Staff Excellence: Energy and Utilities

Purdue’s Energy and Utilities department literally powers the West Lafayette campus. From managing chilled water systems to maintaining electrical distribution and steam generation, this team ensures that the campus remains fully operational and functions at peak efficiency. With a team of 110, Energy and Utilities annually produces around 50% of the university’s electricity, 100% of its chilled water and 60% of its steam, making it a critical part of Purdue’s daily operations.

The Energy and Utilities department is comprised of four main working groups: Heat and Power, Energy Management, Water Works, and Engineering. The Heat and Power operators work on-site 24/7, 365 days a year at the Wade Utility Plant, where they perform crucial tasks such as operating and monitoring all plant equipment and conducting preventative maintenance to ensure that energy systems run smoothly, reliably and efficiently. Their efforts help minimize downtime and reduce operational costs.

The Energy Management team monitors the campus’s heating and cooling systems. They use advanced automation systems to monitor and adjust temperatures, humidity and airflow in real time and respond to alarms. This allows them to optimize energy efficiency while ensuring comfortable environments for students, faculty and staff.

The Water Works team monitors and maintains the high-voltage, steam and chilled water distribution systems across campus. They also maintain the university’s wells, which provide potable water across campus, and wastewater systems.

With these tasks comes the responsibility of ensuring compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards. The Water Works and Heat and Power groups conduct regular air and water testing, ensuring that Purdue adheres to stringent environmental regulations.

The Engineering team provides the technical expertise and support necessary for continuous improvement and innovation. They perform condition assessments and develop short- and long-term maintenance and capital plans for the utility systems. Together, these groups uphold Purdue’s commitment to operational excellence and sustainability.

From Fall 2010 through June 2023, Purdue achieved a 27% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions even with a 28% rise in enrollment and a 17% increase in managed space. As part of a campuswide team that made these results possible, this remarkable achievement highlights the Energy and Utilities department’s commitment to distributing energy efficiently while making significant strides in sustainability.

By leveraging data analysis and predictive models, the Energy and Utilities team can forecast chilled water demand, ensuring optimal cooling across campus, even during peak summer temperatures. This year, the team partnered with Environmental Health and Safety to introduce Energy Conservation Action Days. These days help prepare the campus community to take proactive steps in reducing energy consumption, which in turn helps keep campus cool and systems running efficiently.

“Energy management is a critical component of Purdue’s daily operations, and our team is committed to delivering reliable, efficient and affordable energy solutions,” said Matthew High, director of Energy and Utilities. “Through a lot of hard work by a dedicated team, and by leveraging advanced technology and predictive models, we ensure that our systems consistently meet the immediate needs of the campus.”

Energy and Utilities is part of the Administrative Operations organization, which supports the university by providing safe, reliable and transformative services. Ensuring utilities function efficiently and reliably is just one of the ways the organization helps power Purdue. To learn more about the daily operations of the organization, follow us on Instagram at @purdueoperations and Facebook at Purdue Administrative Operations.