Services Provided
- Interval Data
- Chargebacks
- Virtual meters
- Measurement and Verification
- ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® Integration
- Shareable dashboards
Western Michigan University (WMU) manages a complex energy infrastructure, including its own cogeneration power plant and district steam and chilled water systems. Utility bills, interval meter readings, and building consumption data come from multiple sources, making consistent reporting and financial accountability essential.
For Zach Richardson, Energy Administration Specialist, the challenge goes beyond collecting information. He needs reliable data to allocate utility costs, identify efficiency opportunities, justify investments, and verify that completed projects deliver the expected savings.
Different campus departments also have different priorities. Finance needs defensible costs and paybacks. Facilities teams need operational insights. Students and sustainability leaders want evidence of meaningful progress. Without a shared foundation, spreadsheets and disconnected information can make those conversations difficult.
"I found myself using EnergyCAP a lot and increasingly using it as that single source of truth for all of our utility and energy information."
Zach Richardson, Energy Administration Specialist
The solution
WMU uses EnergyCAP® to consolidate utility bills and interval data, giving facilities, engineering, accounting, and sustainability teams access to consistent information.
Accurate internal billing. EnergyCAP’s chargeback capabilities help allocate utility costs even when dedicated meters aren’t available. For example, virtual meters calculate steam usage for a paper pilot plant sharing a line with the College of Engineering and distribute electricity costs among four theater spaces served by one meter.
Better operational visibility. Interval data helps engineers investigate unusual consumption patterns and understand building performance. As additional meters come online, WMU gains more detailed visibility into electricity, steam, and chilled water usage.
Verified project performance. Measurement and verification (M&V) capabilities help the university evaluate actual savings against established baselines, supporting investment decisions and the continued operation of its green revolving fund (GRF).
Transparent reporting. Shareable dashboards help building managers and students understand energy performance, while ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® integration supports benchmarking and data sharing to participate in statewide competitions.
"If you start with a baseline of suspect data, then the errors can compound. That's where having confidence in the metering and the underlying data is really important."
Zach Richardson, Energy Administration Specialist
The results
A revolving fund delivering two-year paybacks
WMU’s green revolving fund reinvests energy savings into additional efficiency projects. Originally established in 1980, the fund received another $1 million in 2011 and has recently been revitalized under Zach’s leadership. Projects return 100% of their realized savings to the fund until their investments are repaid. Eligible utility rebates also replenish the fund, creating additional capital for improvements.
Today, approximately $600,000 is invested in projects currently paying back, with a median payback of just over two years. This approach helps WMU demonstrate that energy efficiency can be a financially sustainable investment rather than simply an operating expense.
$250,000 in utility incentives and nearly 20 LED retrofits
Working with Consumers Energy, trade allies, and equipment manufacturers, WMU captured approximately $250,000 in utility incentives over the past two years. Those partnerships helped make projects financially viable, including an LED retrofit at Wood Hall that initially appeared too expensive. Originating from student research into lighting behavior, the project helped launch a broader effort that has converted nearly 20 buildings from fluorescent to LED lighting in approximately three years.
Two award-winning building improvements
WMU earned statewide recognition in Michigan’s Battle of the Buildings competition for two consecutive years. In 2024, Schneider Hall won following a suite of renovations and improvements, including an upgrade from aging pneumatic controls to direct digital controls. In 2025, Spindler Hall received recognition for energy savings achieved through window sealing and steam trap repairs.
EnergyCAP and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager helped WMU document building performance and support both award submissions.
Building credibility across campus
Reliable data also helps Zach communicate with stakeholders who evaluate projects differently. Finance teams focus on payback and avoided costs. Facilities teams prioritize equipment reliability and building performance. Students want proof that sustainability commitments translate into measurable action. A cross-functional steering committee uses that transparency to help determine how revolving fund dollars are invested.
"Students are very savvy consumers of information. They can smell greenwashing a mile away. Providing that data and making it transparent and accessible helps us demonstrate that this is substantive work, not just a marketing plan."
Zach Richardson, Energy Administration Specialist
What’s next: Connecting every meter to measurable savings
WMU is expanding automated metering toward a long-term goal of 100% coverage. Upcoming initiatives include retrocommissioning at the College of Engineering, testing ultraviolet coil cleaning, and evaluating additional heat recovery opportunities. As metering and M&V capabilities expand, WMU aims to connect energy consumption, project recommendations, and verified financial returns in one continuous process.
With EnergyCAP as its trusted data foundation, Western Michigan University is transforming utility information into better investment decisions, measurable savings, and a repeatable model for campus energy improvement.
