- Part 1 – General Administration and Management
- Part 2 – Operations and Maintenance
- Part 3 – Energy, Utilities, and Environmental Stewardship
- Part 4 – Planning, Design, and Construction
Campus Utility Systems Master Planning
- Introduction
- Why Master Planning Is Essential
- Relation of Utility Master Planning to Overall Master Planning
- Typical Elements of a Utility Master Plan
- Expansion and Replacement Needs and Schedule
- Integrated Energy Solutions
- Major Variables Affecting Master Planning
- Solving the Economic Dilemma
- Outline of a Utility Master Plan
Introduction
Campus utility master planning must be understood as a process with a focused purpose that provides actionable products. Stated generally, the periodic self-analysis examines and documents existing utility systems, current needs, and the extent and timing of potential future needs. The scope of the planning process can vary widely. Indeed, a decision to undertake a utility master planning process must first identify both the purpose and specific product to be achieved.
An advanced utility master plan can establish broad institutional goals to efficiently meet utility services requirements, address sustainability strategies, and provide a dynamic foundation for continuous reassessment and review of utility facilities' life-cycle strategies in concert with comprehensive academic and facility planning objectives.
Regardless of the breadth of campus utility master planning, the process will identify:
- When specific utility services are required
- What strategies to use to meet those needs
- How much it will cost to provide the utility services
The master planning process surveys information about the institution's utility systems and its service needs, organizes the information, documents conditions, develops strategies, articulates an action plan, and communicates this information to others.
A good utility master plan is the institution's utility road map into the future. The utility master plan can (at a minimum) guide an institution's capital project investments. Without that road map, the potential problems ahead may not be recognized, and there is no assurance that efficient solutions will be identified. More important, however, is that without a plan formulated and vetted through a reliable process, prioritization of funding for and investment in utility facilities is much less likely to obtain necessary institutional commitment and support.