Environmental Audit for Sussex

8/8/2019 Environmental Audit for Sussex

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USSU Environmental Audit Report 2008 -- 2

3. 0 Electrical

3.1 Lighting

In general lighting was at a very good standard, being for the most part T5 a nd DD light bulbs

throughout the site. The only exceptions are the common room, debating chamber and Falmer

Bar. The common room and debating chambers lighting still uses inefficient tungsten light bulbs,

yet this is down to their inclusion within the buildings listed status. Areas of the Union that have

recently been refitted, such as the Cube and new Falmer Shop , feature the highest standard oflighting energy efficiency. The Cube has fitted low energy LED lighting in place of the fluorescents

that characterise the building, whilst the shop has fitted low energy compact fluorescents. The

Falmer bar areas, including the kitchen facilities, have fluorescent light bulbs, which do not utilise

either reflectors or diffusers. All light switches were well labeled and clear as to which lights they

operated, although one set of switches near the Falmer bar entrance to The Cube appeared to be

unlabelled. Switch it Off stickers and posters were also in plain view of many of the light

switches throughout all sites, showing positive attempts to promote awareness of energy

conservation.

Although the lighting is generally effi cient in terms of bulbs, their use is not. Lighting in the toilets

is often left on constantly, as are the lights in the common room yet natural light is more thansufficient in the day.

Desk lamps were available in some of the office spaces, such as the Student Advice Centre. The

Sabbatical Offices, Finance Office, Marketing and Publicity, Admin and the GM office all lacked

desk lighting or lamps.

It is recommended that the building listing status of the lighting be investigated for the possibility

of changing the Tungsten light bulbs to more energy efficient ones. This should be done with the

help and consent of both the University Estates division and the Local Authority. In Falmer bar, it is

recommended that the fluorescent bulbs be replaced with T5 bul bs, with the use of adaptors to

enable the bulbs to fit in the old sockets.

The Union should continue to ensure that all light switches remain labeled and are updated if

necessary. Promoting energy conservation in relation to lighting should continue. It i s suggested

that the free awareness resources provided by the Carbon Trust are employed in this process.

The lack of occupancy sensors for lighting is apparent throughout the Union building and its

outlets. As noted, many areas of the Union remain constan tly or unnecessarily lit for extended

periods of time, leading to the waste consumption of large amounts of energy. Installation of

occupancy sensors could cut down dramatically this waste. The following areas were identified as

possible locations for occupancy sensors:

- All toilets

- The shower room on the second floor

- Kitchen in the room next to the activities centre

- The committee room

- Music practice rooms


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If occupancy sensors are not an option, efforts must be made to ensure their use is monitored and

subsequently cut back as currently they represent a large and unnecessary consumption of

electricity.

More personal desk lamps for the relevant office space would also likely reduce the need for

excessive lighting in office spaces, further cutting down energy consumption.

3.2 Appliances

One of the biggest improvements made since the last audit was the replacement of CRT screens

with TFT computer screens. The only CRT screens left are in the Activities Centre where there is a

bank of computers available for use by anyone. CRT monitors can use up to 8 to 10 times more

energy consumption that TFT and so is essential that they are phased out. As these computers are

used on a minimal basis there is no need for immediate replacement, but TFT monitors should be

bought for all future purchases and when any replacement is carried out.

There are, however, still several laser printers around the union, with up to one laser printer per

three members of staff. However, it is noted that there is an active replacement scheme currently

taking place to have fewer printers around the union, networked together to reduce the overallnumber. Photocopiers are also in the process of being replaced. Taking this into account, there is

no immediate requirement to focus attention on print ers and photocopiers.

The main area of concern regarding appliances is the fridges, microwaves and other kitchen

equipment in the union. They are mostly older models and as a result are very inefficient, with no

energy ratings. It is recommended that a program of replacement is undertaken for these

appliances to models with A+ ratings and, at the very least, all fridges be fitted with fridge -saver

plugs. It must also be noted that old models that are replaced must be replaced in a safe manner,

if not recycled/donated.

The biggest concern is the lack of timer plugs that are not in use in USSU. Several appliances are

suitable for timer plugs, including the photo booth and vending machine on the ground floor,

portable heaters and fans, desk lamps and on a variety of photocopiers and printers. Many of

these devices are left on over-night for little or no reason and a lot of energy could be saved with

only a small investment. It is recommended that these appliances be fitted with timer plugs as

soon as possible.

4.0 Heating

The majority of the main heating system within Falmer House is severely limited and very

inefficient as the whole system is controlled centrally. Many of the fixed radiator points are

covered and extremely inaccessible. Until only recently the heating wasnt adjustable and even

now is controlled remotely from outside of the building, on a timer. Staff have consistently

complained about the situation, but little has been done. Many areas remain too hot whereas

others are too cold no matter the heating settings. Insulation is also non -existent, in either wall

cavities or above false ceilings.

This situation is compounded further as it has lead to the Union being forced to a number of

portable heaters and fans to compensate for the lack of effe ctive heating. The majority of office


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space throughout Falmer House has at least one, if not more, electric heaters, which they rely on

for warmth or a fan in order to provide more suitable ventilation.

Improvements in recent years have been made as now some rooms are controlled by thermostat,

reducing the reliance on portable heaters. Unlike heating however, there is little in the way of

awareness publicity on the heating settings for the few thermostats that do exist.

Heating has remained a constant issue with the staff over the years. However there are severelimitations on the ability to improve the heating system. The budgetary constraints are significant

but, more importantly the University owns the building and its listed status prevents any serious

alterations being made to its structure. Any appeals to the Local Authority and English Heritage to

alter the nature of the heating system would likely be denied.

Improvements are still possible however. Every effort should be made to keep the heaters cl ear.

This in many cases can prove difficult due to the main heating system occupying the outskirts of

the majority of the room, yet in some cases they can be cleared to allow heating to circulate

better.

Two over-door heaters were identified one close to the committee room and one above the

doors to reception. Both of which were not operational during the period of the audit and wewere advised they need maintenance. These heaters should only be used when absolutely

necessary as they are extremely energy intensive and most of the heat is lost when the doors are

opened.

The widespread use of portable heaters needs to be reduced as much as possible. If additional

heating is required, energy efficient, larger appliances should be used in preference over the o lder,

smaller heaters, which were often found underneath peoples desks. If portable heaters are

essential, then it is recommended that efforts should be made to replace the inefficient electric

heaters with oil filled heaters as they retain their heat and usually have room-temperature

thermostats. It is also recommended that timer plugs be attached to all heaters to ensure that

they are not left on over night.

The same principle applies to portable fans that are widely used, particularly in the Activities

Centre. It is recognised that these rooms get very hot, but the number of fans in use should be

reduced where possible and monitored. These fans should also be put on timer plugs so that they

are not left on.

Overall, the heating situation within the Union is extremely inefficient. The University and the

Union must work together to address this. It is within both their long -term interests if efforts are

made to installing modern radiators fitted with thermostatic radiator valves in accessible areas to

decrease reliance on the current system. As a minimum, electric heater use needs to be reduced

and replaced by oil filled appliances.

4.1 Windows

The main Union building has only old single -glazed windows placed throughout, further

exacerbating problems caused by the old and ineffective heating system. It is noted, however,

that with the building being listed and under university control, it would be difficult to improve on

this.


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Previous audits have highlighted that by installing some kind of double -glazing will save 4,000 a

year in heating costs. Along with the heating system, the Union and the University should be

seriously looking into how this can be improved. If double -glazing is not viable, then an alternative

must be invested in.

5.0 Water

Most toilets areas have been fitted with timed percussion taps with inbuilt pressure valves. Water

heating is also monitored to ensure it does not exclude too high levels of heating. Urinals are self -

flushing; however the toilets themselves are older, less effi cient models. Currently, there are no

water saving devices fitted within the cisterns and no dual -flush systems installed.

A further key issue is the bottled water coolers in use around the union. Staff has complained that

the drinking water available from taps in toilet areas is unsuitable for drinking and so rely on the

bottled water as an alternative. This type of water cooler is very unsustainable and alternatives

should be researched immediately. This can include looking into mains connected coolers andmoving towards more ethical suppliers of bottled cooler water such as Aquaid.

It is strongly recommended that water saving devices, like cistern volume adjustors such as Hippo

Bags be placed in the cisterns as a low-cost initiative, which will save water. When the Union

looks into refits, it should also consider other water saving devices such as a motion sensor system

that regulates lighting, extractor fans and urinal flushes. Other devices include spray head taps and

waterless urinals, which could c ut water consumption by as much as 80%.

6.0 Waste

The University controls the waste management contract, which is currently being negotiated and

so is not available at the time of writing. However, as to date there is no breakdown kept by the

University about how much is sent to landfill or to recycling from the different sites on campus.

Sample data has been taken, but is insufficient in terms of a consistent and accurate measure of

waste used by the Union, the same applying for its outlets. Estates have since advised that this is

due to change under the new waste contract currently being negotiated.

6.1 Recycling

In general, recycling is very good within USSU. The shops recycle cardboard packaging and have a

10p Eco-Tax on all plastic bags. Only recycled paper is used by the Union, including photocopying

and printing and even for the Union Newspaper, the Badger. The bars recycle all paper, plastic,glass, aluminum and safely store and recycle cooking oil, with separate recycle points outside of

the bar areas being investigated. The main common room area has a recycling box in place to take

most forms of waste. In all office spaces, there are centrally placed recycling boxes for paper

waste. Recycling points are also available for printer cartridges and mobile phones in the shops

and the main reception area. Wooden pallets are stored and sent back to be reused. All used

furniture, computers and other miscellaneous items are offered back to the university to be

utilised if they cannot be within the union and everything left over is then donated to charity to be

reused.


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Furthermore, the Green Maps, which were created by the campaign group Eco -Uni, have enabled

students to find out much more about where they can recycle different items throughout campus.

However, there are still some improvements which could be made. There is minimal envelope

recycling, even though stickers have been provided, although most envelopes are put in the paper

recycling receptacles anyways. There is very little recycling in the committee room and

surrounding offices in the southeast corner area. Organic waste is still not recycled anywhere

within the Union, nor locally or commercially within the kitchen areas. Staff have also brought upthat there is little internal recycling outside of paper waste within the office spaces and that more

could be done locally to encourage staff to recycle.

Efforts should be made to set up organic waste disposal. Composting was mentioned by one

member of staff as something that they would be interes ted in setting up for the Union building.

All would be needed is a small number of organic bins which would then taken to a local

composting site. With the two franchises taken over the kitchen areas in both bars, they will need

to be worked with to come u p with a system to dispose of their own commercial waste. Though

they are ultimately responsible for it, the Union should make efforts to support them. Printer

cartridge and mobile recycling points should be publicised and made more accessible to students,

with publicity visible in reception, shops and common areas. Staff should also be encouraged torecycle more envelopes and recycle points made available in the South East Corner area.

As mentioned earlier, the Union must work with the University to establ ish how much is sent to

landfill and recycled is essential for future monitoring.

7. 0 Union Policy and Procedure

7.1 Building Procedure

With the Union facilities under ownership of the University, it is their responsibility to keep all

maintenance logs and shutdown procedures. All such documentation is available on site and on

request from the porterage facilities. For the main Falmer Building, there are shutdown

procedures in place for both term and vacation time. All the bars and shop outlets also have their

own shutdown procedures for their appliances and equipment.

7.2 Campaigning

Sussex has a strong history and culture of campaigning, one of its strong points being its

environmental campaigns. Last year students were involved in the movement against Biofuels, in

the national climate march in London and were involved in the planning and running of the Camp

for Climate Action. Sussex Union also organised and hosted the first student Climate Change

conference in June, hosting 160 students over 3 days for workshops and discussion on the role

students play in the fights against climate change. On a more local level, the Union is in frequent

discussion with the University to help guide and improve environmental standards on the campus;for example, with a wind turbine currently under review that will be used in powering the

university.

On top of this, there are several active Environmental groups within the Union including Eco -Uni,

the Environmental Society, Sussex Roots, Trade Fair and FoodforUS which all operate with the full

support of USSU. These groups are successful in raising awareness, campaigning and carrying out

practical action regarding environmental issues, not just within the Union but the University and

the local community. This is supported further by the Unions volunteering group, Project V, which

allows students to participate in a variety of projects in the local community.


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7. 3 Environmental Legislation

Currently, no-one in the Union has responsibility for checking whether USSU complies wi th

environmental legislation. This is a serious issue and someone within the Union must be put in

charge of compiling legislation and ensuring that the Union is abiding by current and all future

laws.

7. 4 Responsibility

As it stands, only the part-time ethical and environmental officer has the official remit of

environmental issues. There is no member of staff who is fully committed to dealing with the

environmental issues of the union nor do any staff or full time officers have it specifically in their

remit to deal with such issues. Many staff already consider the environment in everything they do

and are already actively engaged in progressive measures. This is being encouraged and reinforced

by making the incorporating best practice and policy clear in all new job descriptions. An

environmental sub-committee does exist, however its remit is limited and unclear, and its role

within USSU remains too general and broad.

USSU needs to delegate staff and student responsibility to ensure that the recommendatio ns in

this audit are carried out in both the short and long term. One part time officer, a position that is

not always filled and relies on personal interest and dedication, is not enough to ensure a

consistent commitment. It is noted that USSU is a small institution and that currently employing a

member of staff, even part -time, to take on responsibility of environmental policy is not financially

viable. Giving a full time officer responsibility for environmental issues will ensure that the Union

has a permanent point of call. Policy needs to clarify who is responsible for carrying out procedure,

as much is done already informally by staff but needs to be formalised and made consistent. The

Environmental Sub Committee also needs clarification and needs to b e delegated a specific remit

within USSU. This body is in a perfect position to get students further engaged within the Union

and should be utilised as another point of consistency to aid sabbaticals and the part time officers.

Environmental champions should also be encouraged to volunteer from amongst the staff. Though

they would not fulfill the role of a member of staff with a specific remit, they would be able to

feed into the process and whilst being able to get staff more involved and actively particip ating in

continuous improvement.

7.5 Policy

The Union currently has several different environmental policies such as an ethical and

environmental investment, specific motions on biofuels and incinerators and even individual

products such as Coke Cola and Nestle on environmental and ethical grounds. Some of thesepolicies have conflicting or overlapping resolutions, whereas others are not broad enough nor

cover certain aspects of the Union. As it stands, the current environmental policy is not sufficient

and needs to be amalgamated with all existing policy. It should be noted that there are current

projects being led by the ethical and environmental officer to create a stronger, more

comprehension policy, with the help of students, societies and staff, whic h will be taken to AGM

or Council in the future.


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7. 6 Procurement

There has been great improvement in the procurement process within USSU. USSU is a fair -trade

organisation, providing fair-trade products in its shops and bars, with termly meetings to hel p up

keep its status. To improve on this, all union clothing (both provided for employees and for sale)

should be fair-trade or ethically sourced and fair-trade products should be labeled in shops to

promote awareness.

Staff and officers do take environmental considerations into account with all purchases and refits,as the new Falmer House shop refit showed. However, there is no formal policy or framework for

the procurement process and good practice relies on staffs common sense and goodwill alone.

The Union needs solid documentation in place that commits the Union to take environmental

consideration into all future purchases and refits, providing guidelines for staff that are both

realistic and practical.

In recent weeks USSU has switched to a new fina ncial system, which, with the support of the

finance sabbatical, has the ability to measure quantities of consumables (e.g. paper) purchased, as

all purchase requests must go through one system. It is recommended that an active program of

monitoring and r eduction targets be now employed to reduce the procurement and consumption

of goods in the union.

8. 0 Transport

The Union has its own bike storage and shower facilities in its Falmer Building, which is promoted

and used by staff. The local and environmentally friendly Big Lemon bus company is endorsed and

is transport of choice for the Union. This is more than just selling tickets from its outlets, but also

promoting for clubs and teams and for the Unions own events.

The Union owns two minibuses, both are old models, and though records are limited, staff have

described the vehicles as high maintenance and increasingly unreliable. Only recently has a

maintenance log been put together and a guide for more economical driving and a procedure for

maintenance is also being developed, which may help prolong their existence. However, in its

current state the Union should look into whether purchasing new minibuses is more cost effective

than the upkeep of the current vehicles. A new model, though having a high initial capital

expenditure, may save the union money in the long run in more economical fuel and less constant

maintenance costs.

At present, no transport plan exists with little or no policy to support. Travel expenses are

recorded but not monitored effectively and currently environmental impact is not mentioned in

the documentation for the minibus use. A No -Flights policy inside of the EU however does exist

and is enforced.

Other Union Initiatives


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Open air Fruit and Vegetable Market

On one day a week, a fruit and vegetable market is set up in the Falmer Building quad area. The

majority of food sold is local and the scheme is popular with both students and staff.

Plants

There are lots of plants around the union, in both the office spaces and the co mmon room, all of

which are maintained by an external company.

Awareness posters

There are several awareness posters around USSU in office spaces and common areas. However,

some specific areas are lacking and should be identified and rectified. This includ es next to

thermostats and recycling points.

Overview

USSU has several strong areas of environmental care. Almost all the lighting throughout the main

building and all the outlets is energy efficient, with only a few exceptions. New capital purchases

are all geared towards greater energy efficiency and phasing out older, less efficient models. The

new Falmer House shop refit is a good example of this commitment, installing the latest A++

model fridges and most efficient lighting equipment. Almost all was te that can be recycled is

sorted and done so in all areas, from offices to the outlets and communal areas. The level of

awareness amongst both staff and students is high thanks to the efforts of student campaigners

and societies, combined with the work an d support of previous sabbatical officers. The range of

events put on last year is an example of this and has put green issues at the forefront of the Union

and its members.

However, the Union has a lot of room for improvement. Currently, the inefficient heating system

combined with no insulation, single glazing and a large array of portable electric heaters is clearly

a massive waste of energy. Following from this, the Union needs to take responsibility for

monitoring and recording its consumption and ou tput of all utilities and waste. If the Union wants

to make realistic targets and then be able to stick to them, they must work closely with the Estates

Department to ensure this does happen. If the current metering system is not sufficient, then the

Union must campaign for adequate metering.

Policy and procedure is also lacking to back up the work that many staff are already carrying out.

The current Environmental policy is not up to date and is contradicted by other policies, there is

currently little in the way of formal procedure and no-one is responsible for making sure the Union

is abiding by environmental legislation. The Union needs to update its policy and put in place

procedure on all levels such as procurement and transport to give greater env ironmental

consistency to its daily operations.


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Recommendations

Below are the recommendations of the audit, detailing an action plan that the Union can try and

stick to for the coming years in order to improve its environmental performance and reduce

running costs. If USSU is serious about its commitment to continuous self improvement, it shouldpursue these targets as soon as financially possible and continue to look to further improve its

environmental impact.

Short Term/Low Cost

y The few remaining tungsten light bulbs and florescent tubes need to be replaced with up

to date energy efficient ones, including any necessary deflectors to further decrease costs.

Desk lamps should also be made available to all office spaces to reduce use of the full room

lighting.

y New printers and photocopiers to all office spaces should be networked for useimmediately to begin the gradual phasing out of laser jet printers.

y The Union and University Estates need to ensure monitoring of all utilities is undertaken.

Someone within the Union should be delegated to ensure they are recorded and analsyed

in the future for the purpose of setting new targets and tracking their progress.

y Timer plugs should be invested in as a cheap and easy solution to cutting energy

consumption and applied to electrical appliances where applicable throughout the Union

and its outlets. Fridge plugs for the few domestic fridges can again reduce consumption.

Installing instant hot water boilers in the relevant office/kitchen spaces will replace kettlesand coffee making machines and further cut down energy use.

y A local organic waste collection scheme can be set up in the office spaces and common

areas for use in composting.

y Moving away from the bottled water coolers to mains supplied drinking w ater if

preferable, saving the Union money and reducing its carbon foot print. If this is not

applicable, then investing in an ethical supplier such as Aquaid may help offset this.


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y Hippo Bags or their equivalents to be placed in all toilet facilities i n order to help cut back

water consumption.

y Make sure all light and equipment switches, especially banks of more than six, are all

located, on display and adequately labeled as to their use.

y Monitoring the amount of traveling done in terms of business mil es when reclaiming

expenses and mode of transport for the purpose of setting targets and reducing.

y Adding environmental considerations to the Mini-Bus Documentation

y Finding at least one member of staff who is willing to volunteer for the role of environmental

champion who would help to implement these changes.

y Implementing internal recycling within the office spaces.

Medium Term/Medium Cost

y Create an up to date environmental policy, combining all relevant past policy, complete

with targets and action points to mandate USSU to push for.

y The installation of occupancy sensors in the less used areas of the Union, such as the toilets

and stairwells, as opposed to the leaving them constantly on which seems to the norm.

y A full time sabbatical is to be given envir onmental responsibilities as part of their official

remit to assist the Ethical and Environmental Officer.

y Larger, more efficient heaters need to be placed in office spaces to replace the inefficient

electric portable heaters. If this is not possible, as a minimum short-term solution they

should be replaced with more efficient oil models.

y The two over door heaters should also be phased out as they are a great waste of energy.

As a bare minimum there use should be carefully monitored and only used at criti cal

junctions in the year.

y A procurement policy is put into place to act as guidelines for all future purchases within

USSU, both the Union and the Company. This would apply to not just day -to-day purchases

but also to all future refits. This would help e nsure that environmental considerations are

always taken into account and should ensure that older inefficient models will be gradually

replaced with newer efficient ones. Again, someone would need to be given responsibility

to ensure this is carried through.

y All relevant environmental legislation is compiled and accessible to all within the Union. A

member of staff/sabbatical officer/committee should be given responsibility to make sure

the Union complies to all existing and future legislation.


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y To formally create an environmental committee with a strong remit in order to follow up

on any Union policy passed and to assist in reaching any targets set whilst holding officers

to account if they fail to comply.

y Reviewing the life cycles and maintenance costs of the mini buses. Currently, they are old

models, which need constant and expensive maintenance. It is likely that by purchasing

new minibuses, the Union will actually save money in the long term in higher fuel efficiencyand running costs.

Long Term/High Cost

y Currently, the Union has its own sub transformer running at 240V. This is an un -necessary

amount and can be reduced down to 216V. Though this will take a substantial cost to put

in place, it will reduce energy consumption on all items that run off the mains and will cut

energy consumption dramatically, with little or no consequence to the appliances.

y A full and comprehensive review of the Falmer House building with the view of

refurbishment. This includes; looking into double -glazing, or an alternative equivalent,

insulation, both cavity and ceilings, adequate draft excluders and a total review of the

heating system in place with a more flexible and efficient building wide system. This is

likely to prove difficult due to listing status and have high sta rt up costs, however it is here

that will produce the largest long-term savings.

y Move towards sustainable generation of our utilities. These include and are not exclusive

too; wind turbines, solar panels, rain water collection, rocket composter, geothermal heat

collection. These projects are already under way in other unions up and down the country

and are possible when institutions are serious about environmental issues. As above, these

may have large start up costs, but will reduce energy consumption and waste and in the

long term will pay for themselves.

Conclusion

It is clear from the audit and its recommendations that USSU and the University both have a lot to

gain by forming closer links to work towards making a greener and more environmentally friendl y

campus. Students, sabbaticals, staff and management coordinating and working together will

produce the best results, not just within the Union, but in raising awareness and helping push the

environmental agenda beyond our campus.

Environmental Audit for Sussex

Documents

Transcript of Environmental Audit for Sussex