Energy & Utilities

The Energy and Utilities team, consisting of five units with approximately 100 personnel, are responsible for the production, delivery, and management of Virginia Tech's supply-side utilities, as well as the demand-side campus energy consumption for energy efficiency and energy conservation and sustainability. 

These units include:

Mechanical Utilities – The Mechanical Utilities team maintains over 60 miles of distribution infrastructure associated with utilities, including steam tunnels, chilled water loop, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, domestic hot water, potable water, and fire water.

Office of Energy Management - The Office of Energy Management is responsible for upgrading, retrofitting, and commissioning mechanical, lighting, and electrical systems in university buildings.  The team also implements programs to reduce on-site energy consumption and related cost to support the university’s commitment to sustainability. The benefits gained include carbon footprint reduction, improvement of indoor air quality, and conservation of resources.

Virginia Tech Chilled Water Plants - Two chiller plants comprised of eight chillers with a total capacity of 14 thousand tons produce and distribute chilled water throughout the Blacksburg campus.

Virginia Tech Electric Service – Four 12.5 kilovolt substations deliver electricity to Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus and 6,500 residential and commercial customers in the Town of Blacksburg, with peak power of 65 megawatts.

Virginia Tech Power Plant - Consisting of six boilers distributing up to 300 thousand pounds per hour of superheated steam and a turbine generator generating 6.25 megawatts of electricity, the power plant helps provide heat, hot water, and electricity for buildings on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus.

ENERGY AND UTILITIES NEWS