The University of Michigan Phoenix Memorial Lab was Awarded for the 2022 Michigan Battle of the Buildings Competition in the University Category

The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Memorial Lab, located on the University of Michigan Ann Arbor's North Campus, was completed and dedicated in 1955 as a living memorial to 585 university alumni, students, faculty, and staff who gave their lives in World War II. The facility is devoted to “the peaceful, useful, and beneficial applications and implications of nuclear science and technology for the welfare of the human race.” Following the war, the student legislature and student body convinced the U-M Regents to create a functional memorial to commemorate those lost. The Board of Regents approved the project in a unanimous vote. “We have named the memorial The Phoenix Project because the whole concept is one of giving birth to a new enlightenment, a conversion of ashes into life and beauty,” wrote then Dean of Students, Erich A. Walter. Today the facility is occupied by two groups: Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, and the Materials Research Institute.

The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project Laboratory saw an overall reduction of 17.96% during the 2021 Michigan Battle of the Buildings competition. There were two projects that primarily led to this energy reduction: a Linear LED Upgrade and Building Recommissioning. The Linear LED Upgrade was completed in April 2022 and cost approximately $64,000 with a $4,000 incentive. The goal of this upgrade was to increase efficiency after the performance of a lighting audit to determine total lamp count and estimate runtimes showed room for improvement. The Linear LED Upgrade improved energy efficiency and lighting quality in the building overall. During the project U-M worked with their in-house Construction Services group, who performed the installation of the LED lamps. They “did a great job communicating throughout the project and bringing the work together in a timely, efficient manner,” said Connor Flynn, Regional Energy Manager at U-M’s Office of Sustainability. The Building Recommissioning was completed in August 2022 and cost $2,500 plus repairs. This project included replacing equipment and improving control sequences. The Building Recommissioning improved energy efficiency, temperature, airflow, and controls. During the Building Recommissioning, U-M worked hand-in-hand with their maintenance and DDC (Direct Digital Controls) teams to make repairs on identified deficiencies and improve control sequences to reduce energy consumption.