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Sustainable Housing at the Evergreen State College

Sustainable Housing at the Evergreen State College. A student research project by Robin Fenske and Mark Retzlaff Winter 2005. Purpose of this presentation. Summarize the results of our project Summarize what we’ve learned Does not describe framework or plans for spring quarter. Goal.

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Sustainable Housing at the Evergreen State College

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  1. Sustainable Housing at the Evergreen State College A student research project by Robin Fenske and Mark Retzlaff Winter 2005

  2. Purpose of this presentation • Summarize the results of our project • Summarize what we’ve learned • Does not describe framework or plans for spring quarter

  3. Goal • A demonstration of the viability of currently available solutions to sustainability issues • Goal requires that we • Maintain widespread applicability • Effect lasting change

  4. Our research question • What can be done to make energy use in Evergreen’s on-campus housing more sustainable?

  5. Hypothesis • A detailed analysis of the current energy system will reveal effective points of leverage for structural change to a more sustainable system

  6. The Definition of Sustainability • Allowing future generations to meet their needs while continuing to the meet the needs of today • Therefore: The energy analysis must include the human and financial benefits of the current energy system

  7. Our plan • Prioritize energy uses for measurement • Gather data on current energy use • Determine more efficient alternatives • Work with institution to create change

  8. The Data We Collected E-L Dorms A-D Dorms

  9. What happened • Specific data collection proved to be very difficult • The meters for the heating energy were not in operation • Electricity meters were not prevalent enough to allow effective metering • The housing system lacks the metering mechanisms to use energy savings as leverage

  10. Exploring – the financial cost of housing’s energy use • Only a small portion of the total housing budget is spent on utilities • There is little incentive for keeping track of the data we needed

  11. Results • We disproved our hypothesis • A good analysis of the energy system is insufficient to reveal effective points for change • The housing institution was unmotivated by the prospect of changing to a more efficient energy system

  12. Conclusions • When seeking institutional change, • the motivation of the institution should be understood before deciding course of action • the range of potential change due to alternative behaviors is necessary, but not sufficient, for implementing change

  13. Our new hypothesis • In order to identify leverage points to move towards a more sustainable on-campus housing, we must know • Motivations of the agents of the system • Alternative behaviors

  14. More depth • See our website for • Essays • The development of the project • A response to the current framework of environmentalism • Plans for the future www.academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/energy0405/students/sustainablehousing

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