Campus energy-saving efforts yield national award

Faramarz Vakili-Zadeh, a leader in energy-efficiency efforts at UW–Madison, received the 2004 Public Service Award at the Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington, D.C., for his efforts to manage energy use on campus.

The forum’s annual award recognizes a federal or state government official who has provided exemplary leadership in instituting and advancing energy efficiency.
Vakili-Zadeh, associate director of UW–Madison’s physical plant, accepted the award on behalf of the state and the university last week at a congressional reception in the Library of Congress.

“This really is a recognition of the efforts of the whole campus and of the state,” he says. “Energy conservation is the right thing to do. Saving money, concern for the environment and energy security are some of the right reasons to do it. We must do everything possible to maximize energy conservation on campus.”
Vakili-Zadeh has been a leading advocate of energy efficiency on campus, and was instrumental in implementing UW–Madison’s efforts under the state’s energy-saving Wisconsin Energy Initiative, begun in 1992.

That program, a partnership between the state of Wisconsin and Johnson Controls Inc., is expected to save the university more than $75 million in total energy costs, reduce water use by 1.7 billion gallons and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 8.9 million tons over 30 years.

The program has involved installing more energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, more efficient motors, toilet replacements, energy monitoring, window retrofits and other energy-saving measures.

For more information on the forum awards, visit www.eeforum.net/awards.html