Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives
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Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives By Michael Kinsley and Sally DeLeon of Rocky Mountain Institute 1 November 2009 Principal Authors Michael Kinsley, RMI Sally DeLeon, RMI Major Contributors Aalok Deshmukh, RMI Sam Newman, RMI Kristine Chan-Lizardo, RMI Contributors Elaine Adams, RMI Michael Bendewald, RMI James Brew, RMI Cara Carmichael, RMI Julian Dautremont-Smith, AASHE Lindsay Franta, RMI Stephanie Hodgin, RMI Hutch Hutchinson, RMI Tripp Hyde, RMI Alexis Karolides, RMI Carrie Jordan, RMI Virginia Lacy, RMI Molly Miller, RMI Chad Riley, RMI John Simpson, RMI Judy Walton, AASHE Eric Youngson, RMI Aris Yi, RMI 3 Acknowledgements This book builds on the work of several important nonprofit organizations that are the nonprofit leaders in campus sustainability: • Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education • Second Nature • National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program • Clean Air-Cool Planet • National Association Of College And University Business Officers Also providing advice: Clay G. Nesler, Vice President, Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls, Inc. RMIJohn researcher)Porretto, Verde for help Capital understanding building metering and controls. ChipDerek Werlein, Supple, VerdeGlobal Capital Energy & Sustainability Building Efficiency, Johnson Controls Inc. (former Cover photos courtesy of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Navigating This Book In order to turn immediately to text that addresses the barriers, issues, and problems that you are encountering on your campus, please use the navigation pane, bookmarks tab, which will reveal summary versions of all barriers covered in this book, with links to each. The term “barriers” means both actual and perceived barriers to campus climate initiatives. If you are reading hardcopy of this book and do not have access to the navigation pane, then refer below to the same summary versions of the barriers and their locations. We recommend too that you read the Introduction, which describes issues surrounding campus climate initiatives and outstanding practices for effective climate action. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter 1. Climate Action Planning 7 1.1 1.2 Evaluating options for climate initiatives 9 1.3 Insufficient capital 7 1.4 Sustainability director distractions 12 1.5 BoardValuing commitment co-benefits of climate projects 1210 1.6 Sustainability director needs support 14 1.8 Green activities are uncoordinated and duplicative 15 1.7 Faculty and staff time allocation 15 1.10 Lack of high-ranking institutional leadership 18 1.111.9 Low-hanging Faculty and stafffruit engagementhas been picked 2017 1.12 Campus community awareness 20 1.13 Student engagement 20 1.14 Distrust of carbon offsets 22 1.15 Recognition of earlier climate investments 22 Chapter 2. Buildings and Utilities 24 2.1 Lack of capital 24 2.2 Debt is already tied up 24 2.3 Divisions between capital and operating budgets 30 2.4 Uncertainty about payback calculations 30 2.5 Short payback times impede efficacious projects 30 2.82.6 Whole-systemInsufficient in-house approach expertise seems impossible 3532 2.7 Integrative design takes too long 34 2.10 Lack of incentives for departments and students to conserve 38 2.9 Retrofitting historic buildings is too hard 36 2.132.11 MeteringEnergy efficiency energy performance is invisible and is not less a attractive priority 4240 2.142.12 EnergyHeating management and cooling equipment systems are is toooversized expensive and inefficient 4341 2.15 Buildings are out of balance 46 2.182.16 Energy-efficient building design is expensive 48 2.17 Few qualified green-building designers and builders 49 2.20 InsufficientLEED-Silver localis enough supply of green-building skills 5351 2.212.19 ZeroLEED Energy certification Buildings is expensive are not considered and unnecessary 5651 Chapter2..22 The 3: beauty Renewable of a building Energy is irrelevant to climate issues 5857 Getting Started: 3.1 Insufficient in-house expertise 59 3.2 Difficult to choose best technology 60 3.3 Unanticipated environmental problems 60 3.4 High up-front costs 63 Financing a Renewable Energy Project: 3.5 Payback period is too long 63 3.6 Not qualified for federal tax incentives 63 5 Engaging Stakeholders: 3.7 Net-metering may not apply 67 3.8 Financing plan complexity 68 3.9 Utility interconnection requirements 68 3.10 On-site grid connection required 68 3.11 Projects attract opposition 69 Chapter 4: Transportation 70 Commuting 4.1 Local transit agency cooperation 72 4.2 No plans to expand parking and transportation 73 4.3 Free parking — no incentive for alternatives 73 4.4 Using parking revenues is unsustainable 73 4.6 Commuting is a large portion of carbon footprint 76 4.74.5 OppositionEfficacy of distance to buying learning offsets for commuting 7675 Infrastructure 4.8 Lack of public transit 77 4.9 Lack of connections to public transit 80 Socio-Cultural & Behavioral 4.10 Alternatives to commuting seem unrealistic 81 4.11 Negative perceptions of pubic transit 81 Long-Distance Air Travel 4.12 Air travel is essential to campus business and professional standing 84 4.13 Long-distance ground travel is necessary 85 Chapter 5: Carbon Offsets and Associated Opportunities 86 5.1 Leaders wary of carbon offsets 86 5.2 Leaders don’t trust voluntary carbon credit markets 88 5.4 Carbon credits seen as illusory 89 5.55.3 CarbonWeatherization sequestration verification is problematic issues 89 5.7 Distinction between RECs and offsets is unclear 91 5.6 Benefits of renewable energy credits are unclear 90 Appendix A RMI’s Campus Climate Project 92 B Whole-System Thinking and Integrative Design 93 C Checklist for Integrated Review Process 98 D Energy Decision Matrix 100 E Decision-Making Tool 102 G Active Listening 107 HF ToolsCollaborating for Energy for Efficiency a Sustainable in Campus Campus Buildings 108105 I Revolving Loan Funds 109 J Carbon-Offset Terminology 111 K Campus Climate Publications 112 6 INTRODUCTION This book offers practical information to those working to This book does not attempt to convince its reader that the reduce greenhouse gas emissions from college and university climate crisis is real. Rather, it focuses on practical ways to campus operations. It describes a wide array of challenges or overcome the barriers to efforts to reduce emissions that barriers to campus climate-mitigation efforts. More impor- cause the climate crisis. Readers who would like to examine tantly, the book describes solutions to each barrier and often evidence of the human-caused climate crisis can refer to the provides examples and resources. - mate Commitment www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ Each barrier represents a real or perceived hurdle on many about/climate-disruption.website of the American College & University Presidents’ Cli campuses. RMI compiled the list of barriers after speaking to dozens of individuals at institutions of all sizes and types. As people in the business of educating and inspiring stu- The solutions guide users around, over or through the barri- dents, campus climate leaders are attuned to the potential ers, and in some cases reveal that a perceived barrier is not so for synergy between greenhouse gas reduction and excel- big after all. lent teaching. Not only does carbon management make good The intended users of this book include sustainability direc- - business sense for the institution’s bottom line, it also makes- mangood assert, educational “We need sense to for move the frominstitution’s providing mission. an education In their descriptiontors, CFOs, presidents, and more by students, personal faculty, commitment, and staff. by But those inter who thatbook focuses Boldly Sustainable,on specialization Peter and Bardaglio making and distinctions Andrea Put to a understandest in the book that can there probably is now be overwhelming characterized evidence less by job that new kind of ecological, synergistic education that emphasizes interrelatedness.” The opportunities for hands-on learning, the environmental and societal impacts of climate change are real-world problem solving and teaching partnerships among cominghuman activitiesfaster and are more changing furiously the thanworld’s previously climate, thought. and that are often frustrated that action to address the problem can be changedifferent can disciplines all be aligned. are enormous when on-campus projects, delayedAlthough by campus many barriers, officials mayespecially feel a senseconcerns of urgency, about cost. they community projects and global-events related to climate Many readers will understand also that measures to reduce committed faculty members shared with us their course greenhouse gas emissions often pay for themselves and syllabiDuring andthe researchideas for forinterdisciplinary this project many courses dedicated that incorpo- and - members included professors of religion, English, history, generate multiple campus benefits. Most greenhouse-gas economics,rate climate and, considerations of course, physical and service sciences. projects. We areThe excited faculty changeemissions mitigation are linked become to energy mutually use. Assupportive energy prices goals. fluctu Energy and impressed by the array of creative ways in which these ate and budgets tighten, fiscal responsibility and climate- professionals are making their courses relevant, engaging and reduces risk, and increases competitiveness. Its complement connected to wider campus and community goals. —efficiency renewable not sourcesonly reduces for electric emissions, power, it