The College of New Jersey Case Study

Course Description

Paul Romano, Energy Manager, and Shawn Cappellano-Sarver, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management of the College of New Jersey, review the school’s efforts toward energy efficiency, decarbonization, and resiliency, use of New Jersey Clean Energy Program incentives, insights gained, and lessons learned. The discussion also includes a walkthrough of a CO2 calculator by Mike Holsinger of TRC Companies. This CO2e calculator will help participants and their consultants calculate projected CO2e avoidance for the initiatives being considered, along with the resulting incentives that may be available to them. Recorded June 17, 2024.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe The College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ’s) energy management initiatives.
• Identify TCNJ’s opportunistic and strategic actions and how they differ and complement each other.
• Explain TCNJ’s current carbon reduction and electrification initiatives.
• Discuss TCNJ’s utilization of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program’s Engineered Solutions and Large Energy User programs.

About the Instructor:

Paul J. Romano RA, CEM, LEED AP, is a Registered Architect (RA), Association of Energy Engineers Certified Energy Manager (CEM), and United States Green Building Council Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP).  He presently serves as the Senior Director of Sustainability and Energy Management at The College of New Jersey. In this role, he leads strategic planning of sustainability initiatives and works with faculty, staff, and students to develop and implement policies and practices as applied learning. Prior to this role, he worked in a variety of roles advancing sustainability and resiliency practices in our built environment at public utilities, research universities, and as an architectural and building science consultant.

Shawn Cappellano-Sarver, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management

Mike Holsinger, Energy Efficiency Consulting, TRC Companies, Inc.

Course Outline

• Overview of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ)

• Summary Description of the TCNJ Campus

• Prior Initiatives

• Energy Management Initiatives

• Opportunistic vs. Strategic Actions

• Energy Efficiency, Decarbonization, and Resiliency are Complementary Efforts

• Partnership and Experience

• Current TCNJ Carbon Reduction Initiatives

• Engineered Solutions / Large Energy User Program

• Electrification Measurs

• Central Utility Plant (CUP) Measures

• Fleet Electrification

• Solar District Cup

• CO2e Emissions Reductions Calculator: EE & Electrification

• Discussion of Campus Decarbonization Pilot Program