Going Green with Bricks and Mortar
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SUSTAINABILITY Going Green with Bricks and Mortar by Sherrie Negrea BY DECEMBER, THE LOS ANGELES Community College District, one of the largest two-year college systems in the country, will become completely energy independent, relying on a combination of solar, wind, and geothermal technology to power its nine colleges. As it approaches this milestone, the district is constructing B30 environmentally sustainable buildings, all of which will be equipped with recycled carpeting and furniture, and has plans for 14 more. The example set by the Los Angeles district is being embraced by two-year colleges across the country. As they renovate or expand older campuses, community colleges are championing sustainable development in response to demands from environmentally savvy students, faculty, trustees, and community leaders. “I think a common story for many of the colleges is that they had not seen any action for the last 30 or 40 years,” says Larry Eisenberg, executive director for facilities planning and development with the Los Angeles district. “We got into a serious catch-up and maintenance mode. And the common cry for higher education at about the same time was sustainability.” coming through community colleges to be years, the additional investment required Although sustainable development part of the sustainability economy,” says for sustainable development in higher has been more prevalent at four-year Don Hensley, a principal with the SHW education has dropped, in part due to colleges, which can use private donations Group, a Plano, Tex.-based architectural competition among manufacturers of to fund green projects, community firm that specializes in higher education. materials ranging from recycled carpet to colleges are following close behind “Some community colleges are looking to energy efficient windows. in adopting environmentally friendly their campuses to become working labs The extra costs involved in green building development. Like four-year institutions, that will allow students to apply their skills depend on what features are included and community colleges view green building and training directly to projects on campus. whether the college wants the project to practices as a way to save energy and All that is driving the architecture at those qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy demonstrate their commitment to the campuses to have sustainable values.” and Environmental Design) certification, a sustainability movement. Another factor spurring the growth of ranking system developed by the United “The trend driving community colleges sustainable development at community States Green Building Council, a nonprofit now is the idea of these green-collar jobs. colleges is the decline in costs associated organization dedicated to sustainable There’s an economic driver for students with green construction. In the past five building design and construction. For 12 FALL 2008 TRUSTEE QUARTERLY example, a building certified at silver — the performance contract the company signed lowest ranking — could incur additional with the college. “Essentially, that means costs of 4 to 6 percent, according to Jeff that they can take the savings and pay Sharpe, a project designer and architect To take an older building for the projects,” says Davis Gandees, the with the SHW Group. At the next higher education manager for Johnson level — gold — the price tag could run and adapt it to a new use, Controls in Florida. 6 to 9 percent higher, and at the highest As enrollment at community colleges level — platinum — it could be 10 to you save brick and steel — increases, an environmentally friendly 12 percent higher. These percentages apply all of the things that would solution to meet the demand for to general classroom buildings, Sharpe additional space is the adaptive reuse notes, adding that laboratories and food go into building the shell of of existing buildings, which can save preparation facilities, which involve more construction costs and help revitalize sophisticated ventilation systems, would be the building. It’s really an communities. more expensive. important planning concept HACC - Central Pennsylvania “Some of LEED is almost a marketing Community College (PA) spent $17 thing,” Sharpe says. “You like to have that for communities. million to convert a former press plaque and say, ‘We’ve done it.’ That’s building, built in downtown Harrisburg important to some institutions and not in 1919, into a training center for such others. But what’s overriding that are good trades as carpentry and plumbing, as well environmental solutions.” as engineering and computer networking. Hillsborough Community College (FL) comparison, a new campus for the St. Designed with skylights for optimal decided to pursue gold LEED certification Louis Community College System, which natural light and an energy-efficient for its new $17 million South Shore opened in the fall of 2007 and also heating and air-conditioning system, the campus, which will open for classes this received LEED gold certification, cost an refurbished building opened its doors to fall. Among its green features are raised additional 3 to 5 percent to construct, and 700 students in the fall of 2007. floors that allow heat to rise naturally is projected to save 30 percent in energy “Adaptive reuse is one of the strongest to the top of the classrooms; a 300,000- costs annually. and lowest-cost energy solutions you gallon lagoon to collect rainwater that Less glamorous changes in energy can do,” says Hensley, who has designed will be pumped back into the building management systems can also make projects for three community colleges to flush toilets; and classroom lighting buildings more efficient. Johnson in Texas. “To take an older building programmed to dim in the presence of Controls Inc., a company that specializes and adapt it to a new use, you save natural light. in facilities management, completed a brick and steel — all of the things that “We knew that it was going to cost project in July at Tallahassee Community would go into building the shell of more,” says Gwendolyn Stephenson, the College (FL) that will reduce energy the building. It’s really an important college’s president. “But down the road, costs by 18 percent, or $380,000 a year. planning concept for communities.” it would not only allow us to conserve The savings will result from retrofitting energy for future generations, but it interior and exterior lighting, upgrading will also allow us to save money in the the air conditioning, heating and electrical long run in energy costs, which is very systems, and installing software that Sherrie Negrea is a important in the state of Florida.” reduces the amount of energy powering writer for the Institute While the sustainable features of the the 2,200 computers on campus. for Community College new campus cost an additional 8 to 10 If there is a shortfall in the annual Development at Cornell percent, they are expected to save 26 projected savings, Johnson Controls will University in Ithaca, N.Y. percent in energy costs each year. By refund the difference, under an 11-year She can be reached at [email protected]. TRUSTEE QUARTERLY FALL 2008 13 SUSTAINABILITY Going Green in IT A Checklist of Energy-Saving Ideas for Your Campus by Ed Nadworny WHEN COLLEGE OFFICIALS THINK newer, more powerful, and more about ways to reduce their environmental By employing server energy efficient machines. On average, footprint, they typically think first a refreshed PC can decrease power about facilities, and then about paper virtualization, colleges can consumption by up to 20 percent, and container recycling programs. But resulting in significant cost savings and opportunities also exist for colleges to “go significantly reduce energy, environmental benefit. green” in IT. For example, one tactic with a weight, and cooling consumption • Replace copper cabling. While big potential impact is server virtualization, many colleges removed copper wiring Wwhich combines multiple systems into one. without impacting services when they upgraded their networking Doing so allows for better use of server infrastructure to a newer standard, storage, improved efficiency of server to students, faculty, and staff. the copper may still be sitting idle in administration, reduced energy costs, and a storage area. Rather than take up overall better use of technology capital. precious storage space, the copper can Virtualization has been referred to as be taken to a recycling vendor, which the poster child for sustainable business discuss with members of their boards, will issue your college a nice check. technology. By employing server administration, and IT staff. • Remind employees to turn off virtualization, colleges can significantly • Decrease travel between campuses their computers when they go home reduce energy, weight, and cooling by using virtual meeting tools, like for the day. One institution estimated consumption without impacting services GoToMeeting (www.gotomeeting.com). that turning off every computer to students, faculty, and staff. One of the If you must travel, consider carpooling. each night will save more than $100 institutions SunGard Higher Education • Recycle or donate computers no per computer per year. Another serves, a two-year college in the Midwest, longer being used. The Electronics implemented a program that forces achieved significant savings by taking Take Back Coalition (www. an automatic shutdown of PCs left on advantage of virtualization, including computertakeback.com) and National after business hours. reductions of: Center for Electronics Recycling (www. • 4,267 watts of constant epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/ During our week of hosting these energy consumption plugin/wv-ncer2.htm) are two good discussions on campus, we saw that most • 1,154.3 pounds in constant resources to find homes for unused people want to make a difference when weight consumption computers, freeing up storage space in it comes to saving energy and protecting • 1.2 tons of cooling consumption the process. the environment. But the issue needs • $37,500 total cost avoidance in • Have IT staff monitor the executive leadership behind it before an replacement hardware temperature in server rooms.