Calhoun CC Renewable Energy Center to Seek LEED Gold
Calhoun Community College (AL) has opened the doors of its new Alabama Center of Excellence in Clean Energy Technology. The center will train energy conservation practitioners in energy assessment techniques and energy-efficient installation. Training will be focused toward dislocated and unemployed workers for jobs in the growing renewable energy sector. Design elements of the building include energy-efficient windows, canopies and a heat pump system designed to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent. Funding for the center was made possible by a $3.47 million grant from the Department of Labor.
St. Louis CC Earns Second LEED Gold Certification
St. Louis Community College (MO) has received its first LEED Gold certification with the recent rating of its William J. Harrison Education Center. Environmentally friendly features of the 31,000 square-foot facility include lighting controllability, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, indoor chemical and pollutant source control, and the use of recycled materials in the construction.
U California Santa Barbara Hall Receives LEED Silver
The University of California, Santa Barbara’s Kohn Hall has been awarded LEED Silver certification. Sustainable features include passive solar design, natural ventilation and efficient cooling provided by the campus chilled water loop. The hall is also one of 15 university buildings to have piloted the campus’ commingled recycling program. Kohn Hall is the sixth campus building to be certified through the LEED Existing Building Portfolio Program.
Harvard U Building Achieves LEED Gold
Harvard University’s (MA) Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study has achieved LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features of the new 42,000-square-foot building include an efficient HVAC system, low-emitting paints and materials, and passive solar design. Education about the sustainable operation of the building was also provided to staff. A utility display in the lobby allows occupants to see the building’s real-time energy use.
Rowan-Cabarrus CC Constructs First LEED Gold Building
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s (NC) first new building to be constructed in more than 30 years has earned the school its first LEED Gold certification. Sustainable design features include solar tubing, low-flow plumbing fixtures, carpeting made from recycled materials and the use of exterior materials that reduce light pollution. The building’s green design is expected to save the college more than $14,000 in utility costs and reduce water usage by 60,000 gallons each year.
Saint John's U Awarded First LEED Gold Certification
The McKeown Center at Saint John's University (MN) has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The first LEED-certified building on campus, the community center features natural lighting; energy-efficient lighting, heating and air conditioning systems; low-flow lavatories; monitored energy use; no-mow grass; a rain garden; and pervious sidewalk pavers. The building also provides educational value, offering environmental studies students the opportunity to visit a sustainable building on campus.
U Texas Arlington Research Building Earns LEED Gold
The University of Texas at Arlington’s new Engineering Research Building has received LEED Gold certification. The 234,000-square-foot building features multiple green and light-reflecting roofs, passive solar design, rain and condensate water storage systems for landscaping, and incorporated recycled materials. Approximately 82 percent of on-site construction waste was diverted from landfills and 28 percent of total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials.
U Washington Awarded Fifth LEED Gold Rating
The University of Washington has earned its fifth LEED Gold-certified building with the recent certification of its Paccar Hall. Environmentally friendly design and construction features include wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council; low-VOC paints, adhesives and carpet; an electric vehicle plug-in station; and a green roof system. Ninety-six percent of the construction waste was recycled.
U Winnipeg Opens Green Environment and Science Complex
The University of Winnipeg (MB) has opened the doors of its new Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex. The building will seek LEED Gold certification with environmentally friendly features including a 1,127-square-foot rooftop greenhouse. The facility will provide a space for research and development in natural and social sciences focused on climate change, water stewardship, green chemistry, urban sustainability and indigenous science.
Appalachian State U Introduces Green College of Education
Appalachian State University (NC) has unveiled its new College of Education building. The university expects to receive LEED certification for the $35 million structure, which includes a green roof, motion-sensor lights and cork flooring. Recycled materials were used during construction and solar panels were installed on the roof to help with domestic water heating.
Elon U Alumni Field House Earns LEED Gold
Elon University's (NC) Alumni Field House has earned LEED Gold certification. Environmentally friendly features of the 30,000-square-foot building include added layers of insulation to improve its thermal envelope; high-efficiency window glazing that acts as a passive solar mechanism to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer; low-flow plumbing fixtures that reduce potable water consumption by 40 percent; and climate adaptive vegetation and a drip irrigation system. Ninety percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill for recycling or reuse.
Georgia Tech Basketball Center Earns LEED Gold
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Zelnak Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. The design and construction of the basketball practice facility was guided by the institute’s Yellow Book. The Georgia Tech Yellow Book is a document that guides architects and engineers in the process of designing new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings. The center is the institute’s fourth building to receive LEED Gold certification.
Michigan State U Uses Hybrid Technology for Construction
Michigan State University has started using hybrid technology at a construction site on campus. The university’s contractor opted for a green alternative and invested in a hybrid excavator. The machine can cost up to 20 percent more than a regular machine, but with the amount of reduction in fuel consumption, the excavator can pay for itself in three to five years.
U Connecticut Unveils Campus-Wide Retro-Commissioning Project
The University of Connecticut has begun implementing recommended energy conservation measures at a dozen campus buildings as part of phase one of its campus-wide retro-commissioning project. The university's Smart Building Smart Grid Workgroup, driven by eight School of Engineering faculty members, will use one of the retro-commissioned buildings as a test bed for research that will also raise campus awareness about enhanced sensors, controls and fault detection for building systems. The retro-commissioning project is expected to improve the energy efficiency of 34 campus buildings, saving $500,000 in energy costs and cutting 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
U Massachusetts Amherst Debuts Green Building Guidelines
The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Green Building Committee has published Green Building Guidelines that outline and prioritize the strategies for sustainability that are most important to the campus. Design teams for all new campus buildings will use these guidelines, which use the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system as a framework to address sustainable site development, water efficiency, materials and resource use, indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Wellesley College Alumnae Hall Renovation Earns LEED Gold
The renovation and restoration of Wellesley College’s (MA) Alumnae Hall has earned the first LEED Gold certification for the campus. A carefully designed glass system was installed to maximize transparency and light transmission. The building, designed in 1922, is the final initiative in an extensive land reclamation and environmental mitigation project and also features a green roof to help retain heat in the winter.
Harvard Achieves 520K in Annual Savings with Retro-Commissioning
A recent retro-commissioning effort of Harvard University's (MA) Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering has resulted in $520,000 in annual savings and a reduction of 800 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Previously the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' second largest greenhouse gas emitter, the laboratory's existing building systems were combined into a more "closed loop" controlled feedback approach that allows for common data to be shared amongst the systems.
Life U Dining Hall Earns LEED Gold
Life University (GA) has earned its second LEED-certified building with the recent Gold certification of its new campus dining facility. In addition to sustainable water and energy consumption during operation and green waste management, the Socrates Café sources local and organic produce and uses compostable dining ware.
Harvard U Custodial Services Achieves Green Seal Certification
Harvard University’s (MA) Facilities Maintenance Operations Custodial Services has achieved Green Seal certification. Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that certifies products and services that meet rigorous environmental safety standards. The process took several years and required the university to adjust the cleaning products and procedures as well as invest in new equipment. Custodial services customized a cleaning program to meet the specific environmental needs for each building.
Harvard U Dormitory Earns LEED Existing Buildings Certification
Harvard University’s (MA) Thayer Hall, an undergraduate dormitory, has achieved the university’s first LEED Existing Buildings certification. A team was created to identify sustainable practices that could be extended to other residential buildings. Each team member focused on a different LEED category and worked to ensure the building’s compliance with relevant prerequisites and implement operational and infrastructural changes. Sustainable modifications ranged from cleaning protocols to snow removal, lighting retrofits, temperature adjustments and landscaping services. The dormitory reduced its energy consumption by 10 percent in two years. The students of the Resource Efficiency Program also coordinated a recycling campaign and waste audit.
Meredith College Student Housing Receives LEED Silver
Meredith College’s (NC) student housing project, the Oaks, has achieved LEED Silver certification. Opened in August 2009, sustainable features include dual flush toilets, drip irrigation for landscaping, low-emitting materials and construction materials sourced and manufactured regionally. Approximately 89 percent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
U Chicago Renovates Building to Incorporate Sustainable Practices
The University of Chicago (IL) has renovated its Young Memorial Building to make it a more sustainable place to work. The extensive renovation not only considered ways to reduce its environmental footprint, but also ways to promote complementary individual action. Water fountains have a water bottle-filling feature to encourage the community to use reusable bottles and bike racks are mounted on the wall and a shower room installed to support bike commuters. Reusing rather than replacing the building and its fixtures was strongly emphasized during the renovation. Other sustainable features include a cork floor, low-flush plumbing, recycled and reclaimed ceiling tiles, and energy-efficient lighting.
U Minnesota Twin Cities Bldg Earns LEED Gold
The University of Minnesota's Science Teaching and Student Services Center (STSS) has achieved LEED Gold certification, the first LEED Gold building on the Twin Cities campus. The building utilized regional materials, a natural air convection system, low-flow fixtures and a high efficiency irrigation system. The exterior glass will reduce solar heat gain by 50 percent and 94 percent of the construction debris was diverted from the landfill to be reused or recycled.
2 Grand Valley State U Buildings Receive LEED Certification
Grand Valley State University’s (MI) new student housing project and dining hall have both received LEED certification. The 279,974-square-foot housing project provides rooms for 600 students and achieved LEED Gold certification. The 24,000-square-foot food service building was awarded LEED Silver certification. The buildings feature energy-efficient lighting, heating and air conditioning systems, as well as landscaping that requires minimal irrigation with expansive stormwater management systems.
Cal Poly Pomona Residential Suites Earns LEED Silver
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona’s new Residential Suites building has achieved LEED Silver certification. Environmentally friendly features include green space, bike racks and parking spaces for hybrid vehicles. Each one of the 150 residences is equipped with a dual-flow toilet and metering to ensure energy-efficient heating and cooling. The residences are part of the university’s climate commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Concordia U Wisconsin Enviro Stewardship Bldg Earns LEED Platinum
Concordia University Wisconsin recently achieved LEED Platinum certification for its Center for Environmental Stewardship. Environmentally friendly features include geothermal heating and cooling, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and T-8 fluorescent and LED lighting. Intended as a teaching tool for students and visitors, the $4 million center opened in August 2010.
Connecticut College Auditorium Awarded LEED Silver
Connecticut College’s largest classroom has achieved LEED Silver certification. The auditorium, which seats up to 150 people, was one of the first major construction projects completed after the adoption of a college-wide green building policy in 2005. A quarter of the total building materials used for the renovation were manufactured using recycled materials and nearly half of the building materials were manufactured regionally. More than 63 percent of the construction waste generated on-site was diverted from landfills.
LA Mission College Debuts Environmentally Friendly Fitness Center
Los Angeles Mission College (CA) has unveiled its $38 million health, physical education and fitness center. Previously, the physical education and athletic programs were housed in leased buildings dispersed off campus. The 87,000-square-foot building’s sustainable features include a constant monitoring of indoor air quality levels, a two-week preoccupy flush to remove construction-related contaminants, green housekeeping practices and low-VOC paints, carpets, adhesives and sealants. The center also features bicycle storage areas to encourage alternative transportation.
Meredith College Student Housing Earns LEED Silver
Meredith College’s (NC) newest student housing, opened in August 2009, has achieved LEED Silver certification. The apartments' sustainable features include dual-flush toilets, energy-efficient light fixtures, water-efficient landscaping and a drip irrigation system. Construction materials were made from recycled materials and extracted and manufactured regionally.
San Diego Mesa College Opens Renovated Design Center
San Diego Mesa College (CA) has unveiled a new Design Center, renovated with funding by the district's $1.555 Propositions S and N construction bond program. Sustainable features include extensive use of natural lighting; design materials made with recycled content; and a landscape plan that utilizes water-efficient irrigation and low water-use plants and shrubs.
U Missouri-Kansas City Building Receives LEED Gold
The University of Missouri-Kansas City's Student Union, opened in August 2010, has achieved LEED Gold certification. The building’s sustainable features include public transportation access, stormwater control and natural lighting.
North Carolina State Res. Halls Receive Energy Star Certification
Three North Carolina State University residence halls - Carroll, Sullivan and Tucker - have received ENERGY STAR certification. They join fewer than 80 residence halls nationwide in receiving the certification. ENERGY STAR-certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. "The fact that each certified building is a residence hall demonstrates University Housing's ongoing commitment to address our nation's energy challenge while providing safe and affordable housing for our student body," said Dr. Tim Luckadoo, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, in a news release.
City College of San Francisco Building Earns LEED Gold
The City College of San Francisco’s (CA) newest building has earned LEED-NC Gold certification. The 110,000-square-foot academic facility showcases many green features including a passive cooling system. A louvered central atrium and skylight system, driven by wind power, takes advantage of natural ventilation by allowing airflow from the perimeter classrooms to be exhausted through glazed skylights at the roof level. The building’s Central Utility Plant is supported by a 400-well ground loop geothermal exchange system.
Dalhousie U Announces Green Building Policy
Dalhousie University (NS) has announced a new green building policy that recommends all new buildings be built to LEED Gold standards or higher. The policy also calls for Facilities Management and Office Sustainability staff to incorporate annual green building training for the campus community including green building tours, videos, fact sheets and other communications products.
U Victoria Building Awarded LEED Gold
The University of Victoria's (BC) Administrative Services Building has earned LEED Gold certification from the Canada Green Building Council. The $16.3 million project incorporated a number of sustainable design features including a glass atrium, natural ventilation, an aggressive waste management plan and plumbing fixtures that use recycled water from the university’s aquatic research facility. The building is the fourth campus facility to achieve LEED Gold certification.
Harvard U Students, Staff Weatherize Campus Building
Organized by the Environmental Action Committee and a host of other campus groups, 30 members of the Harvard University (MA) community volunteered to help weatherize a 160-year-old building that serves the campus as the Freshman Dean's Office. The crew installed low-flow sink aerators, high-efficiency light bulbs and recycling signs, and weatherized windows. The project is estimated to save the university $1,928 per year.
Grist Profiles Green Schools Movement
Grist Magazine recently sat down with Rachel Gutter, director of the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools, to talk about green schools legislation, creative financing and students taking the lead on greening efforts.
Harvard U Earns 35th LEED Certification
With the recent LEED Silver certification of its Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University (MA) has earned its 35th LEED-certified campus project. Sustainable features of the center include the reuse of 60 percent of the existing furniture, thermal and ventilation controls, occupancy sensors and renewable electricity sources. Seventy-five percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Debuts Green Roof
Thanks to seed money provided by the class of 2010 and the efforts of the Student Sustainability Task Force, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) has debuted a green roof atop its Rensselaer Union bookstore. The university held a Green Roof Groundmaking Celebration on Earth day, where student volunteers planted thousands of green plant plugs. The project will include a multicolor array of sedum plants and sensors that will compare temperatures between a standard roof and a green roof. To date, 285 individuals including students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and several organizations have donated funds to support the project, surpassing its goal of $55,000.
Yale U Health Center Awarded LEED Gold
Yale University's (CT) new Health Center, opened in August 2010 and serving 36,000 students, faculty, staff and retirees, has received LEED Gold certification. The 147,006-square-foot building features a large atrium, ample natural light, rooftop gardens and sustainably sourced materials.
Duke U Initiative Inducted into Int'l Green Industry Hall of Fame
Duke University's (NC) Home Depot Smart Home Program was recently inducted into the inaugural class of the International Green Industry Hall of Fame. The university's dorm, research and educational program that emphasizes energy-efficient and sustainable living was one of six inductees including people and organizations honored by the Fresno, Calif.-based organization. The selection criteria for inductees included analysis of environmental benefits, innovation and widespread applicability.
George Mason U Hotel Earns LEED Gold
George Mason University's (VA) Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Nearly 90 percent of the on-site construction waste was diverted from landfills to recycling agencies, and more than 30 percent of the total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials. The center features high-efficiency glazing on windows and doors and water-source heat pumps, and has implemented green housekeeping initiatives including sustainable cleaning materials and a comprehensive recycling program.
American U Building Earns LEED Gold
American University’s (DC) School of International Service has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The building features numerous green components including an LED-lit parking garage, a solar air and water heating system, skylights to provide natural lighting, sunshades to prevent heat loss, and energy-efficient appliances.
Harvard U Law Building Awarded LEED Gold
Harvard University (MA) has earned its 44th LEED certification with the recent LEED Gold certification through LEED for Commercial Interiors of a Harvard Law School building. Sustainable features include lighting upgrades expected reduce electrical demand by 40 percent, a 95 percent construction waste recycling rate and the salvage of more than 11 tons of furnishings and electronics for future campus projects.
U California San Francisco Unveils 3 Green Laboratories
Featuring the integration of water-efficient devices and energy efficiency strategies, the University of California, San Francisco has recently opened three new green laboratories. The university received its first LEED Gold certification for a lab renovation with its School of Dentistry Mesenchymal and Craniofacial Research Laboratory, which involved renovating an entire floor of an existing high-rise research tower. The university will also seek LEED Gold certification for its Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building and Cardiovascular Research Building. More than 75 percent of the demolition materials were reused and diverted from the landfill in all three projects.
U Pennsylvania Music Building Receives LEED Gold
Along with its new green cafe, the University of Pennsylvania has earned LEED Gold for the renovation of its School of Arts and Sciences Music Building. Sustainable features include efficient lighting, controls and mechanical and plumbing systems, passive stormwater management techniques, reduced site water use with selection of drought resistant plant species and "smart" controls that adjust irrigation based on rainfall levels. The project also recycled or salvaged 95 percent of construction waste.
College of the Desert Training Academy Awarded LEED Silver
The Public Safety Academy at the College of the Desert (CA), which is used to train firefighters and police officers, has earned LEED Silver certification. Sustainable design features include the use of skylights for day lighting, PVC cool roofing to reduce a heat island effect and the use of recycled denim jeans as insulation.
Fort Lewis College Biology Wing Earns LEED Gold
Fort Lewis College (CO) has earned its second LEED Gold certification for the new biology wing of Berndt Hall. Environmentally friendly features of the building, which was designed to maximize open space, include water-efficient landscaping, renewable energy sources and regional and recycled building materials.
New U Texas Austin Student Center Seeks LEED Gold
The University of Texas at Austin has unveiled a new student center, designed to meet LEED Gold certification. Student input and design workshops informed the building design, which includes ample daylighting, an accessible rooftop courtyard with an adjacent green roof and a cistern that collects and recycles rainwater for landscape irrigation.
U New Mexico Debuts Green Science and Math Center
The University of New Mexico has formally opened the doors of its new Science and Mathematics Learning Center, which will seek LEED Gold certification. The 62,000-square-foot building houses classrooms and teaching laboratories.
