Lenoir Community College

N.C.’s Oldest Community College Upgrades Facilities Through Energy Savings

Lenoir Community College (LCC) is one of the oldest out of 58 institutions in the N.C. Community College System. Chartered in 1958, LCC serves Lenoir County from its 128 acre campus in Kinston; LCC also serves Jones and Greene counties from satellite campuses. As a world class community college, LCC continues to expand its programs and services to meet the needs of the citizens it serves.

Challenge

Lenoir Community College was dealing with high electrical costs as well as aging lighting, HVAC and plumbing systems, many of which had original equipment. Because LCC had completed lighting and control upgrades in a previous performance contract a decade ago, LCC was better than average in utility costs. There was still room for improvement, especially with recent technology improvements in lighting and controls. Plus with rising electrical costs, LCC needed some options to reduce energy consumption and replace its aging infrastructure. Even worse, with state and county funds being cut, LCC needed a way to finance these much needed improvements.

Solution

Lenoir Community College implemented comprehensive improvements across the majority of its main campus, which were funded by guaranteed energy savings. The improvements included:

High efficiency lighting and lighting control systems

Building and automation controls

New chillers, cooling tower, boilers, and air compressor

Air handling unit upgrades, including conversions to variable air volume

Water conservation measures