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