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CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY UPDATES.

ADVANCING SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS & SUSTAINABILITY

Community partnerships are regarded as a critical

metric of sustainability including, those for cam-

pus sustainability programs. More and more em-

phasis is being placed on this metric to advance

both universities’ internal and external communi-

ties’ goals through cooperation, resource sharing

and allocation and collaboration. The expected

outcome for all parties is capacity building. Ca-

pacity building helps all parties to be more sus-

tainable in the face of local and global change,

therefore, fostering resiliency.

USGBC Workshops

In February 2014, MSU looked outward to the

United States Green Building Council (USGBC)

NJ Chapter to build its capacity in its quest to up-

grade a wide sector of its campus population ca-

pabilities and knowledge concerning green build-

ings. Currently there are two new campus build-

ings that are being constructed under LEED silver

certification standards. They are the Center for

Environmental and Life Sciences and The School

of Business. The University partnered with the

USGBC and the MSU student chapter of the

USGBC to host two (2) professional development

workshops on campus for a variety of University

Facilities staff, including managers, academia,

and both graduate and undergraduate students.

There were also external professional participants

from various localities in NJ who were involved

in aspects of design and construction or other rel-

evant careers. In total, approximately 120 persons

were in attendance at both workshops. According

to an evaluation survey of the participants, the

various percentages reveal their main reasons for

attending the 201: Core Concepts & Strategies

Examination Preparation Course and the LEED

BD+C 301: Implementing the Building Design +

Construction LEED Rating System course. The

results are as follows:

1. Support on green building project (26.8%) 2. Exam preparation (70.7%) 3. Continuing Education Requirements (7.32%) 4. Interest in Green building (58.5%) 5. Meet employer requirements (7.32%) 6. Other (19.5%)

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Workshop participants at the LEED 201 Core Concepts & Strategies Course in February 2014 pictured above .


There was overwhelming agreement that the

workshops were a resounding success. As can be

seen from the figures, participants’ interests

mainly lay in getting prepared for the LEED

Green Associates examination, which is a prelim-

inary to the more advanced professional LEED

AP accreditation. Upgrading their knowledge

about green buildings was also paramount to the

attendees. Additionally 7.32% viewed this as a

great opportunity to meet continuing education

requirements for their chosen careers such as ar-

chitecture. Apart from the foundational scientific,

economic, environmental and social constructs

that underlie the LEED courses, they provided an

in depth understanding of the rating systems.

The mutually beneficial partnership has enabled

both MSU and the USGBC to advance their sus-

tainability goals. The USGBC obtained two NJ

Department of Labor and Workforce Develop-

ment grants to upgrade NJ workforce’s skills and

knowledge to give them a competitive edge in the

market place. In this manner, they are fostering a

sustainable workforce. Also, in the face of the

rapid and complex changes owing to climate

change, newly constructed and retrofitted build-

ings have to conform to sustainability principles

while being fully equipped with technological yet

earth friendly capabilities to be resilient to these

changes. MSU’s pertinent workers, staff and stu-

dents will be more fully equipped to meet critical

demands required of a sustainable workforce. The

potential graduates will also be better able to meet

societal demands for professionals who are more

apt to meet targeted sustainability needs in perti-

nent industries.

MSU Launches New Composting Initiative

An aerobic Rocket composter was purchased

through a grant obtained from the New Jersey De-

partment Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

through the Department of Environmental Health

and Safety in 2011.

A composter training and demonstration session

was held at Bergen Community College in New

Jersey in January 2014 for interested stakeholders

from various entities. The participants comprised

of Non Profits, academia and administration per-

sonnel from colleges engaged and interested com-

posting, including MSU, municipal officials and

any other interested persons. Overall, there were

approximately 60 persons in attendance. A second

training and start up demonstration session for the

MSU staff, academia and a representative from

Montclair’s municipality Brownfield Commission

was held on Friday April 4, 2014.


A MSU Workshop participant listens attentively to presentation on economic metrics for a composting program at Bergen Community College, NJ


A Ribbon cutting ceremony and demonstration of

the unit is scheduled for April 2014.

For the project, all related parties, including SO-

DEXO have high expectations for their goals

achievements. In addition to cost saving econom-

ic benefits there are many more social and envi-

ronmental benefits derived from diverting food

waste from landfills and composting it. (See

http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/ for infor-

mation on these benefits). Whereas a former ex-

isting aerobic in vessel composter (that has since

been taken out of operation) had a composting

capacity of two (2) tons /year, the Rocket com-

poster is expected to compost approximately 20

tons of food waste annually through this food

waste program. Additionally, only one (1) food

service area was being serviced through the for-

mer program. Under the new initiative, food

waste will be received from all the food service

areas.

The Rocket composter is an upgrade from the

former existing type. The composter will com-

post all food waste (including uncooked meat and

dairy) from food service areas and yard waste.

Paper napkins will not allowed in the composter

because the chemicals used in the paper manu-

facturing process may harm the composting bac-

teria. It will be operated under a partnership with

University Facilities, the food supplier SODEXO

and academia. Students will be actively involved

and will be able to have hands on experience con-

cerning the composting process through a new

sustainability science course implemented in

Spring 2014. The project will provide valuable

onsite research, teaching and learning opportuni-

ties.

More information about the aerobic Rocket com-

poster can be seen at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnpkrdVi4


The Operation of the Rocket composter at MSU being demonstrated by vendor to attendees on April 4, 2014


BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM AND

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY

Building Automation Services works with other

Facilities groups on campus to utilize technology

with the goals of reducing energy use, providing

excellent customer service, and lowering mainte-

nance costs while providing a high level of air

quality and occupant comfort. Building Automa-

tion Systems (BAS) utilize Programmable Logic

Controllers (PLC) and microprocessor based

computers to monitor and control the mechanical

building systems and components that heat, light,

cool and ventilate the campus buildings. These

systems network together several electronically

controlled devices all of which can be operated

from one front end computer interface. At

Montclair State University, several of these com-

puters are located and accessed from the newly

formed BAS Command Center in the Mainte-

nance Building.

Direct Digital Control (DDC) is at the core of

building automation systems. DDC is utilized to

measure the temperature in a room and report

back to the central system when any deviation

from the established set point occurs. DDC car-

ries out the functions to make adjustments to fans,

heating valves and other terminal equipment to

correct the deviation. DDC also allows heat re-

covery equipment to capture energy for heating or

cooling from air prior to the air being exhausted

out of the building, thereby reducing the amount

of energy required to condition (heat or cool) any

outside air coming into the building through the

supply system.

The first installation of building automation on

campus was in 1981 and the systems have been

renovated and grown to 34 buildings including

residence halls, the Recreation Center, Dumont

TV Studio, Cali School of Music, and many aca-

demic buildings. Our automation partners include

companies such as Automated Logic Corp., John-

son Controls Inc., and Schneider Electric.


Campus map showing the buildings utilizing the BAS monitoring system


BAS is an important tool to aid in the Universi-

ty’s Facilities goal to increase energy efficiency,

reduce the carbon footprint, lower utility and op-

erating costs, while maintaining a healthier and

safer environment. We strive to maintain build-

ing temperature within an established range and

provide data collection for performance review

an established range and provide data collection

for performance review. Building Automation

Services provides round the clock management

of HVAC systems and maintains critical alarm

points on the equipment we monitor. These auto-

mated alarms are one way Building Automation

Services provides better customer service

through reduced response time for incidents.

The use of thermographic color floor plans, alarm

reporting and management, and flexibility in

scheduling allows facilities staff to quickly identi-

fy problem areas, draft a solution and implement

an action plan to correct energy ineffiencies in

equipment or potential customer comfort issues.

Building Automation Services works with various

departments and groups on campus and develops

partnerships for energy conservation projects.

One such recent partnership was a project to de-

velop Decision Support System (DSS) with the

goal of increasing energy efficiency in the Uni-

versity Data Center and green computing. The

partnership involved the Department of Computer

Science, PSE&G Institute for Sustainable Studies,

campus Electrical Services, our automation part-

ner Automated Logic Corp. and Building Auto-

mation Services. This partnership established sub

-metering of all energy consumed by the entire

Data Center based in University Hall. The build-

ing automation system monitors and records the

temperatures, humidity levels, and meters the

kWh energy use for the data center.

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting

are some of the largest users of energy in our

buildings. BAS software can control these and

other systems to provide more efficient use of en-

ergy. One of the great qualities of any good BAS


Thermographic floor plans


is the ability to shut equipment off when not

needed. Whether lighting or air conditioning,

when spaces are unoccupied the largest energy

savings comes from cycling off unnecessary en-

ergy users. Building Automation Services works

with building occupants to appropriately sched-

ule a building’s heating, cooling and ventilation

equipment based on when the building will be

used and to set back temperatures and lighting

controls when not in use, resulting in considera-

ble energy savings. Building Automation is able

to lower building temperatures and conserve en-

ergy during the holiday break periods when clas-

ses are not is session and residences are not occu-

pied.

Another source of energy savings is in the use of

Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV). DCV is

proper and minimal control of outside air require-

ments. It provides the necessary indoors air

changes for health and comfort of occupants

while minimizing re-heating and pre-cooling of

air that drive up utility costs. When seasonal

weather permits, free cooling is enabled. Cycling

the equipment also reduces maintenance costs

and extends equipment life. When buildings are

occupied BAS maintains a measured comfort lev-

el, even temperatures and lighting levels that re-

duce electricity waste. Greater comfort levels

also reduce customer complaints and lead to a

more productive academic environment.

Energy reporting and metering provides facility

management with the ability to track energy de-

mand and consumption. Management is able to

cut costs and increase efficiency and comfort lev-

els in buildings. BAS are powerful tools to assist

curtailing energy use through load shedding and

demand limiting software.

Building automation systems could have sensors

that read available natural light levels and allow

artificial sources to be cycled off when not in use.

Occupancy sensors cycle off the lights when no

one is present in a room and promptly relight

when someone enters. Using the BAS capabili-

ties is part of Facilities goal to continue to utilize

the advancements of automation technology to

enhance the development of green buildings on

campus and continue to reduce the carbon foot-

print of our buildings. We are researching the

possibility of being able to provide public dash-

board displays to show campus and building ener-

gy usage in real time. Kiosks that display a visual

window of the energy use in a building will track

the campus commitment to sustainability and

identify further potential energy savings.



GREENING MSU’S DATA CENTER

The Building Automation System software men-

tioned previously enables energy monitoring of

the data center through installation of energy sub

meters. Because of this venture, a research pro-

ject has been utilizing this capability to monitor

the energy use in the data center located in Uni-

versity Hall with the intent to increase energy

efficiency utilization in the data center. The pro-

ject is funded in part by a grant and by MSU. Sub

-metering in the data center is especially critical

because the advent of big data implies more de-

mand on these data centers. Data analysis reveals

that on an average 5,500 kWh is consumed on a

daily basis by the data center. This translates to

2,700,500kWh annually (The Green IT Project,

2014).

The sub-metering project has facilitated the inno-

vative establishment of a Decision Support Tool

(DSS), which is an interactive tool available

online. The tool enables improvement of deci-

sions regarding energy consumption. The DSS

tool is the work of a team of MSU professors and

undergraduates students in the Computer Science

Department and, Michael Pawlish, a Ph.D. candi-

date in the Environmental Management program.

Mr. Pawlish said the assessed factors that are like-

ly to impact energy efficiency in the server sec-

tion of the data center include air quality - tem-

perature and relative humidity. Apart from the

obvious energy savings that will result from con-

trolling temperature and humidity, control of

these variables are also important because exces-

sive humidity will cause equipment damage and

excessive dryness can result in static electricity

concerns. According to Mr. Pawlish, there are 22

monitoring stations in the data center and the tem-

peratures for about 90% of these locations are

within the normal range of the American Society

of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning

Engineers (ASHRAE) 2008 guidelines. Regard-

ing relative humidity, the values lie within the

normal range of the guidelines.


Diagram depicting the process of free cooling in the Cali School of Music


The Power Usage Effectiveness value (PUE), an

energy efficient ratio, of the equipment in the Da-

ta Center lays around 2. For Data Centers that

maintain high efficiency, the value is 1.2. This

indicates that there is still room for improvement

in the Center. Therefore, efforts continue to

achieve higher efficiency

The project reveals that the outcome of tempera-

ture monitoring in server rooms on MSU’s cost

savings through switching to direct cooled air

glycol is an estimated $4,435.20 resulting from a

consumption of 31,680 kWh annually. Providing

the two server rooms take advantage of free cool-

ing, it a possible for MSU to achieve an estimat-

ed cost savings of $10,442.88, through

74,592kWh consumption. This accounts for a

cost savings of 3% in energy consumption.

See The Green IT Project, 2014 for more infor-

mation: http://www.cs.montclair.edu/~greenit/

SUSTAINABILITY READING CORNER

Topic: Reducing Climate Risk with Natural

Infrastructure

This report from The Nature Conservancy Cali-

fornia highlights case studies in California in

which natural methods were used to mitigate

flood risks, soil erosion among others, by working

with natural processes and the physical landscape.

It further highlights a cost benefit analysis ap-

proach of each case study and a comparative anal-

ysis of the green infrastructure strategies utilized

for each case as opposed to use of its gray coun-

terpart. “Gray infrastructure refers to traditional

practices for storm water management and

wastewater treatment, such as pipes and sewers.

Green infrastructure refers to sustainable pollu-

tion reducing practices that also provide other

ecosystem services” (EPA, 2013).

Source; http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/

regions/northamerica/unitedstates/california/ca-

green-vs-gray-report-2.pdf


Figure 2: Initiatives and their carbon reduction metrics

APRIL— JUNE 2014 VOL # 1 ISSUE #2

.

HOW IS MSU DOING IN ITS’ CARBON REDUCTION DRIVE?

Figures 1 and 2 (below) display MSU’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint through a series of initiatives.

For the reporting period from 2010 – 2013, Figure 1 shows that MSU’s sustainability initiatives resulted in

a significant reduction of MTCO2e.

Figure 2 shows that the largest reductions occurred in the alternate energy area. This is due largely to the

combined onsite heat and energy cogeneration plant (429,251.4 MTCO2e) and onsite solar energy to a less-

er extent. The transportation initiative is responsible for the next largest reduction (757,87 MTCO2e) be-

cause the fleet consists of some Gasoline/Ethanol, alternate fuel, electric vehicles, and two (2) smart way

transporters. The fact that there is infrastructure for biking is also an important factor.


Figure 1: Carbon reduction trend for years 2010 – 2013

445.4 1674.8

719.11622.6

429251.4

75787

101.5

1008.2

Landscaping MTCO2e

Transportation MTCO2e

Energy Conservation MTCO2e

Water ConservationMTCO2e

Alternative Energy MTCO2e

Solid Waste MTCO2e

Green Procurement MTCO2e

Electronics Recycling MTCO2e

MSU,s Initiatives Carbon Reduction 2010 - 2013MSU,s Initiatives Carbon Reduction 2010 - 2013

APRIL— JUNE 2014 VOL # 1 ISSUE #2


Amy Ferdinand

Director, Environmental Health & Safety

Montclair State University

1 Normal Ave

Montclair, New Jersey 07043

973-655-4000 http://www.montclair.edu/facilities/

C ontributors Kevin Johnson Supervisor, University Facilities, MSU Michael Pawlish PhD Candidate in Environmental Management Earth & Environmental Studies Department, MSU

P repared by Shevon Letang Ph.D. Sustainability Coordinator Department of Environmental Health & Safety

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