building a green recreation plex paper · 2019-04-06 · building a green recreation complex:...

BostonCollege

TheCollegeofArtsandSciences

DepartmentofEarthandEnvironmentalScience

BuildingAGreenRecreationComplex:

SustainableConsiderationsfortheFutureofBostonCollegeCampusRecreation

AustinMitchell,MarinaPetrilli,DanielSundaram

ProfessorTaraPisani-Gareau

EnvironmentalStudiesSeniorSeminar

Spring2016

1.Introduction

BostonCollegeisaJesuitCatholicinstitutionsituatedinChestnutHill,MAwithatotal

enrollmentof14,100students(BostonCollege,Facts&Figures,2015).Oneofthemany

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buildingsoncampusthatisactivelyusedbystudents,faculty,andresidentsofthesurrounding

areaalikeistheFlynnRecreationComplex.With12,449uniquevisitstotheFlynnComplex

duringthe2013-2014schoolyear,thecomplexisoneofthemostimportantbuildingson

campus(BostonCollege,FactBook,2015).OpenedinMarch1972,theFlynnComplexissetto

bereplacedbyanewrecreationfacilityaspartofBostonCollege’sInstitutionalMasterPlan

(IMP)(BCRec,2015).BecauseofincreasinglystrictMassachusettsbuildingcodes,anewLEED

certificationmatrix,andBostonCollege’scommitmenttocreatinganenvironmentallyfriendly

campus,theenergyefficiencyandsustainabledesignofthenewrecreationfacilityare

particularlyimportant.

Duetothelocationofthesiteandhighprojectedusageofthenewrecreationfacility,

thestakeholdersarelookingforuniquewaystoincorporateenergyandwatersavingdesign

featuressuchasincreasednaturallighting,moreadvancedheating,ventilation,andair

conditioning(HVAC)control,alternativemethodsofheatingbothairandwater,andlow-flow

fixtures.Theseideas,alongwithvariousothersmustbeassessedinordertodeterminewhat

willyieldthemostefficientandenvironmentallyfriendlybuildingdesignwhileremainingwithin

areasonablebudgetandpreservingtheimportantfeaturesofastudentrecreationfacility.

AsBostonCollegeisdevelopingthenewfacility,theenvironmentalissueof

sustainabilitywillbeconsidered.BostonCollegeisaJesuitinstitutionthatseekstoprotectthe

naturalenvironmentaswellashumanandecologicalhealth,whiledrivinginnovationandnot

compromisingitswayoflife(BostonCollege:TheDivisionofUniversityMissionandMinistry,

2014).Thisstudywillexaminethepossibleenergyefficiencyandwatersavingtechniquesthat

canbeemployedintheconstructionanddesignofthenewrecreationfacilityinorderto

achievethehighestlevelofLEEDSilvercertification.Researchontheenergyandwateruseof

thecurrentFlynnRecreationComplexaswellascomparablerecreationcentersatother

universitieswillbeusedinthehopesofcreatinganinformedstudyonanenergyandwater

efficientbuilding

2.Background

Becauseofanincreasingpopulationandcontinuouslystrainedresources,waterand

energyefficiencyareparamounttotransitioningtoasustainablefuture.Asanaturalresource,

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waterisperceivedtobeanabundantresource,especiallywhentwo-thirdsoftheearthis

coveredbywater.Butlessthanonepercentoftheplanet’swaterisdrinkable(Glennon,2009).

Waterconservationreducesenergyuse,andreclaimingwaterreduceswaterpollution.With

regardstoenergy,theuseofrenewableandnonrenewableenergysourcesmustbeconsidered.

Ifsocietycontinuestouseenergywithoutemployingproperconservationmethods,

nonrenewableenergysourcesmaybecomedepletedandrenewableenergymaybetheonly

option.Understandingthevalueofenergyandwaterisparamounttounderstandingwhyitis

importantthatBostonCollegeseektoincorporatesustainabledesignfeaturesintothenew

recreationfacility.

2.1LEEDCertification

TherubricforhowBostonCollege’snewrecreationfacilitywillbeevaluatedisbasedon

theLEEDcertificationmatrix.LEED,orLeadershipinEnergy&EnvironmentalDesign,isa

frameworkforidentifyingandimplementingpracticalbuildingdesign,construction,operations,

andmaintenancesolutions(USGBC,2012).TheLEEDratingsystemsaddressdifferenttypesof

projectsincludingschools,healthcare,retail,commercialinteriors,homes,aswellasthe

operationandmaintenanceofexistingbuildings.Forthesedifferentprojects,LEEDcertification

usesindependent,third-partyverificationtoprovidethemostsustainabledesignand

constructionstrategiesinimprovinghumanandenvironmentalhealth(USGBC,2012).LEED

promotesa“whole-building”approachtosustainabilitybyrecognizingperformanceinfivekey

areas:sustainablesitedevelopment,watersavings,energyefficiency,materialsselection,and

indoorenvironmentalquality(Stinnett,2013).Thescoringisbasedona100-pointsystemin

whicheachcreditisdistributedonthebasisofhowthebuildingimpactstheenvironmentand

humanhealth(USGBC,2012).Thispointsystemisbrokendownintofourcategories:Certified

(40-49points),Silver(50-59points),Gold(60-79points),andPlatinum(80+points).

Diamond,Opitz,Hicks,VonNeida,andHerrera(2006)evaluatedtheenergy

performanceof21LEEDcertifiedcommercialbuildingsandfoundthatforthissample(7%ofall

LEEDcertifiedbuildingsatthetime),themeansimulatedenergysavingswas27%.Buttheyalso

foundthatthenumberofLEEDenergyefficiencypointsdidnotcorrelatewiththeactualenergy

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savings.AlthoughLEEDcertificationisagreenbuildingcertificationprogramwhichseeksto

encouragesustainabledevelopment,theamountofwaterandenergythatisusedefficientlyor

conservedisquestionable.Newsham,Mancini,andBirt(2009)analyzedenergyusedatafrom

100LEEDcertifiedcommercialandinstitutionalbuildingsandcomparedittotheenergyuseof

generalcommercialbuildings.Theyfoundthatonaverage,LEEDbuildingsused18-39%less

energyperfloorareathantheirconventionalcounterparts(Newsham,Mancini,&Birt,2009).

However,28-35%ofLEEDbuildingsusedmoreenergythantheirconventionalcounterparts

overall.Newsham,Mancini,andBirt(2009)foundthatthemeasuredenergyperformanceof

LEEDbuildingshadlittlecorrelationwiththecertificationlevelofthebuildingwhichechoesthe

findingsofDiamond,etal.statedpreviously(2006).Findingsfromthisresearchdemonstrates

thatmoreneedstobedonetodefinegreenbuildingratingschemestoensuremoreconsistent

successattheindividualbuildinglevel.Thatbeingsaid,theLEEDcertificationmatrixisstillinits

earlystages.Itiscurrentlyundergoingatransitiontoastricterratingsysteminaneffortto

increasethesustainabilityofbuildings(Reinders,2016).Therefore,weconsideritavaluable

systemtousewhenassessingthenewrecreationcomplex.

2.2SustainabilityinRecreationFacilities

SustainabilityhasbecomeahottopicinhighereducationintheUnitedStates,because

ofanincreasedfocusontheimportanceofprotectingtheenvironmentthroughsustainable

development.Agenerallyaccepteddefinitionisthe“developmentthatmeetstheneedsofthe

presentwithoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds”from

theBrundtlandCommissionpublishedin1987(Bärlund,2016).Sustainabledevelopment

supportseconomicandsocialdevelopment,withanunderlyingemphasisonprotectingthe

naturalenvironment.Intheparticularcaseofarecreationcomplex,thiscanbeinterpretedto

focusonthedevelopmentofhealthyindividuals,ahealthycommunity,andahealthy

environment.

Anareathatisplayingamajorroleinenvironmentaleffortsandsustainable

developmentisfacilitydesignandoperations.Manyfacilitiesareplanned,constructed,and

operatedwithlong-termsustainabilityasaprominentgoalofarchitects,contractors,and

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managers.Enhancingqualityoflifeandeffectivecommunityrelationsaretypicaloperating

principlesforcollegiatefacilitymanagers,whichisinlinewithsustainability.Stinnett(2013)

reportsthatenvironmentalandfiscalreasonsarethetoptwoperceivedbenefitsof

implementingsustainableinitiatives.Onthecontrary,fiscalandadministrativereasonsarethe

toptwoperceivedchallengesofmovingtowardssustainability.

Stinnett(2013)examinedsustainabilityandcollegiaterecreationalsportsfacilitiesas

collegiaterecreationcomplexesoftenposeachallengetothismovementduetotheirsizeand

operationalrequirements.Recreationfacilitiestendtobesomeofthelargestandmostheavily

usedbuildingsoncollegecampuses.Attheoutset,theyrequirelargeamountsofsteel,

concrete,andothermaterialstobetransportedduringconstruction.Oncecompleted,they

havethepotentialtobeenormoususersofwaterandenergy.Nevertheless,researchhas

shownthatschoolswhichtransitiontosustainabilityorgreendesignsaveenergyandwater.A

studyof30“greenschools”foundthattheyusedanaverageof33%lessenergythan

conventionallydesignedschools,aswellashadanaveragewaterusereductionof32%

(Stinnett,2013).Typicalenergyandwaterperformanceenhancementincludedlightingthatis

moreefficient,greateruseofdaylightandlightingsensors,moreefficientheatingandcooling

systems,andbetter-insulatedwallsandroofs.

3.Methods

Toassessthepotentialforsustainabilitydesigninthenewrecreationfacility,weused

bothqualitativeandquantitativeanalysis.Thequalitativeanalysishelpedustoattaina

benchmarkofexistingfacilitiesthatdemonstrateexcellentuseofsustainablefeaturesand

best-practices.OurquantitativeworkhelpedustounderstandthecurrentstateoftheFlynn

RecreationComplexandcomeupwithrecommendationsbasedonprojectedfutureusage.

3.1QualitativeAnalysis

Animportantconsiderationindesigningthenewrecreationfacilityismakingsurethat

thebuildingmeetstheneedsofthestudentbodywhilealsoremainingcompetitivewiththe

facilitiesatitspeerinstitutions.AteamofBostonCollegeadministratorsincludingCaitríona

Taylor(DirectorofCampusRecreation),BobPion(SustainabilityProgramDirector),Rebecca

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Cegledy(AssociateDirectorofFacilitiesandOperations),andEdStokes(SeniorProjectManager

forCapitalProjectsManagement)visitedvariouscollegesanduniversitiesintheearlystagesof

thedesignprocesstodeterminewhatfeatureswouldbeimportantinthenewbuilding.While

theywereabletogetsomegeneralideas,suchastheindoortrackatAuburnUniversitywhich

simulatesarunningpaththroughthewoodsorthe30-footclimbingwallatClemsonUniversity,

ourteamfeltthatitwouldbeimportanttotakeanin-depthlookatafewselectfacilities

(Stokesetal.,2016).Withrecommendationsfromtheseimportantstakeholders,wedecidedto

lookspecificallyattheBostonUniversity(BU)FitnessandRecreationCenterandtheWorcester

PolytechnicInstitute(WPI)SportsandRecreationCenter.BostonUniversitywaschosen

becauseofmulti-usenatureofthefacilityandthesheervolumeoftrafficthatithandleseach

day.Wehopedtolearnabouthowthedesignofthebuildingincorporatedsustainablefeatures,

andhowthesefeaturesimpactedthepatrons.OurteamreachedouttoAlexander(Alec)

Southall,theAssociateDirectorofFacilities,Intramurals,andClubSports.Wedecideda

conversationwithAlecwasalogicalstartingpointbecauseofhisroleasanAssociateDirector

ofthreeimportanttenetsofacollegerecreationcenter:facilities,intramuralsandclubsports.

Alecarrangedforustomeetwithhiminpersonandtoconductatourofthefacility.

WealsoexaminedWPI’sSportsandRecreationCenter,oneofthemostsustainably-

advancedfacilitiesofitskindintheNortheastUnitedStates.Therelativelynewfacilityopened

in2012andattainedaLEEDGoldcertification.Wefeltitwouldbeidealtoexaminethisfacility

becauseitattainedsuchahighLEEDscoreinaclimatethatissimilartowhatthenewBoston

Collegerecreationfacilitywillbebuiltin.Furthermore,wefoundthatWPI’sfacilitymakesa

worthycomparisontoBostonCollege’scurrentFlynnRecreationComplexinrelativeterms.

BostonCollege’sundergraduatestudentbodyisalmosttwicethesizeofWPI’sstudentand

averaged49.1annualvisitsperstudentduringthe2013-2014schoolyear(BostonCollege,Fact

Book,2015).ThisisclosetoWPI’saverageannualvisitsperstudent,whichis44.9forthesame

timeperiod(Merchant,2016).WehopedthatourresearchatWPIwouldyieldbehavioral

lessonsandmanagementpracticesintermsoffacilityoperations.Withregardstoanalysisand

datacollection,ourteamspokewithMeredithMerchant,theAssistantRecreationDirectorand

FacilitiesCoordinator.Wetalkedwithheraboutthedesignofthefacilityandhowthisimpacts

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studentlife.Inaddition,sheprovidedattendancedataforthefacilityandsomebest-practices

thefacilityusestoensureenergy-efficientoperation.

3.2QuantitativeAnalysis

WereceivedquantitativedatafromBostonCollegeandWPI’srecreationdepartments.

ThedatafromBostonCollegebreaksthetotalvisitstotheFlynnRecreationComplexdownby

hourforeachdayoftheweek.Thedataisspreadacrossfiveseparatesweeksof2015and

2016.TheywereApril5-11,2015;July12-18,2015;October18-24,2016;January24-30,2016;

andJanuary31-February6,2016.Wechosethefirstfourdatesbecausewefelttheyaccurately

representedthetimeoftheseason(spring,summer,fall,andwinter,respectively),andthus

thedatawasindicativeofthegeneralseasonaltrends.Wealsorequesteddataforthebusiest

weekoftheyear,whichisthefirstweekoftheSpringsemester;thisisrepresentedbythe

January24-30,2016range.

ThedatafromWPIisattendancedataforthreeseparateschoolyears,brokenoutby

month.Theschoolyearsare2012-2013,2013-2014,and2014-2015.Thedataismaintainedby

MeredithMerchantatWPI.

WhiletheWPIdatadoesnotbreakattendanceoutbyweek,itwashelpfulinanalyzing

thepeaktimesoftheyearandcomparingthemtoBostonCollege.Welookedatthepeakin

attendancefortheFlynnRecreationComplexandcomparedittohowitrelatestothe

managementpracticesatWPI.WethenanalyzedthedatafromFlynnRecreationComplexwith

thegoalofmakingrecommendationsonwhenandhowtouseenergyefficientlightingand

fixturesforthenewrecreationfacility.

3.2.1PotentialforSolarPower

ApreviousstudyofsolarpowerontheBostonCollegecampuswasusedtocreatean

estimateofwhattheoverallcostofpanelswouldbeifinstalledontheroofofthenew

recreationcomplex(Meyeret.al.,2014).Thisincludedusingcalculationstodeterminethecost

ofthepanelsgiventheareaoftheroof.Thenumbersweretakenfromthepreviousdata

collectiondonein2014anddoesnottakeintoaccountanypossibleincreasesordecreasesin

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wattageorcostofthepanels.Thisdataprovidesabasisfordeterminingwhetherornotsolar

panelsareeconomicallyplausiblefortheroofofthenewrecreationcomplex.

3.2.2RainwaterCapture

Withregardstowaterefficiencymeasures,weanalyzedthepotentialforrainwater

catchmentbasedonprojectionsfortheroofareaofthenewbuilding.Usingacalculation

methodpublishedbytheAmericanSocietyofLandscapeEngineers(Kinkade,2011),wewere

abletogetaroughestimateoftheyearlyrainwaterrunoffthatcouldbecollectedbya

rainwatercatchmentsystem.WeusedamonthlyaverageofBostonareaprecipitationoverthe

spanof1981-2010(U.S.ClimateData,2016).Theseaveragesweremultipliedbythesquare

footageoftheroofareatoyieldanestimatedtotalofrainwaterhittingtheroofeachmonth.

Theestimatewasthenmultipliedbyarunoffefficiencycoefficient,whichissuppliedbythe

ASLEforvariousdifferentsurfaces.Thiscoefficienttakesintoaccountthefactthatwaterruns

andevaporatesdifferentlyacrossdifferenttypesofsurfaces.Asaprecaution,wealsoaddedin

adeductiontoaccountforthefactthatnosystemwillbeperfectlyefficientatcapturingevery

gallonofrainwater.Wefeelthiswilladequatelyaccountforevaporationandotherlosses.

Althoughweareconfidentthatabrandnewrainwatercatchmentsystemwillbecloseto100%

efficient,weusedaliberalestimateof90%efficiencytoaccountforanyotherfactorsthatwe

mayhavemissed.

WewilltaketheestimateandcalculateapotentialcostsavingsforBostonCollegeifit

installsarainwatercatchmentsystem.BostonCollege’sLowerCampusissuppliedbythe

BostonWaterandSewerCommission(BWSC)inconjunctionwiththeMassachusettsWater

ResourcesAuthority(MWRA)(IMPChapter8,2009).WewillusecombinedWaterandSewer

ratesfromtheBWSCinordertodetermineayearlycostsavingsestimate.TheBWSCusesa

progressivepricingsystem.Waterispricedbasedonthefirst19cubicfeet,withrateincreases

atthenext20,thenext50,thenext260,andthenext950cubicfeetused.Anyconsumption

over1,299cubicfeetispricedatthesamerate(BWSC,2016).Inordertogivesomeideaof

comparison,wewillalsolookattheestimatedwaterdemandfortheallnewinfrastructureon

LowerCampusaspartofBC’sInstitutionalMasterPlan(IMP).Themostrecentinformation

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comesfromthe2009submissionoftheplantotheBostonZoningCommission(IMPChapter8,

2009).Variousconversionswereundertakeninordertoensurethatthecomparisonswerein

thesameunits.

Ourhopeisthatthisestimatecanhelpdetermineanacceptablepaybackperiodas

differentrainwatercatchmentsystemsarecompared.Thegoalinundertakingthisanalysisis

nottosuggestspecifictypesofrainwatersystemstobeemployedatthenewrecreationfacility.

Instead,wehopetomakeajudgementastowhetheranin-depthanalysisofrainwater

collectionismeritedoncethedesignofthebuildingismorelaidout.

3.2.3Lighting

Quantitativedatawasgatheredfromarticlesaswellasgovernmentsourcesconcerning

thecostofelectricity,thecostoflightbulbs,andthepotentialenergysavingsfromefficient

lighting.Thisdataprovidesabasistoconsidertheenvironmentalandeconomicbenefitsof

energyefficientlightingthatcanbeimplementedinthenewrecreationfacility.

4.Results

4.1QualitativeData

Thesustainablefeaturesoftherecreationfacilitiesofotheruniversities,aswellasthe

challengestosustainabilitytheseuniversitiesencountered,areinformativeforthenewBoston

Collegerecreationfacility.

BostonUniversityFitnessandRecreationCenterwasbuiltin2004-2005toreplacethe

agingandinadequateCaseGym.Sustainabilitywasnotapriorityatthetimeofthedesignand

building.The270,000squarefootbuildingopenedinMarch2005andwascompletedatacost

of$97milliondollars.Itincludesan18,000squarefootweightandcardioroom,a30-foot

climbingwall,twoswimmingpools,andanelevatedrunningtracktonameafewfeatures

(Southall,2015).Mr.Southallstatedthecenterreceivedabout1.7millionvisitseachyear,with

anaverageofabout4,000-5,000peopleeachday.

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TheBUFitnessandRecreationCentergetsitsenergyfromonemainsteamplantand

reliesonfossilfuelssuchasgas.Althoughnorenewableenergyisused,Mr.Southallexplained

thatthelightfixtureswereswitchedtoLEDlightsrecentlywhichhavealowerenergy

consumptionandalongerlifetimethanincandescentlights.Anotherfeaturethatmay

contributetolessenergyuseistheabundanceofglasswhichallowsfornaturallight.

Incontrast,theWorcesterPolytechnicInstituteSports&RecreationCenterwas

designedandbuiltwithsustainabilityinmind.ThenewSports&RecreationCenterisaLEED

Gold-certifiedbuildingthatreceivesapproximately190,000visitseachyear(Merchant,2016).

Thebuildingservesstudents,faculty,andstaffandisahubforcampuslife.ItopenedJulyof

2012withafinalbudgetbetween$65-68million.Thetwo-storycomplexfeaturesstate-of-the-

artequipmentincorporatedintoaverybrightandspaciousareawitha“14,000-squarefeet

fitnessspace,afour-courtgymnasium,acompetition-lengthswimmingpool,athree-lane

elevatedjoggingtrack,racquetballandsquashcourts,rowingtanks,andworkoutstudios”

(Mell,2010).Thebuildingincludes50solarthermalpanelsontherooftoheatthepooland

undergroundstoragetanksthatcollectrainwaterfromtheroofforthecoolingsystem.This

facilityexemplifiestheenergyandwaterefficiencymeasuresthatshouldbetakenwhen

designingnewrecreationfacilities.

4.2QuantitativeData

PlottingthedatareceivedoftheFlynnComplex,usageconsistentlypeaksinthemid-to-

lateafternoonfromthehoursof3:00pmto6:00pm.Duringthemorningandearlyafternoon

hours,thebuildingisgenerallyabouthalfasfullasitisatthepeak.Fromanoverallattendance

standpoint,thefirstweekofJanuarywasshowntobethebusiestpartoftheyearwithan

averageattendancelevelof1,153patronsandapeakof2,073atthe4:00pmhour.Julynotably

hasthelowestattendancelevelswithanaverageof256patronsandapeakof478atthe5:00

pmhour.Overall,thedatashowsthatwhilethereareveryhightraffictimesoftheday,itis

generallyconcentratedandpredictablethroughouttheyear.

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Figure1:AttendanceDataforBostonCollegeFlynnRecreationComplex

Quantitativedataanalysiswasbrokendownintothreeseparatecategories:solar

panels,rainwatercapture,andlighting.Attendancedatawasusedtosupplementthesethree

sections.

4.2.1SolarPanels

Inexaminingbothenergyandwaterefficiencymeasuresforthenewrecreationfacility,

differentalternativeenergyinitiativesatuniversitiesacrosstheUnitedStateswerestudied.

SolarpanelsarecommonatLEEDgold-certifiedfacilities,soanestimateoftheupfrontcostof

installingsolarpanelsontheroofoftheplannedbasketballcourtswasconducted.Christine

ReindersofCannonDesignexpectsthetotalareaofthebasketballrooftobeapproximately

14,200squarefeet.Usingthemethodologydescribedinapreviousstudysolarpanelson

campus,thenumberofpanelsthatwouldfitonthatsizedroofwascalculatedbydividingthe

totalareaoftheroof(14,200sq.ft.)bythestandardsizedsolarpanel(19.5sq.ft.)(Meyeret.

al.,2014).Theresultisthattheroofcanpotentiallyfit738solarpanels.Thestandardsized

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panelproducesaround0.25kilowattsperhour,whichcanbeusedtocalculatethesystemsize

inkWh(Aggarwal,2014).ThesystemsizewasmultipliedbythepriceforkWh,whichis$2,500.

Thisleadstoanetcostofpanelsat$461,038.96.

4.2.2RainwaterCatchmentSystem

Inestimatingthesupplyofrainwaterthatcouldbefeasiblycapturedfromtheroofof

thenewbuilding,weusedatotalroofareaof26,500squarefeet(Reinders,2016).Thiswas

multipliedbytheaverageprecipitationfortheBostonarea,whichtotaled43.76inchesper

year,yieldingover1.1millioninchesofrainfallcollectionpotential(U.S.ClimateData,2016).

Thisfigurewasthenconvertedintocubicfeet,andagainintogallons.Whentheconventional

roofrunoffcoefficientof0.95wasfactoredin(Kinkade,2011),theyearlyrunoffwasestimated

tobe663,378gallonsofwater.1Withtheadditional10%lossduetoinefficiencyand

evaporationincluded,itwasdeterminedthateachyear,thenewrecreationfacilitycancollect

upto597,040gallonsofwaterfromprecipitationrunoffontheroof.Basedontheattendance

dataandcalculations,thecollectionwillpeakinthespringandlatefall,whichcoincideswith

hightraffictimesatthecurrentFlynnComplex.

1 Forreference,anOlympicsizeswimmingpoolholds660,000gallonsofwater.

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Table1:RunoffCollectionEstimatesforNewRecreationFacility

Month AvgMonthlyPrecip,in.

Catchmentarea,sqft.

RunoffCoefficient

Runoffvolume(avg),gal.

Jan 3.35 25,600 0.95 50,784.21

Feb 3.27 25,600 0.95 49,571.46

Mar 4.33 25,600 0.95 65,640.49

Apr 3.74 25,600 0.95 56,696.41

May 3.5 25,600 0.95 53,058.13

Jun 3.66 25,600 0.95 55,483.65

Jul 3.43 25,600 0.95 51,996.97

Aug 3.35 25,600 0.95 50,784.21

Sep 3.43 25,600 0.95 51,996.97

Oct 3.94 25,600 0.95 59,728.30

Nov 3.98 25,600 0.95 60,334.68

Dec 3.78 25,600 0.95 57,302.78

Annual 43.76 663,378.26

Potentialcollection(incl.90%discount),gal.=

597,040.44

The2009IMPsubmissionestimatedthatthetotalnet-newdemandontheBWSC

infrastructureforLowerCampuswillbe113,600gallonsperday.Thisgivesatotalof

41,464,000additionalgallonsofwaterneededbytheUniversityeachyear.Estimateswere

calculatedusingthemostrecentratespublishedbytheBWSCin2016.TheyareshowninTable

2below.ThewaterdemandfromthenewconstructionatBostonCollege’sLowerCampuswill

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imposeasignificantcostontheUniversity,withestimatestotalling$873,107.26peryear.In

contrast,theUniversitycansaveanestimated$11,598.13peryearwiththeuseofarainwater

catchmentsystemontheroofofthenewrecreationfacility.

Table2:SavingsandCostEstimatesforWaterUsageonBostonCollegeLowerCampus

Consumption

WaterRates

SewerRates

Combined Combined NewLowerCampusDemand(costperyear)

RainwaterCatchment(savingsperyear)

(Cu.Ft./Day)

Per1000Cu.Ft.

Per1000Cu.Ft.

Per1000Cu.Ft.

PerCu.Ft.

First 19 $49.00 $66.98 $115.98 $0.11598 $804.32 $2.20

Next 20 $51.29 $69.04 $120.33 $0.12033 $1,682.73 $4.61

Next 50 $53.41 $70.44 $123.85 $0.12385 $3,942.99 $10.80

Next 260 $56.79 $74.31 $131.10 $0.13110 $16,384.38 $44.89

Next 950 $59.25 $78.42 $137.67 $0.13767 $64,121.46 $175.68

Over 1299 $61.33 $81.12 $142.45 $0.14245 $786,171.38 $11,359.95

$873,107.26 $11,598.13

4.2.3Lighting

Asignificantenergysavinginitiativecancomefromlighting.AsTan,Sun,Demir,and

DenBaars(2012)explain,theconsumptionoflighthasincreasedasthecostoflighthas

decreased.Today,theworldspendsabout0.72%ofitsGrossDomesticProduct(GDP)onlight.

Anaveragepersoninawell-developedpartoftheworldiseffectivelysurroundedbymultiple

of100Wattlightbulbsatalltimesduringhisorherwakinghours(Tan,etal.,2012).Toomuch

artificiallightisconsumed,whichinturnwastesenergy.Accordingtoa2006reportbythe

InternationalEnergyAgency(IEA)andtheOrganizationforEconomicCo-operationand

Development(OECD),lightingisresponsibleforabout19%ofelectricityconsumptionand

about6%ofcarbonemissions.Tan,etal.(2012)statethatenergyconsumptionusedfor

lightingcanbeinprinciplereducedby50%usingLEDlightingifthetargetedperformanceis

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met,andevenmore,ifsmartlightingenabledbyLEDsisused.Therefore,energy-savinglighting

isincreasinglyessentialandshouldbeconsideredforthenewBostonCollegerecreationfacility.

Thenewrecreationfacilityshouldconsiderlight-emittingdiodes(LEDs)fixtures.While

costhasbeenoneofthemainchallengesforthisenergyconservationtechnology,ithas

becomelessofaburdenasTan,etal.(2012)explains.TherapiddevelopmentsinLEDmaterials

anddeviceshavebroughtitonestepclosertothewide-scalecommercializationandadaptation

ofgenerallighting.InanarticleforTheSimpleDollar,HollyJohnsonnoteshowattoday’s

prices,switchingtoLEDlightbulbsisfinallyaneasierdecision.TheEnergyInformation

Administration(2016)reportstheaveragepriceofelectricitytobe$0.12intheUnitedStates.

Whilestillmoreexpensiveperbulb,thetotaloperationalcostovertimeissignificantlyless.A

$1dollarincandescentbulbhastheaveragelifespanof1,200hoursandcosts$180inelectricity

used(25,000hoursat$0.12perkWh),comparedtoan$8dollarLEDbulbwhichhasthe

averagelifespanof25,000hoursandcostsonly$38inelectricityused;formoreinformation

seeTable3(Johnson,2015).Buyinglonger-lasting,moreefficientlightbulbswillpayoffover

time,eveniftheyhaveagreaterup-frontcost.

Table3:OperationalCostsofIncandescentBulbsvs.LEDBulbs

Incandescent LED

Approximatecostperbulb $1 $8orless

Averagelifespan 1,200hours 25,000hours

Wattsused 60W 10W

No.ofbulbsneededfor25,000hoursofuse

21bulbs 1bulb

Totalpurchasepriceofbulbsover25,000hours

$21 $8

Totalcostofelectricityused(25,000hoursat$0.12perkWh)

$180 $30

Totaloperationalcostover23years

$201 $38

(Johnson,2015)

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IntheNaturalResourcesDefenceCouncil(NRDC)reportonCollegiateGameChangers:

HowCampusSportisGoingGreen,theCornellAthleticsdepartmentupgradedtheirlighting

systemwithnewlightsthatdelivertwicethebrightnessofthepreviouslightinganduse70%

lessenergy(Henly,2013).Theoldlightstookalongtimetowarmup,sooncetheywereturned

on,theywerelefton.Thenewlightsturnonandoffquicklyandarefittedwithoccupancy

sensors.Theoccupancysensorsnotonlysaveenergy,butlengthenthelifetimeofthebulbs

whichreducestheannualmaintenancecostfromreplacingthebulbs.Thenewrecreation

facilitycouldsaveenergyfrominstallingoccupancysensorswhichwouldturnthelightsoff

afteraperiodofinactivity.Thiswouldbeeffectiveinbathrooms,basketballcourts,orgroup

fitnessroomsduringlowusagetimessuchas6:00am-11:00amaswellasfrom8:00pm-12:00

am,andparticularlyeffectiveduringseasonsoflowusagesuchsummerrepresentedbydata

fromJuly12th-18thseeninFigure1.

LowerenergycostsfromtheselightssaveCornellapproximately$20,000ayear,andthe

schoolsaves$2,000annuallyinmaintenancecostssincethebulbsdonotneedtobereplaced

asfrequently(Henly,2013).Cornellspent$100,000onthisprojectbutreceiveda$47,000

energyrebatefromtheNewYorkStateEnergyResearchandDevelopmentAuthority,andthe

schoolexpectsthattheimprovedlightingwillpayforitselfwithin3years(Henly,2013).This

exampleshowsthatatransitiontoenergyefficientlightingcanbesuccessful,costeffective,as

wellasbenefittheenvironment.

Althoughthisreportcontainsnodatawhichisdirectlyappliedtothelightingatthe

currentBostonCollegeFlynnRecreationComplex,andthereisobviouslynodataforthe

nonexistentfuturerecreationfacility,thisresearchdemonstratesthepotentialenvironmental

andeconomicbenefitsofimplementingenergyefficientlightinginlargeandhighusefacilities

suchasrecreationcenters.

5.Discussion

5.1SolarPanels

Alternativeenergysourcesarecontinuouslybeingimplementedinnewrecreation

facilitiesacrossthecountry.Oneofthemorecommonlyusedsourcesofalternativeenergyare

16

solarphotovoltaic(PV)systems.PVsystemshelptooffsetfossilfuelsandreducecarbondioxide

emissions.CollegesandUniversitiessuchasHarvard,WPI,andUCschoolshaveinstalledPV

systemsontheirrecreationfacilitiesacrossthenationandarequicklyseeingthebenefits.

In2012,HarvardAthleticscompletedconstructionofa$2.1million,2,275-panelsolar

photovoltaicsystemthatspanstheroofoftheGordonIndoorTrackandTennisbuilding(Henly,

2013).Thesystemproducesapproximately650,000kilowatt-hoursofelectricityannually,

whichreducescarbondioxideemissionsbyabout500metrictons(Henly,2013).ThePVsystem

deliverselectricitytoHarvard’selectricalgridandisusedtopowerthelightingforathleticfields

andbuildings.The$80,000to$85,000inprojectedannualsavingswillpaybacktheinvestment

withinapproximatelyeightyears(Henly,2013).Thisprojectnotonlyreducescarbondioxide

emissions,butalsowillreducecosts.

PVsystemsarenotonlyusedfortheelectricitygridorforpoweringbuildings,butalso

forheating.AtWPI,80%ofthepoolisheatedwithsolarpanels(Merchant,2016).Althoughit

takestwoweekstoheatthepool,WPIis“savingmorethan$50,000inoperatingcostsand

reducingcarbondioxideemissionsby4,400poundsperyear,ascomparedwithconventional

poolheating”(WPINews,2010).In2007,UniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego(UCSD)andSan

DiegoStateUniversity(SDSU)collaboratedon5,000squarefeetofthermalsolarprojectforthe

MissionBayAquaticCenter50-meterpool(Henly,2013).Thepanelscost“approximately

$100,000andpaidforthemselvesinenergysavingsintwoyears”(Henly,2013).Boththese

projectshadshortpaybackperiodsandreducedcostsfortheschools.

ThechallengewithmakingsuggestionsforthenewBostonCollegerecreationfacilityis

thattheprojectisstillintheearlystagesofdevelopment.Inaddition,itisnotpossibletoknow

howmuchenergywillbeusedbythenewbuilding,butwhatisknownisthatitwillbemore

thanthecurrentFlynnRecreationComplex.DataontheelectricityusageofthecurrentFlynn

RecreationComplexwasunavailablebecausethepowermeterisconnectedtoRobsham

Theater.Noestimatescanbemadeonjusthowmuchsolarpanelswouldoffsettheenergycost

fromfossilfuelsforthenewrecreationcomplex,buttheenergypaybackforcurrentPVsystems

17

hasbeencalculatedtorangefrom3to4years,dependingonthetypeofPVpanel(Turner,

1999).Thenewcomplexwouldhaveashortpaybackperiodandlong-termenergysavings.

Solarpanelsontheroofofthenewrecreationfacilitycouldalsobeusedtoheatthe

poolandcouldprovideenergydependingontheseasonandpeakhours.Duringthesummer

months,whenthereisconstantsunlight,longerdays,andlowusagethesolarpanelswouldbe

abletoprovideenergyforthefacilityandreducethesummeroperatingcosts(Figure1).

5.2RainwaterCatchment

Itishardtovisualizeexactlyhowmuch597,000gallonsofwateriswithoutsomethingto

compareitto.Althoughitwouldbeidealtocomparethispotentialsavingstotheprojected

waterusageofthenewrecreationfacility,estimatesarenotavailablebecauseitisearlyinthe

designphase.Additionally,itisunknownhowmanytoiletsthebuildingwillhaveorwhatsortof

coolingsystemitwilluse.

Forreference,anOlympicsizeswimmingpoolholdsapproximately660,000gallonsof

water.Overthecourseofayear,arainwatercatchmentsystemwouldbeabletocollectalmost

afullpoolworthofwater.Becauseitisrainwateranditisrunningoffoftheroof,thecollection

couldnotnecessarilybeusedforhumanconsumption(i.e.showering,drinking,swimming).

Thereare,however,manyusesforrainwaterinabuildingsuchasarecreationfacility.For

example,WPIhasarainwatercatchmentsystemthathas50,000gallonsofunderwaterstorage

capacity(WPINews,2010).Itusesthiswaterbothinthetoiletsandaspartofthecooling

systemfortheairconditioningunits.Thesystemisabletooffsettheconsumptionof800,000

gallonsofwatereachyearintheSportsandRecreationComplex(WPINews,2010).

TheexampleatWPIispertinentfortworeasons.First,thenewBostonCollege

recreationfacilitywillhaveanairconditioningsystem,whichthecurrentFlynnRecreation

Complexdoesnothave.Giventhefactthatthenewbuildingwillbefourstoriesandover

120,000squarefeetlargerthanthecurrentbuilding,thedemandonthesystemwillnodoubt

besignificant(FloorPlans,1972;CannonDesign,2016).Furthermore,BostonCollegereported

thatasof2014,theUniversity’swaterandsewercostshadrisenover500%since2004(Utilities

Management,2014).Andwiththeadditionalconstructionof2150CommonwealthAvenue

18

ResidenceHall,thecompletionofSt.Mary’sHall,andtheupdatestovariousbuildingsaround

campus,thedemandforwaterhasincreasedsincethen.Finally,thereareplansforthe

constructionofmultiplenewbuildingsattheFlynnRecreationComplexsite,SheaField,andthe

Modularsarea.ThiswillplaceanadditionaldemandonthewaterinfrastructureonLower

Campustothetuneofover41milliongallonsperyear(IMPChapter8,2009).

Thepotentialfortherainwatersystemtooffsetthecostofthisnewdemandisnot

substantialbyanymeans.Oneadditionalconsiderationisthenatureofthesiteonwhichthe

newrecreationfacilitywillbebuilt.Duetothelocationonthesiteofanoldreservoir,

undergroundplacementofthetanksmightbeimpossible.Thisisanadditionalfactorthat

wouldneedtobeassesseduponfurtherexaminationofthissolution.

Whetherornotrainwatercatchmentisconsideredshoulddependontheestimatesfor

thespecificwaterconsumptionofthenewrecreationfacility.Iftherainwatercatchment

systemhasthepotentialtooffset10%ormoreofthebuilding’syearlywaterconsumption,we

recommendthatitbepursued.Thiswillensurethenewrecreationfacilityisasclosetoself-

sufficientaspossibleandwillideallypushithigherontheLEEDMatrix.Inaddition,themodest

costofinstallationandpassivenatureofthesystemmakerainwatercatchmentarelatively

easyaddition.Finally,suchasystemcanalsobeanexcellentmarketingtoolindemonstrating

theUniversity’scommitmenttosustainabledesignofitsnewfacilities.Withpotentialforminor

costsavingsinmind,itisrecommendedthatarainwatercatchmentsystemberesearchedif

timeallows.

5.3Lighting

Lightingisoneofthemostvisibleformsofenergywaste.Althoughelectricityis

inexpensiveat$0.12perkWh,massiveenergysavingscancomefromatransitiontoenergy-

efficientlightbulbs(EIA,2016).InnovativelightingandcontrolssuchasLEDlightsand

occupancysensorswhichcanturnthelightsoffafter15minutesofnomovement,allowfor

annualenergysavings.Notonlydooccupancysensorssaveenergy,buttheylengthenthe

lifetimeofthebulbswhichlowermaintenancecostbecausethebulbsdonotneedtobe

replacedasfrequently.Investinginmorecostlybulbs,suchasLEDlights,willpayoffovertime

19

astheyhavealongerlifespananduselesselectricity.Withthenewrecreationfacilityrequiring

constantlighting,consideringenergyefficientlightingcanbebeneficialalthoughcostlyup-

front.

5.4Monitoring

Oneconsistentthemethroughouttheresearchwasalackofmonitoringforenergyand

waterconsumptionofthecurrentFlynnRecreationComplex.BostonCollegedoesnothave

anysub-metersthecurrentRecreationComplex.Thegasmeter,whichwasinstalledbythe

utilitycompany,issharedwiththeRobshamTheatersothereisnowaytoseparatethegas

consumptionofthetwobuildings.Furthermore,thereareonlyafewwatermetersforLower

Campusandnonearespecifictoindividualbuildings.Asaresultitisclosetoimpossibleto

gaugetheconsumptionofdifferentfacilities.

Inordertoimprovesustainability,itisrecommendedthatthenewrecreationfacility

havesub-meterstomonitorandrecordwaterandenergyconsumption.Thiswillallowfor

consciousconsumptionifquantitativedatacanbeappliedtotheusage.Inaddition,basedoff

attendancedata,thenewfacilitycanadjusttheirenergyusebasedonpredictionsofwhen

therewillbehighperiodsofvolumeorlowperiodsofvolume.

5.5BehavioralChangesandEducation

TheBostonCollegecommunityshouldbeeducatedonthesustainabledevelopmentof

thenewrecreationfacilityinordertomakebehavioralchanges.Educationcanbe

transformativebyequippingindividualswithknowledgeandnewwaysofthinkingwhichleads

tobehavioralchange.Forexample,thecleaningcrewcouldcomeinduringlowperiodsof

usageratherthancominginwhentherecreationfacilityisclosed.Currently,thecleaningcrew

comesinwhentheFlynnComplexisclosed,whichrequiresthelightstostayonandenergyto

beconsumedtoheatorcoolthebuildingforalongerperiodoftime.

Additionally,educatingthestudentbody,faculty,andstaffonthenewenergyand

waterefficiencyeffortsispivotalincommunicationandbetterunderstandingofthenew

facility.Thiscanbeincorporatedthroughtoursofthenewfacilityforincomingstudentsduring

20

orientation,forthestudentgovernment,forthefaculty,andfortheBostonCollegePolice

Department.Furthermore,educationonthenewsustainablemeasurescouldbeimplemented

duringRAtraining.ThesesolutionswillhelptocommunicatechangessuchaswhytheLED

lightsgooutatcertaintimes,howsolarpanelshelptooffsetfossilfuels,andabetter

understandingofwaterconservation.Throughthiseducation,thenewrecreationfacilityhas

thepotentialtobeamodelforfutureconstructionatBostonCollegeandfurthereducate

peopleontheimportanceofenergyandwaterefficiency.

6.Conclusion

Possiblesustainability-enhancingfeaturesinclude,butarenotlimitedto:solarpanels,

rainwatercatchment,andenergy-efficientlightbulbs.Thatbeingsaid,thereareendless

optionsthatcanbeexploredsuchasdual-flushtoilets,agraywatersystem,self-powered

machines,andincreasedglasswindowsfornaturallighting,heating,andcooling.Notonlywill

thesebenefittheenvironment,butifemployedcorrectlyhavethepotentialtobeeconomically

beneficialaswell.

Theenvironmentalchallengesthattheworldfacestoday,fromclimatechangeto

biodiversityloss,haveaprominenteffectontheoperationsoflargeinstitutionseverywhere.

Largecorporations,apartmentcomplexes,andinstitutionsofhighereducationareincreasingly

turningtomoreecologicallyfriendlypracticestomaximizebenefitstohumansandtoprotect

theenvironment.Collegesanduniversitiesinparticularcanalsoplayaroleininspiringstudents

tobecomeleadersinaddressingtheseenvironmentalchallenges.Withthisinmind,the

sustainabledevelopmentofthenewrecreationfacilityisparticularlyimportant.BostonCollege

hastheopportunitytofurtherproveitselfasaleaderinhighereducation,bothinitsteachings

andinitsoperations.Bycombiningastateoftheartfacilitythatservestheneedsofadiverse

studentbodywithdesignelementsthatcanrunitefficiently,theuniversitycanbuildacenter

thatwillimprovethehealthofindividualsandtheenvironmentatthesametime.

21

Acknowledgements

WewouldliketothankCaitríonaTaylor,BobPion,RebeccaCegledy,ChristineReinders,andEdStokesformeetingwithustodiscussthedesignandfutureplansforthenewrecreationfacility.AspecialthankstoCaitríonaTaylorandBobPionforprovidinguswithdatafromthecurrentFlynnRecreationComplex.WewouldalsoliketothankAlecSouthallfromBostonUniversityandMeredithMerchantfromWorcesterPolytechnicInstituteforspeakingwithusabouttherecreationfacilitiesattheirrespectiveuniversities,andforprovidinguswithdata.

22

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