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College Auditorium Earns LEED Silver

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The largest classroom at Connecticut College earned LEED Silver certification after the completion of remodeling work.

Bill Hall’s Silfen Auditorium, which seats up to 150 people, was renovated in 2008 and brought up to date with tools for interactive teaching and learning, officials said.

"Our goal with all new construction projects on campus is to improve the learning environment while also working to reduce the College’s environmental impact," Vice President for Administration Ulysses Hammond, who oversees campus construction, said. "We want to maintain the College’s position as a model for environmental stewardship and as a resource for environmental education."

The classroom is named in honor of David and Lyn Gordon Silfen, alumni of the class of 1967, who funded the renovation.

KBE Building Corp. served as the construction manager of the project, with Ellenzweig Associates as the designer.

The auditorium is one of the few campus locations that can accommodate a large group and is also used for special events, community presentations and lectures, according to school officials.

Silfen Auditorium was one of the first major construction projects completed after the adoption of a college-wide green building policy in 2005.

A quarter of the total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials, and about half of the building materials were manufactured regionally.

The Forest Stewardship Council certified more than 95 percent of the total wood used for the project and 100 percent of the applicable equipment is Energy Star-rated.

All adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, carpets, furniture and seating are low-emitting materials that reduce indoor air contaminants and more than 63 percent of the construction waste generated on site was diverted from landfills, school officials reported.

The College has also applied for LEED certification for its 10,000-square-foot fitness center, which opened in 2009.

Construction also began this month on the school’s new Science Center, which includes a complete renovation of the college’s oldest building and a large addition, with hopes for LEED certification for the entire project.

"Connecticut College is committed to long-term sustainability, and we are proud to have our green building practices recognized," said Connecticut College President Leo Higdon. "Silfen Auditorium is an important learning space in our community, and its renovation has served as a model for other environmentally-sensitive construction projects on campus."

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University Solar Fields on the Rise

University campuses are often the hotspot of new trends — ones that come in all shape and form. One of the latest trends is an increasing number of solar energy fields hosted by universities, made possible by a number of supporting factors.

At Colorado State University, a solar electric system is up and running, according to Carol Dollard, energy engineer at the school.

About four years ago, the school was approached by a third party power producer with a project idea to take advantage of state rebates and incentives. Though it missed the first bid, a second bid was approved, which allowed the university, to build the first two megawatt system in 2010, the maximum amount allowed at the time.

Financing was conducted through Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, the Spain-based, independent power producer that owns and operates the field, with the agreement that the university will buy the energy with renewable energy credits.

“It’s very affordable for the university,” she said. “We get to host a solar plant on our site without any capital investment.”

In fall 2009, limits for permitted wattage increased, leading the school to return to the developer to request an expansion for a second phase.

The second of the two phases was completed in December 2010. With 23,000 thousand solar panels and 10 inverters made by local power and control technology manufacturer Advanced Energies, the completed project totals 5.3 megawatts over 30 acres.

FRV built the first phase with design and installation by international engineering and construction company AMEC. The field’s Wattsun single-axis tracking system was built by Array Technologies, and is designed to maximize solar electrical generation by following the path of the sun during the day for greater efficiency and energy production.

Phase two was constructed by Global Energy Services, an independent service provider. GES installed the solar panels on racks manufactured by Macapisa, according to a statement from the university.

The field is located on the Foothills Campus of Colorado State, the agricultural center of the campus.

Dollard said universities make for good locations to host solar fields due to their long-term partnership abilities.

The purchase agreement allows the investor to receive money back only after 20 years. Due to this, the investment must provide a significant, steady revenue over a long period of time, similar to low-income housing, she said.

“Universities, we tend to have real estate and we’re the one who have 30 acres to spare, especially on an agricultural campus,” she said. “We’ve got the real estate and we’re not going away, we’re here for the long term and that makes us attractive to investors. They revert to the university and in the meantime, the investor who put millions on the table to build it is recouping the revenue stream.”

Dollard said that although the solar field installation was painless, the first round of legal contracts were not.

“It’s not hard to design a plant that works — there are certain things you have to have and then it just works,” she said. “But the legal contracts, we’ve never done a power purchase agreement. We’ve done site leases for research partners, where there’s a building or something tangible. But how does that work with solar panels? It was more just educating people and bringing them up to speed.”

While the first round took three months to negotiate, the second phase took just three days, she said.

“By securing solar power through a power purchase agreement rather than major capital investment, Colorado State University is benefiting from a renewable energy system that is very cost-effective,” said Jose Benjumea, president of FRV. “This collaborative effort serves as an example of how successful public-private partnerships can help universities and other public institutions make the most of financing, including tax credits and other incentives available for solar energy.”

University of Arizona

At the University of Arizona, plans include not just a solar field, but a solar zone that incorporates various solar technologies as a forum for research.

Bruce Wright, associate vice president at the University of Arizona, said the solar zone had many different origins.

“First and foremost, the University of Arizona as a research university has been very active in solar energy and renewable energy research,” he said. “We have a natural interest in this area of development of a research park that lends itself to solar research.”

School officials contemplated ways to make the park available to university research and inventions. About three and a half years ago, the school was approached by BP, who was looking for a site for a large solar farm in the Southwest. Though they decided to go elsewhere, it gave the school the idea to develop the area.

Currently, the project is going through phases of development with partner utility company Tucson Electric Power.

“It’s multi-dimensional in the sense that we’re looking at a comprehensive integration approach of research, distribution, education, and public demonstration,” Wright said.

The first stage involves demonstrating different solar energy technologies, with six different projects coming in, selected by Tucson Electric. The park is 13 miles from the main campus, and the zone will be built on 222 acres of the UA Tech Park’s 1,345 acres. Additional solar energy projects are being installed on the main campus as well.

John Grabo, director of business development at the university’s Office of University Research Parks, said solar fields at universities are becoming more common due in part to state laws.

“A lot of public universities are being directed to bring solar projects by their board of regents or state legislature as part of state policy,” Grabo said, adding that the Arizona Corporation Commission, which governs public utilities, mandates all universities to have a certain amount of energy in their portfolio.

“Research universities like ours are at the leading edge of this technology development,” he said. “Our faculty and students are engaged in discovering new photovoltaic materials, ways to build new arrays and integrate them into the grid, and how to store energy.”

Another driver in the development of solar fields is the recognition of the economic opportunity, he said.

“Renewable energy and, in our case, solar energy, has proven to be a growth industry because of geographic location and extremely good sun,” he said. “Combined with electrical engineering, atmospheric sciences and unique conversion, there’s economic gain for entire region. That’s really a big driver for us.”

Grabo said that while utility companies are being mandated to provide renewable sources, they don’t know which technology is the most economical and efficient.

“Having six companies demonstrate different technologies is beneficial for the utility company because they’re able to evaluate all these systems and control systems for future investments,” he said. “With that brings the research side — what are the new applications? You roll it all into one package, putting Tucson at the center of the solar conversation.”

Wright said universities have long played a role in advancing technology.

“If you look at the history of major technology development in the U.S., in almost every instance as a new technology starts to develop and roll out we’ve turned to universities to help with that process,” Wright said. “I think that’s what’s happening with solar projects.”

Despite solar energy being around for a long time, there are a number of challenges involved, he said.

“There’s a steep learning curve in trying to understand the dynamics of solar energy deployment — what are the economics of solar energy, how do you address land requirements and environmental issues, sort through commissions, etcetera?,” Wright said. “There are a lot of things that have to be learned.”

“We’re fortunate to have a forward looking utility, they’re helping us to overcome and work in tangent to provide solutions,” Grabo said. “It benefits the utilities and the ratepayers.”

In addition to renewable energy, the solar zone will also provide research opportunities for students and staff, internships with the partner companies and training for solar industry careers and management, Wright said.

Currently, there is a large demand for qualified workers, he said.

“We hope that as a result of helping to build this industry it will help to build jobs and this really impacts students,” he said. “We’re very excited about what we’re doing with our solar zone. We think we’ll be the largest multi-tech demonstration, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to bring our university to the forefront.”

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VS America Inc.

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Green School Retrofits

Sometimes the Greenest School is the One You Already Have

Just because you aren’t building green schools doesn’t mean you can’t make an existing school facility green.

Green schools don’t have to be new schools. By improving the operational efficiency and environmental performance of existing facilities, you can make the most of your school buildings and ensure that every student, teacher and staff member in your district can enjoy the health and performance benefits of a green school.

There is a lot of work to be done to deliver the greenest, healthiest, most cost-effective school buildings possible, but the payoff will be enormous. Greening your school buildings will significantly drive down operating costs while improving student and faculty comfort and productivity.

Unlike new construction, the greening of existing facilities is a journey, where success occurs through a series of incremental improvements to building performance, operational policies and maintenance practices. Your district has probably already set off down this path. If you have implemented a recycling program, introduced energy-efficiency practices or identified water-saving strategies, you are well on your way.

The LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) rating system provides a set of performance guidelines that can function as a roadmap for ongoing improvements to your building stock and operations and maintenance practices.

The rating system identifies and rewards current best practices and provides an outline for buildings to use less energy, water and natural resources; improve the indoor environment; and uncover operating inefficiencies.

The rating system addresses a building’s physical systems (equipment, design, land use, etc.) and the way the building is occupied and operated (waste management, temperature monitoring, cleaning, etc.). Although LEED certification is awarded to individual buildings, the majority of credits in the LEED-EB: O&M rating system involve sustainable programs, policies and plans that are best addressed at the district level.

When aligned with your capital improvements plan, building system upgrades will not incur new costs, and will instead take place during scheduled retrofits or renovations that have already been budgeted and approved.

When undertaking facility improvement projects, make sure that they meet the requirements set forth in the LEED-EB: O&M rating system.

Start Small

Consider identifying one or several school facilities to take part in a green existing schools pilot program and register the facilities for LEED certification. The lessons learned from the pilot will help to streamline the certification process for future schools and facilities.

One of the most important factors to consider when identifying the best candidates for a pilot program will be the building’s Energy Star rating. A building must achieve an Energy Star rating of at least 69 to be eligible for LEED-EB: O&M certification.

Determine the current energy performance rating of the schools in your district using EPA’s Portfolio Manager. Portfolio Manager is an interactive, online tool that allows you to track and assess energy and water consumption, performance and cost information for individual buildings and building portfolios. Based on monthly utility data entered into the online tool, Portfolio Manager will rate the current level of energy performance of your school buildings.

Even in a limited pilot scenario, navigating the greening process may seem overwhelming at first, but the U.S. Green Building Council’s new Toolkit for Green Existing Schools provides comprehensive guidance for schools and school districts that wish to green their existing facilities, realize measurable results and achieve LEED certification.

The toolkit, which includes a project management guide and a workbook with policy and planning templates will help you chart your course toward becoming a truly green district. Additional toolkit resources with online training modules will be available in 2010.

Rachel Gutter is director of the Education Sector of the U.S. Green Building Council.

A green schools toolkit and other green schools resources can be found here.

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Department of Energy

Releases Efficiency Publication

Districts with energy-efficiency maintenance and operations programs can save as much as 20 percent on energy bills — one of their most costly expenditures — without significant capital investment. That is money that can be spent on teachers, textbooks and technology.

Because strong operations and maintenance programs play such a vital role in school energy efficiency, the U.S. Department of Energy has released a new publication, “Guide to Operating and Maintaining Energy-Smart Schools.”

The free publication is designed to help districts and facility managers integrate energy-efficient practices into their operations and maintenance programs. The publication demonstrates how schools can become, or come closer to being, high-performance schools that improve the learning environment as they achieve maximum levels of energy performance.

Case studies featuring key aspects of energy-focused operations and management techniques are included throughout the guide, highlighting successes and lessons learned in large and small districts.

For example, a Colorado district participates in a utility partnership that rewards it with a 10 percent payback based on the amount of energy it saves. A Massachusetts district decreased energy consumption and vandalism through a lighting and security-system interface, and a New Jersey district saved more than $2,000 a month when its energy-monitoring software identified boilers that were not necessary.

Because the average U.S. school is more than 40 years old, particular attention is given to making preventative maintenance a priority.

The publication demonstrates how districts that integrate energy-efficient strategies into their operations and maintenance programs achieve savings and extend the life of their equipment while making school environments safer and more comfortable. The guide also includes energy-efficient considerations for planning new construction and major renovations.

Margo Appel is manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergySmart Schools Program.

U.S.Department of Energy

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Mesa State College Aims for LEED Gold Certification

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Mesa State College expects to receive LEED Gold certification for its new learning center, which recently won an award from the state’s energy provider and utilizes a ground source heating and cooling system.

Architecture firm HKS, with Design West, designed the $18 million, 60,000-square-foot building. Xcel Energy, supplier of electricity and natural gas in Colorado, hailed the project as the most energy efficient public building on the western slope of the Rockies.

“Xcel Energy partnered with Mesa State College to explore all potential energy-saving possibilities, taking into account historical energy usage for similar buildings,” says Tim Foster, president of Mesa State College. “We passed these suggestions onto HKS and Design West architects, who incorporated them into the building’s green design.”

The HVAC system incorporates a ground-coupled water source, unitary heat pump system for heating and cooling. A closed loop, hydronic heat pump pulls heat from the ground during the winter months and sends heat back underground in the summer months.

The college is in the process of building a new student residence hall and college center that will also utilize the geothermal heating and cooling system. The college hopes to retrofit the entire campus with the same system, according to officials.

The learning center was also planned with solar panels and waterless urinals to reduce carbon emissions and water consumption. The building’s orientation was a consideration for heating and cooling.

“The learning center is oriented north and south to promote energy efficiently and provide a seamless connection to the existing campus,” says Jack Yardley, principal designer with HKS. “The siting allows little to no direct sunlight during the summer, since half of the building is shaded. During the winter, the window-lined south side draws heat.”

In August 2008, Mesa State received the first Greening Colleges grant from the Green Building Initiative, a nonprofit organization that promotes the acceleration of green building practices.

The grant included free consulting services by GBI and free use of its Green Globes rating tool, an assessment protocol and guide for integrating environmentally friendly design into buildings.

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Clinton Initiative Pumps Greenhouse Gas Fight

WASHINGTON — Improving old buildings through energy-efficient renovations is the focus of an expanded partnership between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Retrofitting existing buildings for improved efficiency could save the economy more than $160 billion by 2030, according to McKinsey & Company, a multinational consulting and marketing firm.

“Retrofitting buildings represents an immediate and measurable opportunity to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve our economy,” says former President Bill Clinton.

The Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program has helped start more than 250 retrofit projects totaling more than 500 million square feet of real estate in more than 30 cities worldwide, according to CCI.

CCI plans to expand its efforts to include more cities in the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group, an association of large cities around the world formed in 2006 to increase efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The collaboration also includes a plan to rethink and redefine new building developments, according to USGBC officials.

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AIA Assesses Sustainability In 10 Cities

WASHINGTON — The American Institute of Architects is targeting 10 cities to receive technical advice on how to make their communities more eco-friendly under its Sustainable Design Assessment Team program.

The Institute will send a group of eco-design experts to each city for a preliminary visit, followed by a three day visit from a multidisciplinary team that will create a report to outline each community’s strengths and weaknesses in regard to sustainability, and its opportunities and obstacles to change, according to the AIA.

“In its fourth year, the SDAT program continues to evolve by offering detailed solutions for neighborhood revitalization, transportation infrastructure challenges and a host of economic and environmental issues facing communities all over the country,” says Joel Mills, director of the AIA Center for Communities by Design. “The volunteer architects and other team members are able to provide invaluable consulting services on how to better utilize local assets, ideas for how to transform blighted areas and ways to make these communities more pedestrian friendly.”

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Fabric-Duct HVAC System Provides Energy Savings

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Energy efficient HVAC systems are being lauded in a $25 million expansion project that added two new buildings to William Penn University’s 135-year-old campus.

The new 155,000-square-foot Penn Activity Center and 55,000-square-foot Musco Technology Center feature fabric ductwork, geothermal heating and cooling, and energy recovery ventilators. Cunningham Inc., the Oskaloosa-based contractor that installed the systems, was given an “Excellence in HVAC” first place award from the Associated Building Contractors of Iowa for the design.

According to Michael Vogt, project engineer for Cunningham, the fabric duct was not only cheaper to install but solved engineering obstacles presented by the activity center’s high ceiling.

“There’s a noticeable difference between the air comfort in the PAC and other large athletic buildings with metal duct/register systems,” Vogt says. “Plus, the college saved tens of thousands of dollars in installation labor costs because lightweight fabric duct is so much faster and safer for workers to install in elevated places.”

The activity center, now the largest building in Oskaloosa, is equipped with a multipurpose gymnasium and 300-meter running track. The technology center houses the university’s industrial technology and digital broadcasting, and other programs. The project was completed with a $12 million donation from Musco Sports Lighting. Musco President Joe Crookham is also the chair of the university’s board of trustees.

Crookham says the project’s design will give students the chance to study the effects of energy-efficient building practices and conservation measures in building management.

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Solar Savings Generate Scholarship Funding

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Scholarship money for Florida Atlantic University students is coming from a new source: the sun.

The university recently installed more than 230 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Higher Education Complex building to produce 50,000 watts of energy that will save 20 percent to 25 percent in energy expenses.

With the money saved, the university has started the Sun Fund Scholarship, the first scholarship program in the U.S. to use cash harvested from solar energy, according to government officials.

FAU will give out one scholarship each year to a graduate student in the university’s School of Urban and Regional Planning. Gov. Charlie Crist praised the project at an unveiling ceremony.

“Florida’s universities are taking a leadership role in the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy technologies,” Crist says. “The research done on campuses like FAU not only prepares our future workforce, but it also fosters advances that will lead to more green jobs.”

Funded by a private donation, school funds, Florida Power & Light and the state’s solar rebate program, the $250,000 project atop the 12-story building was conceived by two graduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning.

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