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Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Washington University

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Washington University. Hank Webber Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration, Washington University in St. Louis. Background.

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Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Washington University

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  1. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Washington University Hank Webber Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration, Washington University in St. Louis

  2. Background Under Chancellor Wrighton’s leadership, increasing energy efficiency through teaching, research, and operations has been a high priority of Washington University Over the past two decades our investment in a set of world-class academic programs has caused the number of square feet on our campuses to almost double Despite this increase in size, we have reduced our overall energy use through a series of investments in energy efficiency and sustainability

  3. WUSTL Sustainability Goals • Become a national leader in sustainability, both through our practices and through faculty research and knowledge-creation • Serve as an institutional model of sustainability for other large organizations in the Midwest • Engender a culture of sustainability on campus, particularly among our students

  4. WUSTL Sustainability Goals Meeting these goals requires: Investing for long-term operational sustainability Building a team of skilled professionals

  5. Sustainability Initiatives • The University is addressing sustainability in a variety of ways • Academic/Research • Operations • Energy efficiency in buildings • Transportation • Using the Campus as a Laboratory

  6. Academic Initiatives • International Center for Advanced Renewal Energy and Sustainability (I-CARES) • Encourages and coordinates University-wide and external collaborative research on energy, the environment, and sustainability • Foster institutional, regional, and international research on: • Development and production of biofuels from plant and microbial systems • Exploration of sustainable alternative energy • Exploration of environmental systems and practices

  7. Academic Initiatives • McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) • Consortium of 28 universities and corporate partners from around the world • Group collaborates to identify and tackle important global energy and environmental challenges in an integrated and holistic manner • Forum for exchanges through international symposia in energy and the environment • Areas of focus include: cleaner utilization of fossil fuels, solar energy, bioenergy, clean air, clean water, energy and environmental education, and best practices in campus operations

  8. Other Major Academic Initiatives • Tyson Research Center: 2,000-acre living landscape for environmental research and education • Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization: working to address the scientific and technological challenges of ensuring that coal can be used in a clean and sustainable manner • Six degree programs and over 300 courses directly related to sustainability • Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering • Landscape Architecture • Urban Design • Environmental Studies • Bachelor of Science in Sustainability

  9. Operational Initiatives – Context • Washington University has over 14,000 students and 13,000 employees • The University’s campuses cover a total of 2,300 acres and 14 million square feet throughout the St. Louis region • WU has grown dramatically in physical size and influence in recent years

  10. Physical Operations ~2,000 Residential & Commercial Units Danforth Campus169 acres Medical Campus164 acres West, South, and North Campuses Danforth Campus Medical Campus Total | 2,300 acres (includes ~2,000 acres at Tyson Research Center)

  11. Operational Initiatives – Focus on GHG Emissions • Greenhouse gases are an increasingly critical issue to the United States and the world; our operational initiatives have focused on reducing our GHG emissions • We have primarily focused on two of the largest contributors to GHG emissions: energy use for heating and cooling and transportation

  12. Energy Efficiency Legacy Since 1990, WU’s square footage has doubled, but overall energy use has decreased 4%

  13. Energy Efficiency Legacy Without investments in energy efficiency, would have seen an 88% increase in energy use rather than a 4% decrease 4.0% Decrease

  14. Energy Efficiency Initiatives • Focused on four main areas: • Utility efficiency • Building efficiency • Culture of energy awareness • Renewable sources of energy

  15. Utilities | Energy Efficiency Progress • Switched from coal to gas • Central plant conversion to distributed thermal plants • Thermal and chiller plant upgrades • Proactively replaced old, inefficient systems Kemper Art Museum Heat Recovery Chiller

  16. Utilities | Energy Efficiency Progress • Recently completed installation of utility meters in all buildings • Allows us to target high energy use buildings and allocate actual energy usage costs • Better monitor equipment efficiency and identify performance problems

  17. Buildings | Energy Efficiency Progress • LEED Record • 1 Living Building Challenge (Tyson Living Learning Center) • 2 Platinum under construction or pending • 7 Gold (additional 3 pending) • 7 Silver (additional 1 pending) • 3 Certified • Occupancy sensors / space utilization • Ongoing retrofit of interior and exterior campus lighting • New buildings further explore sustainability tools Lofts of Washington University

  18. Renewables | Energy Efficiency Progress • Pursuing projects that are both environmentally and financially efficient • Prior to 2014 had 40kW of solar and wind installations • Recently installed additional 379 kW of solar generating capacity Tyson Living Learning Center Brauer Hall

  19. Culture | Energy Efficiency Progress • Student energy reduction competition • Green Labs Initiative • Green Offices Program • Less is More campaign • 30 student “Green Ambassadors” conduct hundreds of hours of peer-to-peer outreach each year Green Cup Student Competition

  20. Transportation Initiatives • Partnership with Metro provides free access to the entire MetroLink system for all full-time faculty, students and staff • $2M annual investment by the University • Extensive alternative transportation options to encourage students and employees not to drive to campus alone • Investing in extensive bike infrastructure within and throughout campus • Extended Great Rivers Greenway trail through the Danforth Campus • Developing comprehensive bike/pedestrian campus master plan

  21. Sustainability is Good Economics • In 2012, we committed to invest an additional $30M in energy efficiency projects by 2020 • All implemented projects will be NPV positive • These projects are projected to reduce emissions by more than 50,000 metric tons of CO2; this is equivalent to permanently taking 10,417 cars off the road • We estimate that we will save $5.4 million annually in energy costs as a result of these investments in sustainable operations

  22. Campus as a Laboratory • Ultimate goal of the University is to be a leader in energy efficiency and sustainability through the methods of teaching, research, and operations • Sometimes we are able to bring all three of these methods together in a single, holistic project • Quadrangle Green Rehab Project

  23. Quadrangle Green Rehab Project WU has committed to building new buildings so that they are efficient as possible Majority of emissions come from existing buildings that will not be replaced by new structures; how can these existing buildings be renovated to be as energy efficient as possible? Quadrangle Green Rehab Project uses teaching, research, and operational methods to look for best practices in green rehabs Interdisciplinary team including faculty researchers, students, Office of Sustainability, and real estate team Students and faculty from multiple schools involved in design of renovations and post-renovation energy usage research

  24. Quadrangle Green Rehab Project Project design Quadrangle Housing (off-campus real estate group) identifies pairs of nearly identical apartment buildings in need of renovation One building from each pair receives a traditional rehab, the other receives aggressively green design Once renovations are complete, faculty and students will track energy use from each building to gain understanding of the true value of investing in high-efficiency upgrades 5 year program, started in the Fall of 2012 First pair of buildings are under construction Second pair of buildings have been identified, are being designed

  25. Quadrangle Green Rehab Project: Phase 1

  26. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at WU • Increasing energy efficiency has been a long term priority of Washington University • Over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to maximize our sustainable initiatives while reducing our carbon footprint • We have made great progress – but we continue to search for opportunities that will further increase energy efficiency

  27. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Washington University Hank Webber Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration, Washington University in St. Louis

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