Blueprint for a Green Campus (2003 Update)

Table of Contents | Summary | Climate-Friendly Campus | Growing Without Increasing Traffic | Safe/Healthy Campus | Consumption and Disposal Habits | 2002 Blueprint Update | 2001 Blueprint Update | Original Blueprint  

Creating a Climate-Friendly Campus

The Vision

CU commits to meet the emissions reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol, which would reduce CU's greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent below 1990 levels by 2010.

Overview

This year has seen some success in terms of increasing energy efficiency and energy conservation awareness on campus. The highlight of this year is the new Energy Conservation Officer, Moe Tabrizi, who was hired by the Facilities Management Department. Thanks to Vice Chancellor Paul Tabolt and the Executive Dirctor of Facilities Management Jeff Lipton, CU is setting a positive example by becoming the first higher-education institute in Colorado to create a position specifically devoted to energy conservation.

For the first time in 10 years, energy usage declined significantly last year at the University of Colorado at Boulder campus thanks to efforts by staff, students and projects implemented by facilities managers. Per square foot, the CU-Boulder campus used 2.2 percent less electricity during fiscal year 2002-03 compared to the previous fiscal year. University statistics indicate the campus is using about the same resources as it did in 1999-2000, even though there are now more people, facilities and research. A building by building breakdown , showing historical levels of utilities use, can be found online.

The celebration of the first 100% biodiesel-powered Buff Bus.

One major new initiative this year was the development of a biodiesel program on the Boulder campus. The lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of biodiesel are far lower than for use of conventional diesel fuel. CU students voted by a margin of 83% to 17% to increase student fees to provide funding for this effort. Transportation Services has teamed up with the student effort to run all of the diesel Buff Buses on biodiesel � 3 on B-100 (100% biodiesel) and 10 on B-20 (20% biodiesel, 80% conventional diesel mix). Some of this is produced from the grease from campus food services; most is purchased from Blue Sun Biodiesel. Special Transit is also now running one HOP bus on B-100, and we are in discussion on the conversion of more of the HOP fleet; RTD has committed to a pilot project, where they will fuel half of the SKIP buses with B-20; the city is fueling a number of vehicles with B-20, Boulder Biodiesel is selling B-100 to the public, and Bartkus oil has opened a public B-20 pump. CU student Andrew Azman, founder of CU biodiesel, is receiving a Brower Youth award for this effort (1, 2).

Progress during 2002-2003

New Organization structure

• Appointed full-time energy conservation officer, Moe Tabrizi in September 2002.
• Supplemented the Campus Resource Conservation Committee (CRCC) with an active steering committee to provide direction, resources and to remove barriers. The steering committee meets monthly and the CRCC (open participation) meets about every other month.
• In October, the energy conservation hotline (303-735-6202) and e-mail (energyconservationhotline@fm.colorado.edu) were established to receive and benefit from campus conservation suggestions. The hotline and the e-mail have been a very good source of suggestions pointing to areas of energy waste.
• New energy conservation web site which is a source of information to the campus. Building energy usage data as well as energy conservation tips are included on this site.

Energy conservation projects

• There is a concentrated effort to implement the PC monitor sleep mode. The Boulder campus has 18,000 PCs (12,000 faculty/staff and 6,000 student residents). Typical PC's consume 100-150 watts per hour. Monitors use up to 70% of energy when active and less than 5% when in sleep mode. We are encouraging everyone to enable the monitor sleep mode. Monitor goes to sleep mode after a period of 10-20 minutes of inactivity and wakes up with any movement of mouse or space bar. Software tool to enable sleep mode is available to our IT support staff. We have achieved some progress (i.e. PC Labs). More work is pending to bring all 18,000 PCs into compliance. Savings opportunities are 5-6 million kWh, 7- million lbs CO2 and $300K-$450K per year (depending on the level of campus compliance).
• During 2002, Facilities Management has completed lighting upgrade (Electronic Ballasts and T-8 Lamps) in over 1- million square feet of campus buildings. By example, this technology upgrade has resulted in an estimated 15% (four months average, September through December 2002) consumption reduction for Norlin Library. The annual savings for Norlin is estimated at 80,000 kWh, $42,000 and 100,000 lbs of CO2. Savings in Regent Hall is 23% due to supplementary effort of removal of excess lights ("De-Lamping"). Annual savings for Regent Hall based on the same period is estimated to be 43,000 kWh, $22,000 and 57,000 lbs of CO2. We will continue to monitor the results of this project. Facilities Management is planning to upgrade additional 800,000 square feet of building lights. We will try to include "de-lamping" and the lighting upgrade projects.
• Increase the temperature setting of approximately 750 water coolers with no noticeable impact on users ( from 40 to 50 degrees F.). This project will be completed in January, 2003. Savings are estimated to be 50,000 kWh, $6,000 and 66,500 lbs of CO2 per year.
• There is an opportunity to insulate 1,890 feet of bare pipes. These pipes carry low pressure steam from Arnett Hall to the Power House. $16,000 cost of insulation will save an estimated $2,920 per year in cost of energy. This project is funded.
• Evaluated and will fund a proposal for _ FTE or an outside contractor to focus on thermostat calibration and replacement in buildings. Expect positive results on building comfort and energy savings. Implementation in the first four buildings (over 1000 thermostats) is estimated to cost $30,000 with same amount in annual energy savings.
• Expecting response from Pepsi to our request regarding energy conservation roadmap for the 300 campus vending machines. Latest technology vending machines or external occupancy sensors could save estimated 400,000 kWh, $22,000 and 530,000lbs CO2 per year.
• Student Housing department is planning for a major upgrade of lighting, heating/ cooling and other energy inefficient systems within students housing buildings. See section on Housing progress.

Education and awareness campaign

• Due to the success of the "When Not In Use, Turn Off the Juice" stickers in the pilot buildings, we have posted stickers campus wide. (Studies show significantly more compliance of lights off when nobody is in the room in rooms with stickers, compared to rooms without stickers.) A total of 15,000 light switch stickers were placed on campus academic and administrative buildings as a friendly reminder to conserve energy. A similar effort is under way in student housing.
• Several articles designed to draw campus attention to the conservation goal and actionable ways to contribute, have been released in the campus media as well as Boulder, Denver, Longmont and Loveland media and television.
• Distribution of "PC monitor sleep mode" posters throughout campus in addition to guide and tip sheet to save energy at home and office.
• The energy conservation roadmap and strategy have now been benchmarked with that of SUNY-Buffalo (with an impressive 20 years of conservation track record).
• Started intensive communication, face to face with campus building proctors to enlist their support and benefit from their building-specific issues and inputs. Similar communication started with Department IT support (tier II) staff to seek their support for enabling PC monitor sleep mode throughout the campus.

Generation Green � Student Organized Outreach (in addition to above)

• Doubled pilot buildings in Generation Green Campaign. In pilot buildings we have posters stating the cost of energy use for that building, and equivalent CO2 emissions. We have support and cooperation with the building proctor for the campaign, and associated materials in the building. Since September 2002, we have met with over 250 occupants in the pilot buildings.
• Working to implement recommended changes by building occupants. Examples include switching incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent (compact fluorescents are 70-80% more efficient and last at least twice as long) and delamping.
• Continued ads in local busses, newspapers, and during football games. Created new radio ad that began running fall 2002. Expanded ads to include more buses, basketball games, engineering magazine and family housing.
• Working with housing to switch from incandescent bulbs for individual requests to CFLs. Creating study to show estimated cost and energy savings.
• Created a poster with instructions on who to call about energy/water waste, or repairs that was posted in all campus bathrooms.

One Sweet Whirled (OSW) Campaign

• The Environmental Center hosted the OSW campaign, a collaborative effort between Ben and Jerry's ice cream, the Dave Matthews Band and the Save Our Environment network, on campus November 18th and 19th. Campaign mission is to raise awareness about global warming, and simple steps individuals can take to reduce personal emissions. Over 120 volunteers aided in distribution of campaign materials, and distributed over 20,000 OSW pamphlets. While on campus, OSW set up games and tips about global warming, and handed out free ice cream. This campaign was a huge success in raising campus awareness about global warming.

Renewable Energy

• Continuing outreach to schools around the nation about our wind purchase in spring, 2000.
• Project in progress to put solar panels on the roof of the UMC with the equivalent energy output of that used by the Environmental Center in one year. The UCSU finance Board has committed 50% of the project funding; we are currently seeking the other 50% in matching funds.
• Created a report outlining various options for continued support of renewables and funding options in preparation for the expiration of the WindSource referendum. (See attached)

Additional Progress by the Housing Department:

• Housing has entered into a contract with Siemens, an energy services company, to perform an energy audit on almost three million square feet of its facilities. We are calling this the "Housing Improvement Project". The results of this audit will be reported as several cost-saving scenarios from which Housing will develop a final list of recommendations. The second aspect of the project will include the installation of the measures identified in the recommendations. This is a very appealing project that is expected to result in an overall energy savings of 15-30%.
• Energy improvements in Newton Court, a Family Housing area, include:
  • The installation of three smaller, more efficient, two-stage boilers. Rather than having one large boiler continually circulating hot water for domestic use during the summer (and when space heating is not needed), now a smaller boiler will provide space heating and domestic hot water with two stages when needed, and only summer domestic water with one stage.
  • High quality, energy-efficient Grundfos pumps are being installed that use about 10% less energy and have a longer life.
• At Newton Court and the College Inn, all porch lights were converted from incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs.
• At Smiley Court, new light poles are using HID rather than incandescent lamps.
• Retired refrigerators for Family Housing units are being replaced with larger, more energy-efficient Whirlpool models.
• At Marine Court, a domestic hot water loop will be installed in the spring of 2003. This loop will provide hot water, and will allow for the steam line to be shut down during the summer months. This is estimated to save about 20% in steam costs.
• Apartment units at Athens Court are being retrofitted with individual zone controls to provide for more efficient heating.
• In Family Housing, low flow showerheads are being installed as units are vacated and as bathrooms are being remodeled.
• Housing has a contract with a vendor to remove the CFC's from all refrigerators that require disposal. The refrigerators and the reclaimed CFC's are then recycled.
• Housing, with assistance from the Campus Resource Conservation officer and the Environmental Center, posted over 12,000 stickers reminding residents and staff to "Turn Off the Juice When Not in Use". Stickers were posted in every student room, every Family Housing apartment, and in administrative offices, kitchens, and conference rooms.

Plans for the Upcoming Year

Energy Conservation Projects:

• Xcel Energy Building Recommissioning (Building mechanical systems tune-up): We are exploring this opportunity and will consider this program for specific buildings.
• Office/Classroom occupancy study and motion sensor application: Our study results thus far favor classroom and conference room application over offices. We will conclude the study and selectively apply this conservation technology.
• Outside lights (attached to the buildings): Convert to Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) with 75% energy savings and much longer life. We will complete the business case and target four buildings to study illumination level before expanding to cover other buildings.
• Lower domestic hot water temperature in buildings: Hot water data from 53 buildings indicate that at least 30% of buildings having higher than needed water temperature for general use. We will establish a systematic approach to maintain an acceptable hot water temperature.

Generation Green:

• Increase involvement and collaboration with ITS, building proctors and Residence Advisors in campus Residence Halls.
• At a minimum, double the number of pilot buildings and begin expansion to campus wide.
• Incorporate outreach activities into overall Environmental Center outreach programming and creation of "Green Office" program series.
• Create a video describing various ways to save energy at home and on campus to run before selected campus events and in the residence halls.
• Begin an environmental/energy column in the campus newspaper.
• Begin active water outreach/education campaign!

Renewables:

• Complete project to install solar photovoltaic panels on the UMC. Continue to identify other options for PV on campus.
• Continue to combine efforts with the Department of Engineering to involve more students, and allow for more creative solutions addressing renewable forms of energy on campus.
• Continue to explore options for continuing and expanding student support for wind energy and implement new plan (based on report from this year, and recommendation from the Environmental Center board.)

Obstacles and Discussion Topics

• The 4 CU campuses are at very different levels of support for energy and renewable initiatives. Do we move forward in way that eventually we could combine efforts with these schools? Or should we continue in a manner that makes the most sense for CU-Boulder?
• Savings from energy efficiency projects are still being bundled into the larger general fund pool? Given the current fiscal crisis, it seems unlikely that these funds can be put towards new energy or renewable projects, but would it be possible to do in the future?
• It is difficult to track energy savings due to outreach and education, what is a reasonable way to count these savings?
• What are the key steps CU can take to expand the use of renewable energy on campus?