AASHE Blog: Campus Sustainability Perspectives

RMI Workshop Convened to Brainstorm Solutions to the Most Common CAP Barriers

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0000

By Sally DeLeon, Research Fellow, Rocky Mountain Institute Built Environment Team

In early June, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and AASHE convened a collaborative workshop in Denver, Colorado where twelve schools and external experts worked together to address common obstacles to campus climate-change mitigation. With generous support from an anonymous funder, the event brought together facilities personnel, sustainability staff, students, administrators and faculty from a diverse group of selected colleges and universities with technical-subject experts from RMI, VerdeCapital, LLC, Burns and McDonnell and experienced program directors from AASHE, Second Nature, and National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program.

The central purpose of the workshop was to collaboratively brainstorm realistic solutions to typical problems that come up in the course of campus climate action planning and implementation. The ideas generated through this process will be incorporated into a web-based practical research report, Accelerating Campus Climate-Change Initiatives, that RMI and AASHE will release later this summer. Some of the major topics of discussion at the workshop were: the need for more pervasive energy-end-use metering and related educational opportunities; steps to build the case for non-financial benefits of green buildings and campus renewable energy systems; and organizational structures to support campus-community collaboration on climate change mitigation.

Following the workshop, each of the participating campus teams continued to work on refining their ideas for a model campus climate project that they would propose to RMI at the end of June. The group of twelve includes four public universities (Colorado State University, University of Minnesota Morris, University of Missouri, and University of Vermont), five private colleges and universities (Furman University, Luther College, Tufts University, Unity College, and Yale University) and three publically funded community colleges and technical schools (Harford Community College, Lakeshore Technical College, and Richland College). Both the workshop and the resulting project discussions emphasized the unique needs of each of type of institution as well as opportunities that schools have in common for collaborating, such as regional climate action planning networks.

With some advisory input from experts at the workshop, each school’s team has designed a project that will either make a significant reduction in their campus greenhouse gas emissions, measurably address a significant barrier to campus climate action, or both. Projects range from solar thermal installations with real-time energy kiosks to revolving loan funds for student-driven energy efficiency and conservation measures. RMI’s anonymous funder is enthusiastic about supporting these projects with seed funding and will work with the campuses during the 2009-2010 academic year to learn and disseminate information from the project implementation process.

Eleven Million Reasons to Sign the ACUPCC

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0000

By Jeff Julian, Director of Communications and External Relations and Sustainability Initiatives Committee Member, Joliet Junior College

Less than one-third of the 645 colleges and universities that have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) are two-year institutions. It is an interesting number when you consider that according to the American Association of Community Colleges, the nation’s 1,173 two-year community and technical colleges enroll more than 11 million students annually.

One can only speculate as to the reasons why other two-year schools haven’t become signatories. Before Joliet Junior College (JJC) signed on, our college leaders discussed many issues, including the benefits and obligations of the commitment, the economic impact in light of uncertain funding sources, and the role climate change and sustainability will play in future institutional planning.

In the end, college leaders supported the ACUPCC, which is in line with the institution’s current commitment to sustainable practices and recognizes the past work in this area by the college community. For Joliet Junior College, joining the climate commitment wasn’t the beginning; it was a reaffirmation of a responsibility to the environment that students, faculty, staff and alumni have pledged for many decades. From prairie restoration grants to energy usage audits to incorporating LEED in master planning, JJC has always been a good steward of its resources as is the case at many two-year institutions.

When JJC President Gena Proulx signed the commitment in 2009, she wrote, “By signing this commitment, college presidents do more than just bring sustainability issues to the forefront of the campus discussion. They also guide their institutions as they join a group of leaders united in their commitment to minimize the effects of climate change while educating and training the workforce to help achieve this.”

When it comes to climate change and sustainability issues facing our nation and our world, the evidence continues to suggest that our time to make effective and lasting changes is limited. Two-year institutions will play an important role because they are largely responsible for educating and training the nation’s workforce, including those who will be employed in green collar jobs.

Though making a commitment of this magnitude is never easy, America’s community college presidents have 11 million reasons to consider signing the ACUPCC.

Adopt the 2030 Challenge High Performance Building Standard as Part of Your Climate Action Plan

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0000

By JR Fulton, Architect, LEED® AP, Housing and Food Services, University of Washington;
Kurt Haapala, AIA , LEED® AP, Associate Mahlum; and
Ron van der Veen, AIA, LEED® AP, Principal Mithun, AASHE Board of Directors

Energy efficient buildings can be designed, built or renovated to use less than half of their present operational energy while maintaining high quality, health, and comfort. This can be done without significant capital investment costs. Energy efficient buildings cost less over the life of the building, reduce the total cost of ownership, reduce energy and operational costs and significantly reduce carbon emissions. Building in energy efficiency can “futureproof” the University and make it more resilient. But you have to ask for it!

In order to significantly reduce our future carbon footprint in campus construction, it is necessary to provide a very strong focus on energy efficient buildings. One of the most prudent ways to do this is to require an aggressive energy reduction requirement for all university new building and major renovation projects. The Architecture 2030 organization has created the 2030 Challenge that provides the framework for producing energy efficient buildings now and carbon neutral buildings by 2030. Adopting and mandating a building energy efficiency standard like the 2030 Challenge for campus construction will significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. The 2030 Challenge should be a cornerstone of your Climate Action Plan.

Architecture 2030 recommends that buildings be required to use 50% less energy than a similar building in a similar climate through 2010 with an additional 10% reduction in energy use every 5 years until carbon neutrality is achieved in 2030. For simplicity, the 2030 Challenge has identified several code proxies for ease of implementation. One example of a code proxy is to require a 25% reduction in energy above ASHRAE 90.1-2007 through 2010 with additional reductions every five years.

We believe that LEED is the best overall sustainability benchmark for college buildings, but our experience at the University of Washington has been that despite successfully doing multiple LEED projects and creating very sustainable buildings, significant and consistent reductions in building energy use were not completely achieved to the degree necessary to address climate change. Since the UW Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicated that the University’s buildings were the single largest users of energy and were the predominant generator of UW greenhouse gases - additional focus on energy reduction was necessary.

Of the energy reduction standards available, we believe the 2030 Challenge to be the most appropriate. We recommend that the 2030 Challenge be used in conjunction with a LEED standard. The 2030 Challenge should be mandated for all future campus construction projects and integrated into your University’s Climate Action Plan for the following reasons:

The 2030 Challenge requires significantly more energy efficient buildings today and is much more aggressive than current energy codes.
The 2030 Challenge can be achieved with existing technology and minimal additional capital investment costs though it does require an integrated sustainable design approach and greater collaboration between design professionals.
The 2030 Challenge is an escalating standard which requires increased building energy efficiency over time through better practice and new technology.
The 2030 Challenge standard is currently being embraced by the design and construction industry.

Constructing highly energy efficient buildings and reducing the energy demand side on campus is one of the most critical and significant means to reduce campus energy use, carbon emissions, and long term energy costs. Identify and mandate an aggressive energy reduction requirement like the 2030 Challenge for all your upcoming construction projects. Make it a requirement of your Climate Action Plan. Just building to the energy code is one step above being illegal! Building to a LEED standard is better, but still not enough. We cannot afford to squander the carbon mitigation opportunities of future construction. Adopting the 2030 Challenge will provide multiple tangible benefits to your institution: reductions in energy cost, reductions in carbon emissions, increased energy security, and a more resilient institution, all very tangible results for University leadership and the campus community.

Community Colleges 'Pivotal' in Preparing a Green Workforce

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0000

By Michelle Galley, Senior Writer, Academy for Educational Development

Thousands of workers will be needed to fill the “green” jobs that are being created as environmentally friendly technologies‚ public policies‚ and public-private investments move the United States toward a low-carbon future. According to a new report from AED and the National Council on Workforce Education‚ community colleges are in a pivotal position to prepare this green workforce.

“Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Sustainable Future and a Green Workforce” details the ways in which more than two dozen community colleges prepare workers for new, reoriented, or emerging jobs in the clean-energy economy. From New York to California, community colleges are implementing climate solutions by creating living classrooms, modeling ways to eliminate harmful emissions, and integrating sustainability principles into their curricula, the report says.

“Community colleges are responding quickly to the employment demands of the industry‚ and in doing so‚ they are supporting the country’s economic recovery‚” said Mindy Feldbaum‚ director of workforce development programs at the AED National Institute for Work and Learning.

As the U.S. moves closer to a green economy, community colleges are becoming even more important because they are able to quickly adapt their curricula to meet changing market conditions, Feldbaum said.

The green jobs for which community colleges are preparing workers include wind power installers; solar engineers; green architects and designers; ethanol plant technicians; and biodiesel laboratory technicians.

The report outlines six action steps that community colleges can take to play a leading role in creating a sustainable future and green workforce. For example, institutions can reduce their own carbon footprint, make sustainability a defining feature of campus culture, and educate their surrounding community about environmental stewardship.

Examples of employment opportunities in the fastest-growing areas for green jobs—energy-efficient construction, solar energy, wind power, geothermal resources, and biofuels—are also included in the report.

Download “Going Green: The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a Sustainable Future and a Green Workforce,” at http://aed.org/Publications/upload/GoingGreen.pdf.

Fair Trade - Addressing the Social Pillar of Sustainability

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:26:56 +0000

In the quest to achieve sustainability it is often the most easily-quantifiable of the three pillars of sustainability, those of economic vitality and environmental health and protection, which are invested in on campuses. And initiatives like campus solar installations, fleet changes, and LEED certified buildings are certainly critical components of a sustainable campus. But what about the third pillar, that of social justice? While many of the energy efficiencies and upgrades undoubtedly produce social benefits, they tend to be fortunate side effects rather than the initial goals. Fair trade purchasing, on the other hand, clearly addresses the social justice pillar by ensuring that farmers and craftspeople receive a fair price for their goods.

The Fair Trade Practices & Policies resource will be useful for campuses looking to realize social sustainability goals. There is much to be learned from the large variety in the venues campuses have chosen for promoting and selling fair trade products and in the kinds of goods that can be certified fair trade. Though coffee is by far the most common “fairly-traded” product, some campuses have expanded their offerings to include fair trade tea, bananas, sugar, chocolate, crafts, and even ice cream. Additionally, fairly traded products are often produced with environmental sustainability in mind – many fair trade coffee brands, for example, offer organic and shade grown varieties, thereby reducing dangerous chemical use and deforestation threats –and are economically sustainable for the famers and craftspeople, ensuring a fair selling price, and for the end users, by ensuring an ongoing source for those products.

Fair trade offerings should be a widely-available staple on college and university campuses looking to achieve sustainability and do their part for social justice, and we hope this resource will help you achieve that goal.

How is your Campus Using Stimulus Money to Promote Sustainability?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:11:37 +0000

Now that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has passed, there are many opportunites for two-year funding and awards for a variety of special projects.

I recently had a question from an AASHE member instution regarding what fellow campuses were doing with the federal economic stimulus money in regards to energy efficency upgrades. In particular the member asked, "What we could really use is a list of energy saving projects that other campuses are going to fund with stimulus money. We are having trouble coming up with ideas because we have been proactive over the years. We really have taken care of most of the low hanging fruit. We need ideas!"

Some campuses have set up websites (see Harvard and Kansas State University as examples) that outline plans and gives information regarding the money and the different areas it will fund.

But, I want to ask you, readers of the this blog and others, what plans does your campus have? Post up!

Seeking Campus Sustainability News from Outside the US and Canada

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:40:39 +0000

In an effort to help our members learn from campus sustainability leaders across the globe, AASHE is starting AASHE Bulletin: Global Edition, a semi-annual newsletter that will cover sustainability stories from higher education institutions located outside of the U.S. and Canada. This new publication will supplement our weekly AASHE Bulletin, which focuses on campus sustainability in the US and Canada.

We are inviting press release and news article suggestions for inclusion in the first issue, which we hope to release this summer. Topics will include green buildings; climate and energy initiatives, new educational programs, waste reduction efforts, and more. To submit an item for consideration, email a hyperlink to the news story or press release that is posted online to bulletin@aashe.org with the subject line, "global edition." The deadline for submissions for the first issue is July 15, 2009.

AASHE Bulletin: Global Edition Submission Guidelines

We will only include items that take place outside of the U.S. and or Canada. We cover stories from within U.S. and Canada in the regular AASHE Bulletin, which is produced weekly.
Submitted items must be directly relevant to the campus sustainability community. We are unable to post general sustainability items.
Submitted items must be in English.
Press releases and news stories must have a 2009 publication date.
Items may be submitted by members and non-members alike.
We generally focus on news items that announce new efforts rather than coverage of ongoing initiatives. For instance, the receipt of LEED certification on a new building would fit, but a general article about a campus' green building efforts would not.
AASHE Bulletin: Global Edition will include news stories and press releases from the previous six months.
Awards: Only those with a national or international scope will be included.
New buildings: We will include either the completion/dedication of a green building OR the receipt of LEED certification/other formal green building award (but not both).
Dorm competitions: We only include dorm v. dorm energy/water competitions once they have been completed.
We cannot include stories on educational events that take place on and within a single institution.
We cannot include stories on the participation of an individual campus in national or world-wide sustainability events that include multiple campuses (such as Earth Hour and Campus Sustainability Day). Instead, we generally post one story on the entire event. For an example, please see our coverage of Campus Sustainability Day.

For ideas on the types of items we will include, please visit the AASHE Bulletin Archives.

Milestones in Sustainability Education – Where Will We Go Next?

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:11:09 +0000

Two impressive milestones occurred at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year – Arizona State University graduated its first class of students from the nation's first degree-granting sustainability school, and Prescott College graduated its first set of Ph.D.'s in Sustainability Education. It's so inspiring to see students graduate well equipped to help create the change needed to steer the world in the right direction – not that sustainability program graduates alone will be able to accomplish this. My hope is that graduates from programs that specialize in sustainability will then spread their knowledge to others, teaching their fellow professors how to integrate sustainability into their courses and leading a community and its individual members into a sustainable future.

These graduations certainly represent the beginning of a greater knowledge of sustainability principles and practices, and students will continue to graduate in the many sustainability-focused programs available. But where will we go next? If we tread carefully, we should be able to make sustainability a common theme in every course that students take. We need to teach students to always consider the externalities of their decisions and to plan for the future rather than for their day to day needs.

Sustainability program grads, sustainability professionals, and youth that will someday have a greater understanding of the principles of sustainability – we're looking to you to lead us to the day when we will all realize the consequences of our actions and will be willing to modify them for the prosperity of our successors.

-Andrea Webster, Publications and Education Coordinator

AASHE Interview Series with David Steinour, Interim Chief Information Officer, The George Washington University

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:24:12 +0000

The topic of sustainability and of "greening" IT departments continues to become a more popular area of focus especially on college and university campuses. A recent AASHE Bulletin article highlighted the work The George Washington University (GWU) is doing to green it's IT infrastructure. I caught up with David Steinour, Interim Chief Information Officer at GWU to learn more about the work his office is doing. In David's current position he oversees the day-to-day IT operations for GWU with more than 25,000 users, three major campuses, over 120 buildings and two major data centers. Continue reading to learn more about the innovative work the IT department at GWU is taking to reduce energy consumption and become more sustainable.

The George Washington University’s IT Department was recently in the news for several sustainability initiatives. Could you describe some of these for our readers?

The Information Systems and Services (ISS) department at The George Washington University maintains its position on the leading edge of higher education technology by implementing sustainability initiatives that decrease energy use, save resources and improve customer service. Some of our initiatives include:

Virtualization which is a technology that leverages hardware and software to allow multiple computer systems to run on a single server. The retirement of unused and outdated server equipment reduces energy use and improves customer service. Currently, ISS has virtualized approximately 38 percent of its total server environment, saving more than 700,000 kilowatt-hours, which translates to taking 60 cars off the road. With a goal of 80-percent virtualized to 20-percent non-virtualized servers, ISS plans to significantly reduce its energy use by the equivalent of more than 120 cars off the road.
ISS has also implemented Lifecycle Refresh and GWdocuments, both designed to lower energy costs and improve efficiency across the University. Lifecycle Refresh replaces older servers and data center systems with new energy-efficient servers. One new server can replace three to four old servers with no loss in performance, decreasing energy use by nearly 60 percent. GWdocuments reduces the need for physical space required by file cabinets and the use of printing to include paper and toner by consolidating electronic administrative documents into a central storage area, decreasing energy use while increasing the accessibility of all documents.
Through various student, faculty and staff publications, as well as stated in GW’s computing policy, ISS also encourages the GW community to turn off and/or power down computing equipment when it is not in use. In addition, the department ensures that all equipment given to staff and faculty are already configured to minimize energy consumption.

What role do you believe information technology plays in campuses sustainability efforts?

GW students, staff and faculty share a rich history of promoting environmental consciousness, cleaner living and the best practices of sustainability. GW recognizes that information and communications products and technologies are a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. ISS supports GW’s commitment to sustainability through the implementation of green initiatives, which are designed to decrease GW’s energy use, save valuable resources and improve customer services.

In what area(s) do you see the biggest room for growth in the campus information technology sustainability field?

Virtualization will provide the largest energy-efficiency impact. Virtualization allows less equipment to do more and eliminates the energy lost in the creation and maintenance of the University’s IT electrical and mechanical infrastructures. By implementing this technology, we can drastically reduce our energy footprint, while simultaneously lowering the cost of doing business.

How are you tracking your progress toward sustainability?

GW is just beginning the “tracking and measurement” journey. We initially started our IT energy efficiency initiatives to reduce costs and increase the speed in provisioning efforts. We are currently in the process of setting our electrical infrastructure to measure and monitor power usage from our data centers and from the server equipment itself. In the future, we plan to track the equipment we will purchase for a new data center—the ratio of Energy Star/EPEAT equipment vs. non-Energy Star/EPEAT equipment.

Is there a particular insight (learning experience or “ah-ha” moment) you have had working on campus IT programs?

Our “ah-ha” moment came after we first implemented virtualization. We initially adopted this technology to cut costs and increase our reaction times. However, we found that virtualization also significantly reduced our energy consumption and related costs. Out of our energy efficiency initiatives, the savings from virtualization was more than five times that of the next best initiative. As we continue to expand our sustainability tracking, I’m sure our “ah-ha” moments will continue.

Are steps being taken in procurement and purchasing decisions that affect sustainability and information technology at GWU?

As part of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, GW has committed to adopting an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy. The University is purchasing Energy Star-rated products whenever possible. With the onset of recent market advancements for computer equipment with an Energy Star rating, GW is committed to buying such. This applies to both GW’s data centers and computing labs. Additionally, GW is recommending students purchase personal computers that have an Energy Star rating.

We are currently in the process of opening a new data center on our Foggy Bottom campus. In the coming months we will be migrating to the new building and plan to be fully operational by the beginning of 2010. Due to the nature of what a data center is, they consume a large portion of the campus’ energy.

During the data center project, we identified several opportunities to make improvements, save energy and money, and extend the life of the data center. These areas include designing and building the data center with environmentally friendly systems and purchasing products that operate more efficiently and use less power, which will reduce energy costs by up to 40 percent. Additionally, we will be implementing more virtualized systems, which will reduce the number of physical servers by leveraging hardware and software to allow multiple systems to run on a single server.

When the new data center is fully operational, we plan to have 80-percent of systems virtualized. These energy saving purchases will save the University more than 1.4M kilowatt-hours, which translates to taking more than 120 cars off the road and over $1.7M over the next 5 years.

Has there been any work (such as a life cycle assessment) to assess the environmental impacts of the IT services at GWU?

We have not completely assessed the environmental impacts of the IT services at GW because we are just beginning to track the impact of our initiatives. We currently consider how we decommission equipment and utilize Lifecycle Refresh, a lifecycle replacement program for our hardware. However, we have not tracked what happens to the equipment after we turn it over to an e-cycling vendor. Additionally, the University sponsors a program for students, faculty and staff members to dispose of e-cycling materials (batteries, ink cartridges, computer monitors and computer parts, and cell phones) during move-out days at the end of the semester.

In what ways are students involved in your work?

The University has a created an Office of Sustainability that partners with students, faculty and staff to implement operational and academic sustainability initiatives, including leadership programs, building standards, energy efficiency, recycling, transportation and academic programs. Specifically within ISS, we inform the GW community about our green IT efforts and provide information about how they can make a difference. The 2009-2010 technology-related magazines that are distributed to students, faculty and staff will feature a spread about ‘Green Living and Computing,’ where we will debunk myths and provide energy consumption guidance as it is related to their technology equipment.

What advice would you give to others in your position who are just getting started?

Review all of the programs and perform some high-level comparisons regarding costs and benefits so that the appropriate resources can be applied to the larger efforts. Also, faculty, student and staff involvement is key. Some projects may not require significant IT resources to perform an IT-related initiative, for example, video conference rooms. Video conferencing is an important element of the sustainability initiative because they reduce the amount of travel needed to conduct face-to-face meetings and classes. Don’t let the initial investment to bring a room online deter you from implementing this tool because these rooms will continually reduce GHG emissions and the ongoing support is more administrative than IT-related.

What are you most looking forward to in 2009?

In 2009, the GW Office of Sustainability will be coordinating a series of discussions on our Climate Action Plan. We in ISS and others across campus will be working together to determine how and when GW can become carbon neutral. This will provide GW with a broader perspective on the impact from ISS and how it compares to the impact of other parts of campus life, such as buildings and commuting. We are looking forward to creating solutions that work for everyone in the GW community.

Campus Sustainability Wikis

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0000

For those interested in campus climate action planning, many have by now likely visited AASHE's first foray into wikis with our Climate Planning for Campuses: A How to Guide.

However, there are also over a dozen (perhaps significantly more) campuses that have experimented with using wikis to engage a wider audience and develop collaborative websites.

Probably the most well know wiki is the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia . The ability to have multiple users collaboratively write a document and add new content that can constantly be changed and updated is what first drew AASHE to use a wiki for our Climate Planning Guide. Indeed, it is our hope that this "living" document will continue to become a richer source of information as folks in the community contribute to it.

To see some other campus sustainability wiki's visit our related Campus Sustainability Wiki's page.

If you are interested in starting a wiki book on a topic related to campus sustainability, please contact me (niles@aashe.org).