High Performance Facilities

“Are we embracing the challenge of sustainability?”

E. Lander Medlin, EVP, APPANovember 3, 2005

PURPOSE

“To focus on high performance facilities in the broader context of

environmental sustainability and the shift in thinking and action needed in higher education, its operations and

practices.”

What we will cover: What is sustainability? Why is sustainability even more

important today? Highlight effective & innovative

“greening” practices, the associated cost savings, & funding approaches.

Identify basic design elements of high performance facilities; their cost/benefit.

Discuss importance of these operational activities to the educational experience.

Definition of SUSTAINABILITY:

“Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,”

“We must seek to mimic the way nature operates!”

“Sustainability: It’s not just a pretty word, it’s a

sobering challenge; maybe the ultimate challenge!”

Understanding the Higher Education Market/ Industry

4,100 colleges & universities 15M students 3M faculty & staff 2% of U.S. Workforce $300B enterprise 3% of gross domestic product $20B Operations/Maintenance and

Energy/Utilities, alone $14B Construction projects estimated

annually

Understanding Higher Education Facilities 240,000 existing buildings Comprising 5B sf of floor space Median age – 32 years Current Replacement Value - $500B Deferred Maintenance backlog - $26B ALL types of facilities/spaces

“Like managing a small city or municipality!”

Buildings consume our precious natural resources: 1/6th freshwater withdrawals 1/4th world’s wood harvest 1/3rd of all energy in U.S. 2/3rd of all electricity generated in

U.S.

Buildings are a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions: 49% of sulfur dioxide emissions 35% of CO2 emissions 25% of nitrous oxide emissions 10% of particulate emissions Construction alone generates 136M tons

of waste per year

Buildings: “A chief pollutant blamed for climate change.”

Buildings have a significant negative impact on the environment based on: Systemic design failures Poor engineering Choice of materials & manner used

(most energy & materials originate in the “natural” world)

Inefficient technologies & operations Little relationship to life cycle

environmental impacts

WHY SHOULD WE CARE? Fits with

culture and values of campus (64%)

Good public relations (47%)

Cost effective (41%)

Student recruitment (17%)

What have we been doing? Upgrade lighting

efficiency (81%) Reduce use of

hard paper copies (69%)

Use native plants (51%)

Start micro-scale labs (43%)

Restore habitat (36%)

Specify recycled with high post-consumer content (25%)

What are we doing today? Smarter Transportation Practices:

Adequate and protected bike racks (59%) Free or discounted bus passes for

students (23%) and/or staff Carpooling programs (17%) Incentives not to drive alone (13%) Bicycle lanes (13%) All reducing need for new parking/ roads

CURBING EMISSIONS & COSTS

CU eliminated 750 parking spaces and 1,500 car trips per day offering student bus passes saving $8,000/space

Cornell commuters drive 10 million fewer miles annually; reducing CO2 by 6.7 million pounds

Madison, WI used UW-M to assist in solving violation of Clean Air Act

What are we doing today? Improving Energy Efficiency &

Conservation: SUNY-Buffalo Tulane University

CUTTING CARBON?

Over 300 energy conservation projects at SUNY-Buffalo

Save $9 million annually

Reduce CO2 by over 63 million pounds annually

All with help of 200 Building Conservation Coordinators (BCCs)

Using Energy Star rated appliances, this model dorm room saves $130/room (times 1700 rooms!)

Student-created leadership position, Environmental Coordinator

Tulane’s Energy Star Dorm Room

What are we doing today? Purchasing Renewable Energy:

Colorado University, Boulder Georgetown University

USING RENEWABLES? CU Students vote

to increase tuition by $1/semester

Purchase output of a wind turbine

Power 3 student buildings

Reduce CO2 by 1,400 tons/year

Renewables Georgetown University,

Intercultural Center, uses large solar array to produce 10% of building’s needs, saving $45,000 annually and reducing CO2 emissions

What are we doing today? Curbing Water Waste & Restoring

Habitat: Brown University Mesa Community College

CURBING H20 WASTE?

Students at Brown U audit residences Replace 750 showerheads Save the university $45,800

annually Reduce water consumption by

over 12.6 million gallons annually

RESTORING HABITAT?Before and After at Mesa Community College, AZ

OTHER HABITAT EXAMPLES Nebraska Wesleyan

restores native prairie grasses

St. Olaf College restores wetland

Ohio State University constructs river wetland

Mesa Community College replaces turf with native flora

Texas A&M students study wetland cells

University of Florida restores a wetland

What are we doing today? Recycling Efforts/ Curbing Waste:

MIT Various materials & percentages recycled:

83% high grade paper 78% low grades 80% cardboard 87% aluminum 50% glass 47% plastic 49% food 48% construction waste

Recycling Efforts

When the facilities staff teamed up with students, it achieves results and students learn

MIT increases use of post-consumer paper from 5-64% percent of campus

As you can see, environmental

improvements also save our institution’s money!

Elements of High Performance Facilities Sustainable design IS about…

Improving public health & reducing environmental impacts

Maximizing energy efficiency & conserving natural resources

Integrating technology & common sense into building design

Incorporating sustainability issues throughout the design process

Involving key stakeholders in all phases of the process

Elements of High Performance Facilities Sustainable design IS NOT about…

Adding green elements to an existing process

Focusing only on design elements Relying solely on technological

solutions Focusing on environmental issues at

the expense of occupants, health & safety

Elements of High Performance Facilities

What can sustainable design do for you? Reduce capital costs Lower operating & maintenance costs Increase occupant productivity, lower

absenteeism, & improve employee job satisfaction

Minimize exposure to toxic emissions

Elements of High Performance Facilities

Building design, appropriate technologies, siting, land use, materials, equipment, construction methods, and operations & maintenance practices all contribute to a building’s sustainability. Use LEED (USGBC established guidelines &

rating system for green buildings) Use “Building Blocks” of High Performance

School Buildings (developed by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council)

“Building Blocks” of High Performance Facilities

Acoustic comfort Commissioning Daylighting Durability Energy analysis tools Energy-efficient

building shell Environmentally

preferable materials & products

Environmentally responsive site planning

High-performance HVAC

High-performance electric lighting

Life Cycle cost analysis Renewable energy Safety & Security Superior IAQ Thermal comfort Visual comfort Water efficiency

Green construction addresses challenges such as: Growing costs of transmission & distribution

congestion Reduced energy demand (from slowing

dependence on natural gas markets) Cut pollution Meet emission reductions targets Improved quality of education environment Superior health & comfort & work

environment Enhance productivity & competitiveness

Perception

Green buildings are substantially more costly than conventional design and not worth the extra cost.

FACTS Average premium for green buildings is

slightly less than 2% or $3-5/sqft Average annual cost of energy in buildings

is about $2/sqft Green buildings use 30% less energy More likely to generate 2% power on-site Therefore, 30% reduced consumption at

$0.08/kwh electric price is equivalent to $0.30/sqft/yr (20 yr NPV = $5/sqft)

(NOT accounting for environmental & health costs associated with air pollution & fossil fuel use)

Case Studies Mueller Building at Penn State “Green Building Costs & Financial

Benefits” report of 33 LEED buildings (State of Massachusetts) by G. H. Kats

Harvard’s Revolving Loan Fund for Sustainability Projects

Financial Benefits Energy & water savings Reduced waste Improved indoor environmental quality Greater employee comfort &

productivity Reduced employee health costs Lower operations & maintenance costs

“It’s no longer “green” design – it’s just “good” design!”

Why should we lead the way? Education role for current & future

leaders Collective purchasing power Collective environmental impacts Setting an example/ social

responsibility

Why should we lead the way?

Not a problem in education;It is of education.

Must not only see ourselves in the community;

Must see ourselves of the community.

“We cannot solve the significant problems we face today at the same level of

thinking in which they were created.”

(Einstein)

Strategy

Requires an approach that is interdependent & integrated, conscious & visible; linking all organizations’ & operations’

sustainability efforts to the formal curriculum;communicating

everything we’re doing to everyone.

Conclusion New paradigm New strategy/approach Collective change; synergistic effect

“What we do individually will never come close to the impact and influence we can have collectively.”

SEBESTA BLOMBERGProviding Technical & Business Solutions

Don’t Ever Give Up!