U Illinois Urbana-Champaign Wins International Freezer Challenge
Earning first place in the 2018 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge, the university had 45 labs from 17 buildings participate in the program. Researchers earned points for tasks such as eliminating fridge and freezer usage, cleaning lab spaces and moving samples to warmer storage. Combined efforts to conserve energy resulted in a 720 kilowatt-hours per day reduction of energy use.
U South Carolina Health Center Earns LEED Gold
The Center for Health and Well-Being's sustainability features include a central automation system for the HVAC equipment, occupancy sensors for lights, recycled content materials, and water efficient fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens.
U Utah Receives LEED Gold on Student Innovation Space
The university's Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a five-story, 160,000-square-foot building that opened in 2016. The building features low-flow water fixtures, 100 percent LED lighting throughout and 21.2 percent of the building materials contain recycled content. The site uses water-efficient landscaping through limited sod and drought tolerant plants, and provides easy access to alternative modes of transportation.
Drake U Receives Two GBI Green Globes on Two Buildings
The university recently announced that it earned a rating of Two Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for the construction of its newest academic buildings, the Science Connector Building and Collier-Scripps Hall. The two buildings feature a white roof to promote indoor cooling, energy-efficient windows and lighting, increased amounts of insulation in the roof and walls, and low flow water fixtures. The sites include drought-tolerant landscaping and easy access to public transportation and rental bicycles.
Western Michigan U Receives LEED Gold on Dining Center
The university's Valley Dining Center includes an exterior living wall and green roof section, a rain garden that helps to keep 100 percent of stormwater on-site, landscaping designed to be drought tolerant and require little to no irrigation, energy-efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting and water systems, a food pulper and water extraction system, and dishwashers with energy-recovery units that use the steam generated during operation to pre-heat the water for further operations.
U South Florida St. Petersburg Receives LEED Platinum for Lab
The university’s Warehouse Laboratory, which houses biology, chemistry and physics labs, was an old Greyhound bus service station whose entire shell, walls and floor were kept during a recent renovation. It features a 40-kilowatt solar carport, a new roof, an energy-efficient heating and air system, and enhanced insulation.
Appalachian State U Students Build Outdoor, Off-Grid Classroom
Students enrolled in the Integrative Design Experience Laboratory (IDEXlab) recently completed building a sheltered workspace located at the university’s Small Wind Research and Demonstration Site. Called the mobiLANDING, the energy-independent workspace showcases sustainable building practices and facilitates research.
Knox College Art Building Earns LEED Gold
The college's Whitcomb Art Center features energy-efficient and operable windows on 40 percent of the building's walls, helping to reduce energy use as well as provide high-quality lighting for students and faculty. More than 80 percent of the construction waste was recycled. The building reused historic building materials from the college's Alumni Hall, which was recently renovated. The site features two rain gardens that channel stormwater runoff into the ground rather than the municipal sewer system. Grounds include native prairie plants designed to help reduce unwanted plants from growing.
Bucknell U Residential Buildings Earn LEED Silver
Part of a residential area on campus, two new LEED certified buildings feature room occupancy sensors and low-flow water fixtures. Covered bike racks are available to students, and landscaping around them includes native plant species. Sustainability is also incorporated into student life through frequent sustainability-related educational programming.
U Michigan Students Unveil Straw-Bale House at Campus Farm
A University of Michigan green building class recently unveiled an off-grid straw-bale house. The team of about 20 students built the house using sustainable building techniques and installed a 1.5 kilowatt solar electric array attached to eight golf cart batteries.
Yale U Building Earns LEED Gold
Yale's Edward P. Evans Hall, housing the university's School of Management, features high-performance windows, interior and exterior solar shading, rooftop solar panels, a reflective white roof, additional insulation, LED and daylight-controlled lighting, carbon dioxide sensors that adjust circulation of fresh air as needed for the number of people in each space, and high-efficiency shower heads, urinals, and toilets. Potable water is not used for irrigation. Evans Hall provides covered parking for 104 bicycles and seven electric vehicle charging stations.
U Utah Building Earns LEED Gold
The building that houses the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering features a 34.2 kilowatt solar electric array, an energy-efficient air conditioning and heating system, energy-efficient elevators, and a new pedestrian walkway. The university's Revolving Loan Fund helped to offset the cost of making these changes to the building.
South Seattle College Hall Earns LEED Gold
Cascade Hall is 58,000 square feet of classroom and lab space serving 140 students. It features LED lighting throughout, a 72 kilowatt photovoltaic system, occupancy sensors, low flow toilets and other water efficiency technology, and rain gardens. During construction, more than 95 percent of construction and demolition waste was diverted from the landfill.
Chatham U Receives 2018 Best of Green Schools Award
Chatham University's Eden Hall earned the award in the Higher Education Institution category from the Center for Green Schools at USGBC, in collaboration with the Green Schools National Network. The hall was cited for its self-sustaining aspects, which include protecting the watersheds, incorporating surrounding land and agricultural resources, and rehabilitating existing farmland.
Bentley U Arena Earns LEED Platinum
The recently opened, 76,000-square-foot arena features a 504 kilowatt solar array that will generate 40 percent of the building's annual electricity needs, natural light that decreases the amount of electricity needed to light the building’s interior, high-efficiency LED lighting with smart, motion-detecting controls, and waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, and low-flow faucets and showers. Additionally, at least 50 percent of wood used in the building is sourced from forests with certified sustainable forestry practices, about 10 percent of construction and finish materials were locally sourced, and about 20 percent of construction and finish materials contain recycled content.
DePauw U to Invest $12M in Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
In an effort to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency, the university will spend $12 million on new HVAC technology, upgraded heat and water delivery systems, LED lighting throughout campus, and solar panels. The changes, as indicated by the Campus Energy Master Plan, are estimated to save $750,000 annually in energy expenditures and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent.
U Maryland Installs Wall of Plants in Library
In an effort to inspire creativity and support well-being, living plants now cover the surface of an interior wall at the university's McKeldin Library as part of a series of renovations to the library’s busy first floor. The bio-wall project was partially funded by students through the University Sustainability Fund.
Two U Notre Dame Buildings Earn LEED Gold
Undergraduate residences Flaherty Hall and Dunne Hall contain high-efficiency faucets, shower heads and toilets, and used regionally sourced building materials. During the construction of both residence halls, project managers eliminated and minimized waste as much as possible, and reused materials when feasible in the construction of the halls.
Colorado State U-Pueblo Building Receives LEED Platinum
More than 80 percent of the construction materials for the General Classroom Building were recycled on the job site and flooring, drywall and ceiling tiles in the building all include recycled content. Water-saving plumbing fixtures were installed and indoor water use was reduced by 38 percent compared to a similar building designed to code. The existing campus solar array provides approximately 15 percent of the building’s electricity.
DePauw U Dining Hall Receives LEED Gold
The university's Hoover Dining Hall is a 48,600 square-foot facility that seats more than 600 people in the main dining room with an array of smaller dining rooms that provide additional seating options. Food Services implements zero waste initiatives, such as reusable carry-out boxes, trayless dining, composting and using leftover fruit peels to make infused water. The university also donates leftover food to those in need and gives a portion of its scraps to local farmers for livestock feed.
Western U Receives $11.6M Grant for Energy Upgrades
The grant will go toward a retrofit to modify heating systems from steam to hot water in an effort to increase efficiency and reduce the use of natural gas. The change is expected to result in a 12 percent reduction in emissions from 2016 levels and an estimated cost savings of $1.5 million annually. The funding is from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program of the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.
U Richmond Receives $75K Grant for Energy Management Plan
A $75,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund will support the development of a comprehensive energy conservation management plan, including an energy audit to document energy usage and identify measures to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Northwestern U Earns Energy Star Partner of the Year Award
The award recognizes Northwestern’s achievements in energy efficiency, including its efforts to accurately track energy usage data and measure progress in reducing consumption. Northwestern recently completed a comprehensive energy audit of all 222 campus buildings in Evanston and Chicago, representing more than 14.5 million square feet of space. Northwestern is the first university in more than a decade to receive the award and the fourth university ever to be recognized. Previous higher education winners include the University of Michigan (2004), University of Virginia (2001) and University of Missouri-Columbia (1997).
North Carolina State U Gregg Museum Addition Earns LEED Gold
The building’s native and water efficient plants will reduce water use by 52 percent, a reflective roof will reduce heat absorption from the sun, and there are preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as visitors who carpool or vanpool.
U Washington Installs Solar Fins for Shade & Power Generation
In an effort to reduce heat gain and use renewable energy in the university's Life Sciences Building, the building, which is still under construction, will feature vertical glass fins that include embedded photovoltaic cells along the south side of the building.
U Virginia Launches 'Shut the Sash' Competition
In late 2017, the university launched its first “Shut the Sash” competition to encourage safer, more efficient working standards under chemical fume hoods. Competition participants earned points by answering educational questions, watching videos on sustainable research practices, and submitting before and after photos of fume hoods.
Radford U Receives LEED Gold on Three Residence Halls
The three residence halls feature low-flow toilets, sinks and showers, and occupancy sensors that turn off LED lighting when rooms are unoccupied. Each of the renovations incorporates rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo flooring in lobbies and lounges.
Elon U Earns LEED Silver on Schar Hall & Steers Pavilion
Schar Hall and Steers Pavilion were designed to provide green space and pedestrian walkways to encourage the use of outdoor space. All of the plumbing fixtures are low-flow, and landscaping around the buildings is designed to minimize the need for irrigation. The buildings are about 32 percent more energy efficient than those that meet the standard building energy code, and the buildings’ water, natural gas and energy use can be observed through a real-time monitoring system. During construction, 95 percent of the waste was recycled or reused.
Two Harvard U Buildings Achieve LEED Commercial Interiors Certification
Two recent renovation projects at the university recently achieved LEED v4 for Commercial Interiors certification. The Science Center – Cabot Library Project features all new mechanical, lighting, power, and plumbing upgrades; a new air-handling unit with high efficiency fans and motors, occupancy sensors, and temperature sensors; and low-flow water fixtures are expected to reduce water use by 38 percent. The Extavour Laboratory includes automatic receptacle controls, which turn off plug loads when spaces are not occupied; occupancy sensors for ventilation and lighting; and low-flow fixtures. Additionally, 95 percent of the equipment purchased for the lab is Energy Star certified.
Mohawk College to Receive $10.8M for Energy Retrofits
The funding will be used to replace an existing natural gas-fired boiler with an electrical boiler, and construct a solar-powered car park for over 200 parking spaces. The electricity from the solar system will be used to help power the new net-zero $54-million Joyce Center for Partnership and Innovation building currently under construction.
Pennsylvania State U to Lead Global Building Science Network
Faculty expertise in the university's Institutes of Energy and the Environment led the United Nations to ask the it to lead the Global Building Network, a global network to advance building science, construction processes and building management that advances energy efficiency and human performance.
Harvard U to Construct a District Energy Facility
Construction is underway on a new, 58,000-square-foot natural gas facility that will provide heating, cooling and 2.5 megawatts of electricity for the campus. With a focus on energy efficiency, an element of the facility will be a 1.3-million-gallon tank for storing chilled water that will be used to cool buildings with some limited other applications to support research. In order to minimize impacts from potential flooding the building is raised above projected flood levels.
U California Santa Barbara Earns LEED Platinum EBOM on Bren Hall
Bren Hall was first certified as LEED Platinum for new construction in 2002, and in 2009, received its second LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EB O+M). During the 2016-17 academic year, students from a LEED Living Lab class broke off into teams for each of the eight LEED categories, assumed responsibility for a credit within each category, and submitted a complete application in spring 2017. The building features a white roof, daylighting and energy-efficient fixtures, a 100 kilowatt photovoltaic system, and an energy-efficient lab exhaust system.
Purdue U Building Earns LEED Gold
The university's Honors College and Residences building features high-efficiency heating, cooling and ventilation equipment and water saving shower and faucet fixtures.
Lincoln College Upgrades 7000 Lights
(U.K.) As part of its commitment to improving its energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint, over 7,000 outdated light fixtures were upgraded to LED technology in 23 buildings across the college’s three campuses. The new technologies are predicted to reduce carbon emissions by over 605 tons annually.
California State U, Northridge Building Earns LEED Platinum
The new Associated Students Sustainability Center at CSUN features solar thermal hot water for domestic use, a 24-kilowatt photovoltaic system for electricity, daylighting combined with photosensors to control indoor lighting, and low-flow water technology along with composting toilets. Additionally, water from the lavatories, showers, and the heating and cooling system are captured and treated for irrigation use, and an existing paved service yard devoid of landscaping was transformed into a regionally appropriate drought-tolerant garden.
College William & Mary Installs Water Bottle Filling Stations
Under a new plan, W&M and the student group Take Back the Tap are working together to install water bottle filling stations in every high-traffic building on campus. New buildings and major renovations on campus now include a requirement for at least one bottle-filling station. Currently there are 52 filling stations on the W&M campus and three at W&M’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
U Maryland Secures $18.3M for Energy Conservation Projects
The Maryland Clean Energy Center has allocated $18.3 million to the university for the development of an energy-efficiency project across eight buildings. The project includes LED lighting upgrades, water conservation measures and lab ventilation controls upgrades. The project will reduce campus-wide energy consumption by approximately six percent.
U Rhode Island Building Earns LEED Gold
The university’s newly certified Chemical and Forensic Sciences Center contains exhaust hoods and snorkels with sensors that activate them when teaching and learning laboratories are in use and power them down when they are idle, occupancy sensors for interior lighting, LED technology for exterior lights, and a rain garden.
Tsinghua U Earns LEED Gold on Schwarzman College
(China) The 200,000-square-foot building is connected to a RESET Certified air quality monitoring system, which uses a cloud-based tool to provide metrics regarding the performance of indoor air filtration. The system makes air quality data available to all building occupants.
U Virginia Building Achieves LEED Silver for Rotunda Renovation
The renovation of the university's Rotunda building, which took from 2012 to 2016, included upgraded, energy-efficient HVAC and plumbing systems, and conversion of all lights to LEDs. The paints, adhesives and sealants all included low volatile organic compounds and 95 percent of the materials that were removed from the historic building were recycled.
Pennsylvania State U University Park Building Earns LEED Silver
Improvements to the university's Steidle Building included installation of two new HVAC systems with heating and cooling based on occupancy, LED lighting with occupancy sensors and ability to self-adjust based on natural light, dual-pane windows with added insulation between interior and exterior walls, new roof and insulation, and low-flow energy-efficient fume hoods. Lobby furniture was made from recycled materials and materials were sourced from within 500 miles of campus.
Northwestern U Earns LEED Platinum for School of Management Building
The university's new Kellogg School of Management building features a geothermal system, LED lighting throughout the facility and low-flow plumbing fixtures in restrooms and kitchens. Its landscaping is designed for efficient irrigation and contains plants that require minimal watering. The building's location offers occupants various forms of public transportation, and cyclists have access to bike racks, showers and changing rooms.
U Virginia Creates Online Solar Energy Tracker Tool
Multiple work groups at the university collaborated to develop and launch an online tool that displays real-time data on its renewable energy portfolio, which includes energy production on 1,700 panels installed in 2017. The goal of the tool is to raise awareness of the university’s investment in solar energy production and the environmental savings resulting from these initiatives, and to support learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
