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In years past, the University of New Mexico had lights on when nobody was around and left utilities on to empty buildings during a break.

That will change under a 10-year energy conservation program run by Energy Education Inc. that could save UNM $70 million, said David Harris, executive vice president for administration.

"We're going to tightly manage energy use," he said. "But it's not going to be like the energy cops or anything."

For example, the program will use special software and an "energy audit" to find out when and where the university is wasting power, Harris said.

The company will then make recommendations, such as which buildings' utilities can be shut off or turned down over breaks.

Energy Education will get 10 percent of the savings, or $7 million over 10 years, Harris said. If the university does not save money on utilities, it will not have to pay the company, he said.

"They have every motivation to help us succeed," he said. "The proof, of course, will be in the pudding."

The university will hire four energy managers as part of the program, Harris said.

The goal is to avoid unnecessarily using any energy but to make sure students, staff and faculty are still comfortable, company spokeswoman Jan Noel-Smith said.

Harris said UNM plans to start rolling out changes in August 2008.

The company will teach UNM how to better manage its heating and cooling systems, kitchens, computer systems and anything else that uses energy, she said.

She said it is especially important to use industrial-sized systems more efficiently, which is difficult to do without experts guiding the way.

"Industrial systems are not what we are used to using at home," she said. "Those of who look at an air-conditioner at home can't really relate to the systems that a university uses."

Energy Education, founded in the 1980s, has more than 800 clients in 47 states, according to a fact sheet about the company. Most of its clients have been school districts, but it has branched out to large churches and universities.

Some clients have reduced their energy use by 20 or 30 percent, Noel-Smith said.

She said that of about 800 school buildings in the country with Energy Star certification, 30 percent were clients of the company.