With its 10-year strategic plan “Transformation Morgan 2030: Leading the Future,” Morgan State University (MSU) aims at transforming its campus substantially to provide students with a healthy, safe, secure, and more resilient learning environment.
Charting a path towards a smarter future
Morgan State University, located in the heart of Baltimore, MD USA, is well on its way to becoming a smarter, more efficient urban campus – one that is more sustainable and resilient for its students, faculty, and staff as well as the greater community.
Improving infrastructure for operational excellence
Considerable cost savings
Investments in infrastructure and modernization through digitalization helps make Morgan Site University smarter and more energy efficient. The first of four transformation phases alone guarantees savings of around $10M.
Operational excellence
The implementation of its smart campus roadmap will transform Morgan State University into a high-performing, more sustainable campus with healthy, safe, secure, and comfortable living and learning environments.
A long-term plan for institutional success
Morgan State University aimed for Carnegie R1 status but faced challenges: diverse campus infrastructure, disparate systems, & deferred maintenance. Achieving this vision, and funding it, seemed overwhelming.
Working closely with Siemens and the Maryland Clean Energy Center, MSU leaders created a vision and plan to transform their campus through hard work, partnership, and innovation through a phased approach. Siemens Financial Services (SFS) provided capital and helped MSU achieve its vision using a unique approach that included leveraging federal funding grants, alternative financing, the funding of facilities upgrades and energy efficiency through energy savings, and accelerated depreciation to implement renewable energy systems.
The measures will result in guaranteed savings of about $10 million in phase one alone. By the end of phase four, the campus' GHG emissions will be reduced by up to 65 percent and the entire campus will have become smarter and much more efficient.
Founded in 1867, MSU, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has a long-standing reputation for excellence serving a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offering more than 140 academic programs. Designated as a National Treasure, its expansive 185-acre campus features a range of facilities geared toward innovative teaching and learning. It offers a safe and inviting learning environment with easy access to Baltimore’s culture, exhibits, dining, shopping, activities, sightseeing, and employment.
Morgan State University’s journey to a smart campus is being achieved over the next 10 years.
MSU partnered with Siemens to take proactive steps towards becoming a state-of-the-art smart campus. Within the framework of a 10-year plan, the university is strategically investing in its campus facilities. The focus on Morgan State University’s journey to a smart campus is on improving energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability through systems integration and digitalization to transform into a smarter, more efficient campus.
Energy cost reduction
Combining expert domain know-how in power generation and distribution, energy management, building management, and asset performance optimization, Siemens energy and performance services will help Morgan State university save 1,500 MWh of electricity, 3,656 MWh of natural gas, and 1,905 metric tons of GHG emissions per year. This will translate into annual savings of $213,126 in energy costs and yield $330.190 in utility rebates. On top of that, the measures will enable annual savings of $55,000 in operational costs.
Smart energy management
The implementation of Building X energy management dashboard and analytics platform along with Desigo building management and SENTRON powermanager software will integrate 80 field panels and 475 unit controllers. 7,500 data points across the campus will be used to track the performance of energy intensive equipment, improve energy efficiency and even reduce maintenance costs.
State-of-the-art fire protection
Fire protection, which includes detection, alarming, evacuation, extinguishing and danger management, is an essential part of a university’s infrastructure. Systems need to be up to date to ensure reliable operation for the protection of people and assets in case of fire. That’s why the university’s path toward operational excellence also includes testing and inspection of all existing systems and devices, upgrades of 1,698 notification devices, and the installation of 17 new fire alarm control panels systems and 1,595 new devices.
Better lighting, less energy demand
Enlighted sensors installed along with LED lighting devices will significantly reduce energy requirements on the campus. Measuring ambient light, temperature, motion that indicates that people are in a room, and current energy consumption, the sensors enable comprehensive optimization of space and energy utilization.
Making the most of the given budget
In times of tight budgets, it is even more challenging for higher education institutions around the world to meet ambitious sustainability and carbon emissions targets. In the U.S. in particular, deferred maintenance is another major challenge for many colleges and universities. Aging buildings call for renovations, infrastructure, and HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, and building envelope modernization. According to APPA, an association of educational facilities professionals, the collective backlog of
deferred maintenance amounts to US$112 billion. In addition to leveraging available federal funding, other funding options can be pivotal in addressing these challenges.
In order to grow into the leaders that they are destined to be, our students require a healthy, safe, secure, and resilient campus setting. Working in partnership with Siemens in developing a more sustainable learning and instructional environment for our community moves us in a positive direction.