Case Study: Oklahoma State University achieves $20M cost avoidance and a campus-wide culture of conservation with EnergyCAP

Creating a Culture of Conservation at Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University (OSU) is a five-campus land‑grant institution with more than 300 facilities, roughly 1,800 meters, and an annual utility spend exceeding $87 million. Facing rising energy use as the university grew, OSU launched a behavior‑based “culture of conservation” in 2007 and adopted EnergyCAP software as the foundational tool for data storage, analysis, measurement & verification, and energy‑savings reporting.

EnergyCAP replaced manual meter logs and slow bill processing with direct meter uploads, integrated billing audits with OSU’s Banner system, and enabled rapid analysis that guided operational changes and targeted efficiency projects. Using EnergyCAP, OSU documented roughly $20 million in cost avoidance from FY2007–2012 and more than $66.7 million (an 18.6% reduction vs. a 2006 baseline) through 2019; the program deferred a new chiller purchase for five years, kept the utility budget flat despite adding 566,000 sq ft, and reduced emissions by about 155,000 metric tons CO2e (equivalent to removing ~32,000 cars for a year).

Oklahoma State University

Casey Keyser

Senior Energy Manager