
Steam Trap Audit
A steam trap audit was conducted Feb. 24-26, 2025. Of the 320 traps inspected, 32 were found to have failed. Repairing these traps is estimated to result in annual savings of $100,500. Repairs are currently in progress.
Shut-the-Sash
In partnership with Laboratory Safety, stickers were installed on all 327 laboratory fume hoods across campus to remind users to close the sash when the hood is not in use. Lowering the sash reduces the volume of conditioned air exhausted from the lab, significantly decreasing HVAC energy use. This behavioral campaign is estimated to save approximately $40,700 annually in utility costs. We continue to collaborate with the College of Sciences and College of Engineering to promote the Shut-the-Sash initiative.
GOALS
Water
Target Year: 2031
Benchmark Year: 2021
3% to 5% reduction of Water Use Index (WUI)
Electricity
Target Year: 2031
Benchmark Year: 2021
3% to 5% reduction of Energy Use Intensity (EUI)
Natural Gas
Target Year: 2031
Benchmark Year: 2021
3% to 5% reduction of EUI
| Utility | Target Year | Benchmark Year | Percentage Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 2031 | 2021 | 5 |
| Electricity | 2031 | 2020 | 5 |
| Transportation Fuels | 2031 | 2021 | 3 |
| Natural Gas | 2031 | 2021 | 5 |
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
Demand Response Program
UTSA will continue participating in the CPS Energy Demand Response Program. We are exploring opportunities to expand our winter demand response participation. The Downtown Campus may also be added to the program, depending on staffing resources. As part of our standards development, we will implement a standard demand response mode for all new building automation system work.
Department of Energy and Sustainability
We have established an interim stretch goal of 20% energy and water utilization index reduction by 2030. We are collaborating with leadership to set net-zero energy and water goals for UTSA. Over the next year, we plan to expand the existing Sustainability Council to include additional stakeholders, who will help develop policy and engage faculty, students and staff in user behavior change initiatives.
New Construction
Major capital projects will be required to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification. We have developed a key performance indicator (KPI) process to establish energy and water savings in design and track these savings through operations. A key initiative this year will be integrating this process into the facility new construction standards. We also plan to require post-occupancy monitoring and commissioning to ensure that projected savings are achieved for both new construction and renovation projects. UTSA complies with the State Energy Conservation Office’s energy and water design standards in all new buildings to ensure efficient operations.
Infrastructure Revitalization Initiative
We have expanded our Energy Performance Contract (EPC) to create a systematic investment program that targets aging infrastructure across campus. This initiative captures the utility and operational savings generated through capital renewal projects, highlighting both the financial value of these investments and ensuring equipment operates as intended and meets user needs.
A key component of this work is the development of an integrated platform that combines operations, maintenance, BAS and submetering data. The first phase of this plan — focused on submetering infrastructure and utility billing modernization — will be implemented this year. We have already developed the workflow for utility billing and historical data aggregation and are now integrating and testing the platform for operational use.
This platform will enable data-driven prioritization of energy and water reduction opportunities based on both first-cost and lifecycle savings. It will also help establish usage trends, inform right-sizing decisions, and support innovative retrofits — allowing us to move beyond “replace in-kind” approaches. Working closely with our Energy Service Company (ESCO), we will develop and implement measures that address these priorities while verifying performance and tracking realized savings over time. We have also established a dedicated technical operations team to support this initiative, consisting of in-house data analysts and back-end specialists from Facilities and Project Management. This team will ensure the successful integration, maintenance and continuous improvement of the data and control systems supporting the Energy Performance Contract and related infrastructure initiatives.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
Demand Response Programs
We will work with the ESCO contractor to implement winter demand response sequences as part of their retro-commissioning work on campus. We will also expand the DR program to the Downtown Campus as part of the Infrastructure Revitalization Initiative.
New Construction
Blanco Hall and San Pedro II are both scheduled to open in spring 2026. The Volleyball and Basketball Training Facility is projected to open in fall 2026. Each project includes provisions for monitoring and tracking building data. Some integration will be required as the internal data platform for tracking building performance is still under development.
Infrastructure Revitalization Initiative
We plan to complete deferred maintenance prioritization and scope development this fall, finalizing the Energy Performance Contract (EPC). This will be followed by a series of approvals through the UT System Board of Regents and the state of Texas. Our goal is to continue design efforts in the spring, begin construction on selected measures over the summer and carry out implementation over the following two years.
Submetering installation is scheduled to begin this winter, with additional integration of data platforms planned for the spring and summer. All implementation activities will be managed by our ESCO and the in-house technical operations team.
AGENCY FINANCE STRATEGY
UT System is providing a significant increase in deferred maintenance funding over the next three years, with UT San Antonio slated to receive $186 million to address critical infrastructure renewal. This investment will directly support the Infrastructure Revitalization Initiative, advancing the modernization of campus systems and facilities. Operations and utility savings generated from these improvements will serve as a potential source of recurring reinvestment, helping sustain future energy and infrastructure upgrades.
The scope of the Energy Performance Contract is still being determined. This work would be funded through the EPC mechanism, which allows project costs to be repaid using the resulting energy savings over the life of the upgrades. Additional funding sources and strategies include the following:
- Utility Savings and Rebates: Utility savings and rebates have been, and will continue to be, used to fund conservation projects. These savings help offset utility costs and reinvest in future efficiency improvements. A Demand Response incentive of approximately $54,000 is expected, which will be deposited into the Utility Reserve account.
- Utility Budget Performance: Utility KPIs are monitored monthly and reviewed during Facilities Management Performance Review Meetings. Metrics include EUI, WUI, energy and water rates, total utility cost and budget-to-actual performance. For fiscal 2025, UTSA achieved a utility budget surplus of approximately $2 million.
- Early Payment Discounts: UTSA takes advantage of early payment discounts from Win-Sam Inc., our third-party central plant operator, resulting in $12,800 in savings in fiscal 2025.
- Deferred Maintenance and Library Equipment Repair and Replacement (LERR) Funding: Deferred Maintenance and LERR funds will continue to be proposed for conservation and efficiency projects that provide measurable benefits to the university.
- Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Fund: The CIP fund is used at the Thermal Energy Plants to replace and upgrade obsolete equipment. In 2025, $679,000 was invested through this fund to replace failed busbars, switchgear, variable speed drives (VSDs) and other central plant components.
- Tax Incentives: Opportunities such as 179D tax deductions and other federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act are actively evaluated as potential funding sources for energy projects.
- Grant Funding and Partnerships: A formal grant funding process has been established, and UTSA is actively seeking external funding to support renewable energy generation, water capture and reuse projects. Partnerships with external organizations are also being explored to advance these initiatives.
- Retro-Commissioning Rebates: CPS Energy offers rebates that can potentially cover 100% of the cost of retro-commissioning services, reducing upfront costs for system optimization.
EMPLOYEE AWARENESS PLAN
Part of our platform development will include dashboards for Facilities to use, providing additional insights into operations. We will also leverage the Sustainability Council to educate faculty, students and staff, adjusting policy as needed. The Sustainability team will partner with others to run awareness campaigns for various reduction initiatives.
Training for Facilities staff will be conducted to demonstrate how their actions impact costs. Facilities staff have direct access to energy operations and are uniquely positioned to identify areas of inefficiency due to their access to energy production and conversion systems. Additionally, a well-informed Facilities team can offer valuable conservation suggestions for new construction and renovation projects, contributing to more efficient growth as UTSA continues to expand.
Non-E&G (Educational and General) customers continue to receive monthly reports detailing their cost and consumption trends compared to the previous month and year to evaluate performance. With the upgraded data platform, these agencies will have access to critical information and feedback. We are also encouraging their participation in the Sustainability Council.
The Office of Energy and Sustainability conducts tours of mechanical systems for student organizations such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the College of Engineering and Integrated Design’s Masters in Facilities Management program.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) report was completed in 2016, 2020 and 2023 to assess UTSA’s sustainability ranking. The 2016 assessment yielded a bronze designation, the 2020 assessment earned a silver designation and the 2023 assessment achieved a gold designation. This assessment serves as both an educational and awareness tool for students and a way to share information within the UTSA community. The Office of Sustainability continues to participate in this assessment and coordinates with various campus offices to complete the process.
We will continue to engage the broader campus community in utility conservation efforts. Laboratory users remain a key audience for the Shut-the-Sash campaign. We have developed educational materials and are collaborating with the colleges to identify the most effective ways to reach and engage users. Currently, periodic reminders are being shared through college newsletters.
Our Communications team is also preparing a series of recurring articles in UTSA Today to highlight utility savings, the Energy Performance Contract and the Infrastructure Revitalization Initiative. This summer, they published an article on the Watt Watchers and Summer Savings Initiative, and a follow-up article this fall will share results from the campaign.
In addition, we plan to launch the CampusIQ engagement platform this summer through our ESCO to promote conservation awareness and participation across campus.
