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Community College Facilities:The Case for Sustainable

Construction

Presenter: Kenneth C. KempfManager, Engineering and Design, LEED-AP

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St. Louis Community CollegeSustainable Construction Projects

All New Construction being built to LEED Standards as defined by the United States Green Building CouncilHarrison Education Center – Opened Fall 2010Awarded LEED GoldFirst Building of Wildwood campus – Opened Fall 2007 Awarded LEED Gold

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• The Traditional College Student• Sustainable Education• Productivity/ Attendance Increases• The Business Case – Dollars and Cents

GreenThe Case for GoingGreen

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The Traditional College Student

Environmental Awareness in General2007 Gallup Poll

• 77% of Americans worry “a great deal” about the environment

• 83% have taken concrete steps to reduce energy use

• 40% have donated money to an environmental group

• 90% of Americans recycle

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The Traditional College Student

90% of Americans Recycle – But how much?

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The Traditional College Student

Environmental Donations are a small part of Overall Giving

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The Traditional College Student

83% of Americans have taken concrete steps to reduce energy use?

Could that possibly be true?

Probably!

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The Traditional College Student

Student Initiatives at StLCC

“FreeCycle Day” – Clothing RecyclingDumpster Dive Trash AuditWildwood Environmental Club

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The Traditional College Student

“Ordinary people can do a lot to help the environment, and when people work together, they can do anything.”

Lee, 7th grade, Mechanicsburg Middle School, Pennsylvania

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The Traditional College Student

Environmental Construction Features

• Storage and Collection of Recyclables• Recycled Content• FSC Certified Wood• Alternative Transportation• Light Pollution Reduction• Brownfield Development

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The Traditional College Student

Storage and Collection of Recyclables

Wildwood

Harrison

Recycling is a Prerequisite for any Level of Certification

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The Traditional College Student

Recycled Content & FSC Certified Wood

20% + recycled contentIn Building Materials

Only FSC Certified WoodUsed in Construction

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The Traditional College Student

Alternative Transportation

WildwoodHarrison

Bike Racks and Showers atboth Wildwood & Harrison Charging Stations, Electric

Vehicles, Preferred Parking

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The Traditional College StudentBrownfield Development

Harrison Education Center

Low Level of Urban Contaminants was discovered On-Site

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Sustainable Education

Baseline.com lists “Green Guru”, dealing with sustainable technology and operational efficiency, as the 9th Hottest Career Opportunity

Pew Charitable Trusts indicates the number of jobs in clean energy economy grew nearly 2 ½ times faster than overall jobs in the last decade

An EPA report indicates that “Environmental Education enables individuals to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and effective decision making skills”.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) lists over 120 4-year Universities with undergraduate programs in Environmental Studies/ Environmental Science

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Sustainable EducationMCCA Members offer Degree and

Certificate Programs

Alternative Energy Energy Technology Photovoltaics Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Technology Environmental Engineering Technology Construction Management Building Construction Technology Architectural Design Technology Wind Energy Technician

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Sustainable Education

St. Louis Community College Offerings

Certificate and Degree Programs

Automotive Technology and Diesel Technology--featuring hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance technology

Master Naturalist Certificate Program-credit and non-credit coursework that prepares students for volunteer and professional opportunities at nature facilities

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Sustainable Education

St. Louis Community College Offerings

Professional Development Opportunities

LEED Credential MaintenanceLEED Green Associate Exam Prep

Online Course Offerings--Senior Certified Sustainability Professional, Solar Power Professional, Wind Energy Professional

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Sustainable EducationSt. Louis Community College Offerings

Programs in Development

Sustainability Environmental Design Program has courses submitted for approval; others in development are Sustainable Construction Technology and Sustainable Energy Systems Technology.

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Sustainable Education

Educational Construction Features

• Erosion and Sediment Control• Education and Outreach• Storm Water Management• Reduced Site Disturbance

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Sustainable EducationReduced Site DisturbanceWastewater

ControlRetention pond, planting inBio-swales provide learningopportunities

Natural Prairie on Majority of Site

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Sustainable EducationEducation and Outreach

Information Signs Green KioskTours

Our Education Program qualified for InnovationPoints

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Productivity/ Attendance Increases

• Three independent studies by the Technical University of Denmark indicated that the performance of simulated office work improves with air quality

• EPA reports that improved IAQ in schools can reduce absenteeism, improve student productivity and performance, improve student and staff concentration

• A study published in the Journal of Indoor Air reported a 13.7% increase in reading test scores and a 14.7% increase in math test scores with improved air quality.

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Productivity/ Attendance Increases

• Minimum IAQ Performance• Tobacco Free Campus• Ventilation Effectiveness• IAQ Management Plan • Low Emitting Materials• Thermal Comfort• Daylight and Views

IAQ Construction Features

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Productivity/ Attendance IncreasesTobacco Free Site

Harrison

Wildwood

LEED requires restrictions on smoking – Wildwood was designated a tobacco free campus, which is now College policy for all locations

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Productivity/ Attendance Increases

Minimum IAQ Performance and Management Plan

Pre-Occupancy

Walk-off Mat ControlHarrison

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Productivity/ Attendance Increases

Ventilation Effectiveness

20 Air changes an hour at Wildwood And Operable Windows too!

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Productivity/ Attendance Increases

Low Emitting Materials

Limitations on VOCs and Urea Formaldehyde

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Productivity/ Attendance IncreasesDaylight and Views

90% of Regularly Occupied Spaceshave a View to the Outside

HarrisonWildwood

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The Business Case

We’re now ready to go to our College Business or Chief Financial Officer and make our case for sustainable construction:

• Our students expect it• We can use it as a teaching tool• It will increase productivity and decrease absenteeism

And he’ll say…….

How Much Does it Cost?

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The Business Case

Money Saving Construction Features

• Construction Waste Recycling• Local/ Regional Materials• Reduction of Water Usage• Plumbing Fixtures• Water Efficient Landscaping

• Energy Savings Features

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The Business Case

Construction Waste Diversion

At both Wildwood and Harrison, well over 75% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.At Wildwood, it was 95%!

Wildwood

Harrison Center

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The Business CaseWater Efficiency

Wildwood and Harrison Center use low flow fixtures, realizing a 30% reduction in water usage, and have no landscape irrigation systems.At Wildwood, rainwater is captured to water the small areas not planted in prairie

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The Business Case

Local/ Regional Materials

At both Wildwood and Harrison, 20%+ of materials come from within 500 miles of the site.

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The Business Case

40% of the Energy in America is consumed by buildings

Energy Use

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The Business Case

Energy Saving Construction Features

• Building Commissioning• Design to Energy Standard• Optimize energy Performance

through selection of equipment

• Monitor System Operation• Address heat island effect• Utilize natural lighting where

possible

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Building Commissioning

• Commissioning ensures that building systems and equipment provide peak performance

• A study of 60 commercial buildings found that more than half suffered from control problems.

• Three case studies show savings for building commissioning• The Chattanooga State Office realized a 20-month

payback on their commissioning activities• Parkway Fountains Office Building in Phoenix

estimated their savings after commissioning at 15% of their annual utility costs

• Westin Hotels invested $100,000 in commissioning their new Seattle hotel and realized a $300,000 savings over the next eight years

The Business Case

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The Business Case

Design to Energy Standard

USGBC requires LEED buildings to meet ASHRAE energy standards as a prerequisite

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Optimize Energy Performance

Wildwood predicted a 30% plus energy savings over conventional buildings using DOE modeling

Harrison Education Center predicted a 30% plus energy savings over conventional buildings using DOE modeling

The Business Case

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The Business Case

Paddle Fans and Low Temperature Delivery – Wildwood

Energy Saving Construction Features

Heat Pumps – Harrison Education Center

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The Business Case

Natural Lighting – 75% of Spaces have Daylighting at both Locations

Energy Saving Construction Features

Harrison

Wildwood

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The Business Case

Daylight Harvesting – WW

Energy Saving Construction Features

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White Reflective Roof Membranes are used to reduce the summer heat load at both locations

Heat Island Effect

The Business Case

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The Business Case

Energy Saving Construction Features

Heat Island Effect

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The Business Case

At Wildwood, We have a color changing roof

It changes from Green to Brown!

Reducing Heat Load

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The Business CaseOptimize Energy Performance

Wildwood predicted a 30% plus energy savings over conventional buildings using DOE modeling

And Did We Achieve That?

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The Business CaseBenchmarking against

St. Louis Higher Education Space

• Wildwood 76,000 Square Feet• Gas usage 39,000 Btu/yr/sf• Electric usage 15.7 kWh/yr/sf• Overall energy 93,000 Btu/yr/sf

Sample 8,000,000 Square FeetAverage gas usage 80,000 Btu/yr/sfAverage electric usage 20.9 kWh/yr/sfAverage overall energy 151,000 Btu/yr/sf

51% lower25% lower38% lower

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Tips for Pursuing Sustainable Construction

• Leadership Support• Develop a Goal• Investigate Alternatives• Consider your Stakeholders• Don’t Waste Money!.....

But Don’t Waste Opportunities Either

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A Final Thought

Save the Earth …

… It’s the only Planet with Chocolate

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Questions

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