The Facilities Department at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center received $42,067.50 in energy incentives from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The award was used to improve lighting and energy sources in the Mooney Building on campus.
The Mooney Building is part of the state-funded, $70 million renovation of the university’s Historic Quadrangle which also includes the Crowe, Nash, and Nash Annex Buildings. The Mooney Building was originally constructed in the 1920s and was the original site for the campus library. It had been vacant since 1985.
“This was a great effort that is part of a larger UTHSC effort in which we have undertaken an energy performance contract focused on improving our overall energy efficiency utilization,” said UTHSC Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Ken Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE.
Incentive efforts were led by Whit Sutton, former energy manager at UTHSC. The entire process took three years to complete, after contacting the TVA to inquire if the Mooney Building met the requirements of the TVA EnergyRight for Business and Industry program, which advises statewide, community businesses on how to become more energy efficient. Once UTHSC was approved, a representative from the TVA’S engineering department conducted virtual and on-site visits with input from local and state contractors. The required, incentive paperwork was then submitted, suggesting that the installation of LED lights would make the building conserve more energy and cut down on utility costs overall.
“We are forever indebted to Whit for his hard work and selfless leadership, said Leslie Gray, mechanical services manager in the UTHSC Facilities Department. “This is a big deal for our administration, as we are always looking for ways to improve and minimize UTHSC’s operational costs. The TVA program is very competitive and time consuming. Awards are also given out sporadically. We hope that these incentives are only the beginning of many to come.”