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green schools & universities section green renovations

G r e e n O p p o r t u n i t i e sExisting buildings are a key componentin making a campus sustainable.B y Susan HaifleighSalem State College, Salem , Mas s., is tracking sustain ability on campus

The significance of greenbuitding initiatives on col-lege campuses is becom-ing increasingly evident.Sustainable facilities are areality and even a neces-sity for forward thinkingschools. Many campuseshave established an of-fice of sustainability; morethan 600 presidents of U . S .higher -educa t ion ins t i -tutions have signed theAm erican College & Uni-versity P residents' ClimateCommitment (ACUPCC),which pledges that theywill create a plan to achieveclimate neutrality as soonas possible.Prospective studentsalso are considering sus-

university to attend. Andmore donors and alumniare asking that their do-nations be earmarked tomake campuses greener orto develop courses aroundenvi ronmenta l sus ta in -ability.Much of the buzzaround green buildings hascentered on new construc-tion. But the inventoryof existing buildings farexceeds that of new con-struction. According to the

U . S . Green Building Coun-c i l , existing buildings inthe United States accountfor 36 percent of total en-ergy use and 65 percent ofelectricity consumption.They make up 3 0 percent of

output, totaling 136 mil-lion tons annually.Making existing build-ings more sustainable iscritical to achieving large-scale environmental ben-efits. Sustainability initia-tives in existing buildingsalso promote significantbusiness benefits, rangingfrom enhanced productiv-ity to operational savings.But how can an institu-tion effectively evaluate itssustainability options andfocus its "green" dollarswhere they will have thegreatest effect?

G r e e n a s s e s s m e n tThe first step in identi-

an objective evaluation ofa college or university's ex-isting level of sustainabilityand its options tor change,including estimated costsand potential benefits.Examining all these ar-eas holisticallyideally

within the context of over-all facility improvementneedscan help schoolsidentify economies of scaleand bundle the resultingprojects most cost-effec-tively. These categories in-clude energy efficiency, wa-ter conservation, indoor airand environmental quality,materials and construction,and site sustainability:For schools looking toroll out green programs

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green schools & universities sectiongreen renovationsefficiency. This is becausemore effective energy usecan deliver the greatestcost savings. An evalua-tion of energy performance,including electrical andmechanical systems andthe potential for renew-able energy sources, shouldidentify recommendationsfor reducing opera ting andconsumption costs and de-creasing emissions. In somecases, the savings cap turedthrough improvements canbe used to pay for otherlonger-term sustainabilityinitiatives.

Wate r consumpt ionand treatment and the im-pact on discharge systems,as well a s campus water-usepractices, also should be as-sessed to identify opportu-nities to increase efficiency,reduce waste and improvewater conservation. Install-ing water-flow controls onfaucet and flush systemsor capturing rainwater forcampus landscaping for ir-rigation are some examplesof water-saving initiatives.

I n d o o r a i r q u a l i t y ,lighting quality and ther-mal comfort also are im-portant elements of sus-tainability. An acceptableamount of fresh air pro-vided through a building'sHVAC system is importantto the health of all buildingoccupants . El iminat ingozone-depleting gases fromHVAC, refrigeration andfire-suppression systemsis critical to the integrityof the atmosphere. Bring-ing natural light into theinterior of a building candecrease energy use andenhance productivity.

green initiatives can saveschools money. Campusescan reduce waste asso-ciated with building op-erations and maintenance;establish recycling andconservat ion programs;and carry out enhancedwaste-management prac-tices. The availability ofconstruction materials thathave recycled content orare harvested from sus-tainable sources is growingsignificantly. Products sucha s flooring, wood pro ducts,s t ruc tu ra l - s t ee l compo-nents or roofing materialscan be obtained at pricescomparable to their tradi-tional counterparts.

Schools can identifyexterior opportunities forpromoting more sustain-able campuses by assessingways to employ exteriorlighting more effectively;altering landscaping toprotnote native species andreduce erosion; and mak-ing better use of storm-water runoff. It also is im-portant to reduce or protectiarge surface masses sucbas parking lots and roofingsystems that absorb andconcentrate large amountsof heat and affect a site'smicro-climate.

C a p i t a l p l a n n i n gWith detailed informa-tion about the costs andbenefits of potential greeninvestments, colleges anduniversities can evaluatewhich initiatives will pro-vide the greatest benefitsover the short and long

term . Each school will havedifferent financial goals.

A l e a d i n g e x a m p l eThe "2007 Kiwi Green College Report" named the top 50schools that "w ill he lp your kids help the p lanet," and SalemState College, Salem, Mass., wa s on e of tho se 5 0 . The collegehas shown leadership by undertaking a ground-breakingapproach to tracking sustainabi l i ty on campus.

Stephen Keyes, director of campus development, andThomas O sborne, director of sustainability, saw value in co mb in-ing the college's traditional facility condition assessments withgreen initiatives that wo uld help the campus m eet the Ame ricanCollege & University Presidente' Climate Commitment

The col lege wasn't sett ing aside funding for specif icgreen ini t iat ives, but adm inistrators fel t it was im porta nt tosingle out projects and costs that could enhance campussustainability.

"We have positioned ourselves to be first in line when thefunding becomes avai lable, and the best way to accomplishthat was to know where we stand currently, what we wantto undertake and how much it will cost," says Keyes.

Working with i ts exist ing faci l i t ies group and a consult-ing team, Salem State establ ished a special ly trained greenassessment team to identi fy potential green opportunit ies,and conventiona l operations and maintenan ce needs si-multaneously. Tbis approach minimized deployment costs,and the result ing data helped the scbool set i ts conven-tional cap ital fund ing and plann ing goals, as weil as i ts sus-tainabi l i ty goals. By wo rkin g on one p ort io n of i ts existingbui ldin g portfo l io at a t im e, i t has been able to minim izethe upfront investment and maximize tbe effectiveness ofthe dol lars spent witb a better decisionmaking process.

As Salem State conducts bui lding assessments in thefuture, i t wi l l be able to bui ld upo n tbe founda tion providedby the green assessment.

many other capital andoperational investmentsfor systems renewal, build-ing renovations and newconstruction. Schools maysingle out sustainabilityimprovemen ts for analysis,but those investments mustbe assessed in the contextof overall ca mpu s needs.As schools make prog-ressand s e e resuitstheymay decide to pursue addi-tional greening opportuni-ties. Further assessmentsmay be conducted, for ex-ample, in support of majorbuilding renovations or

large-scale master-plann ingprograms. By combining

quirements across a build-ing portfolio, colleges anduniversities can developa holistic view of facilityneeds. Haifleigh is director ofsustainability solutions atBoston-based V F A , I n c . , aprovider of solutions forfacilities capital planning andasset management. S h e canbe reached at shaifleighvfa.com.

WEB 101For more art icles on how togo green at your school oruniversity, sustainable designp r a c t i c e s a n d p l a n n i n gfor energy-ef f ic iency, v is i t

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