Sustainability in Campus Operations at Three Higher Education Institutions in Tompkins County, New York Nick Goldsmith

TAITEM Engineering, PC

AASHE ConferenceOctober 10, 2011

Main Argument Campuses are microcosms of society, so sustainability

solutions can be applied across many sectors

AND Tompkins County institutions are finding solutions

THEREFORE Specific actions from these schools could be

implemented on a broader scale

About Tompkins County

Higher Ed Institutions:

Cornell University

Ithaca College Tompkins Cortland Community College

About Tompkins County Sustainability a large focus Emissions reduction goals:

80% by 2050 20% by 2020

HE sector represents 31% of the county’s carbon footprint…

…and 47% of the 2020 reductions

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Institutional OverviewInstitution CU IC TC3Founding Date 1865 1892 1967

Carnegie InformationPrivate not-for-profit Research

University

Private not-for-profit Master's

College

Public Associate's

College

Other InformationLand Grant

Institution, Ivy League

N/ACommunity

College

Location Ithaca, NY Ithaca, NY Dryden, NYOut of State Tuition $39,450 $33,630 $7,820Applicants Admitted (%) 19 74 100Campus PopulationUndergraduate Students 13,931 6,440 3,624Graduate and Professional Students 6,702 454 0Faculty and Staff 9,773 1,697 463Total Campus Population 30,406 8,591 4,087Sustainability Employees 5 3 0

CU = Cornell University IC = Ithaca College TC3 = Tompkins Cortland Community College

Emissions Data

Institution CU IC TC3Climate Action PlanningACUPCC Sign Date Feb 2007 May 2007 April 2008Climate Action Plan Completed Sep 2009 Oct 2009 July 2010GHG EmissionsGHG emissions (MTCO2e) 236,000 36,634 6004Emissions Reduction Target -100% by 2050 -100% by 2050 NoneMTCO2e/student 11.44 5.31 1.66MTCO2e/100 ft2 building 1.69 1.47 1.56

CU = Cornell University IC = Ithaca College TC3 = Tompkins Cortland Community College

Emissions Breakdown

Scope 159%Scope 2

19%

Scope 322%

Cornell University - 236,000 tons

Scope 128%

Scope 251%

Scope 321%

Ithaca College - 37,000 tons

Scope 118%

Scope 223%

Scope 359%

TC3 - 6,000 tons

Scope 1 = On-site combustionScope 2 = Purchased electricityScope 3 = Commuting, Air travel

TC3 emissions

Institution CU IC TC3Residential Students (%) 57% 69% 18%

TC3 - 6,000 tons

50%+ of emissions from commuting alone

Emissions Breakdown

Scope 159%Scope 2

19%

Scope 322%

Cornell University - 236,000 tons

Scope 128%

Scope 251%

Scope 321%

Ithaca College - 37,000 tons

Scope 118%

Scope 223%

Scope 359%

TC3 - 6,000 tons

Scope 1 = On-site combustionScope 2 = Purchased electricityScope 3 = Commuting, Air travel

Ithaca College emissions

> 50% from purchased electricity A lot of buildings a lot of

electricity usage Scope 1 (on-site combustion) = 28%,

dominated by natural gas use

Land Use CU IC TC3Number of Buildings 250 105 4Total Building Area (ft2) 14,000,000 2,498,868 384,000Building Area per Student (ft2) 679 362 106

Ithaca College - 37,000 tons

Emissions Breakdown

Scope 159%Scope 2

19%

Scope 322%

Cornell University - 236,000 tons

Scope 128%

Scope 251%

Scope 321%

Ithaca College - 37,000 tons

Scope 118%

Scope 223%

Scope 359%

TC3 - 6,000 tons

Scope 1 = On-site combustionScope 2 = Purchased electricityScope 3 = Commuting, Air travel

Cornell Emissions

59% of emissions from on-site combustion

Cornell produces about 80% of its electricity

Institution CU IC TC3Energy UsePurchased Electricity (GWh) 60 28 4Natural Gas Consumption (MMBtu) 1,920,000* 161,864 13,127Land UseNumber of Buildings 250 105 4Total Building Area (ft2) 14,000,000 2,498,868 384,000Building Area per Student (ft2) 679 362 106

Cornell University - 236,000 tons

Solutions Those are the problems…

What are the solutions?

Case studies show three very different examples

One size does NOT fit all

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Tompkins Cortland Community College

Working with what they have Sustainability budget of ~$2000

No dedicated sustainability employees

http://www.cortlandstandard.net/articles/07192011n.html

TC3 - Waste Management 2009: introduced 12 recycling stations

Educational campaign

Student activism

TC3 - Waste Management

Composting program Trash more than doubled ‘08-‘09 Policy change

Waste diversion rate Looking forward

Year

Paper/ Cardboard Recycled

Containers Recycled

Electronics Recycled Compost

Total Waste Diverted Trash

Total Waste

Waste Diversion

Rate2008 96 13 (No Data) 0 109 208 317 34%2009 72 42 1.1 10 125 468 593 21%2010 120 42 2.1 68 232 416 648 36%

All weights in U.S. Short Tons (2000 lbs.)

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Ithaca College

Sustainability is a priority Good at publicizing efforts Example: green buildings

http://www.international.utas.edu.au/static/exchange/images/ithaca4.jpg

Green Buildings on Campuses LEED is popular on campuses

Popular green building certification 2007: 10% of all LEED projects were on campuses 75% of ACUPCC signatories have agreed to build new construction to LEED Silver standard• Includes all three Tompkins County institutions

Park Center was first LEED Platinum undergraduate business facility in the world

Many applicant architects Stern Publicity Goals of new business school

Improve enrollment Improve student quality

Beyond operational improvement - smart strategic move

Ithaca College - Green Buildings

BuildingPark Center for Business

and Sustainable EnterprisePeggy Ryan

Williams Center

Open date 2008 2009LEED certification Platinum Platinum

Size 38,800 sq ft 58,000 sq ftArchitect Robert A.M. Stern HOLT

Features and Savings Passive solar principles Super-insulated walls Green roof Geothermal heating Advanced HVAC and lighting controls Low-flow fixtures, Dual-flush toilets

BuildingPark Center for Business

and Sustainable EnterprisePeggy Ryan

Williams Center

Energy Savings 37% 34%Water Savings 70% 89%Electricity use offset by Purchased RECs

100% Yes

Construction Waste Recycled/ Salvaged

93% 90%

IC - LEED Costs

BuildingPark Center for Business

and Sustainable EnterprisePeggy Ryan

Williams Center

Size 38,800 sq ft 58,000 sq ftProject Cost (millions) $19 $21

Incremental Cost 5% 3%

Cost premium was “absolutely worth it with energy savings”

Lowest electricity consumption per square foot on campus

Back of envelope calculation: incremental cost of Williams center is paid back in 17 years

Cornell University Different scale 2007: ~ $4.4 billion endowment (17th highest in the nation)

2009: completed $82 million upgrade of power plant

2010: received $80 million gift dedicated to sustainability research and collaboration http://thetauepsilon.org/images/history/Cornell_University_West_Campus_Sign.JPG

Cornell University CHP Plant What is combined heat and power (CHP)?

$82M upgrade added two natural gas-fired combustion turbines coupled with heat recovery steam generators

37 MW capacity Provides 80% of annual CU electricity needs Provides 90% of heating needs

District Energy Steam for heating distributed via district energy system to 150 buildings

Widely used in Europe (of course)

Gaining popularity in U.S., especially on campuses > 60% of the ~550 DE systems in U.S. are on campuses

Benefits to CHP & District Energy

Environmental Reduced CU carbon footprint by over 20%

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8096521.jpg

Benefits to CHP & District Energy

Environmental Reduced CU carbon footprint by over 20%

Reduced CU carbon footprint by over 20%!!

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8096521.jpg

Benefits to CHP & District Energy

Environmental Reduced CU carbon footprint by over 20%

Reduced CU carbon footprint by over 20%!!

NOx and SO2 emission down 55% Allowed Cornell to stop burning coal

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8096521.jpg

Benefits to CHP/District Energy

Financial Justified financially in 2005, before ACUPCC

Lower life-cycle costs Traded fuel costs for a mortgage payment

Conclusion These case studies are examples of how schools can use the limited resources available to them to pursue solutions that make sense to their specific situation.

CHP/District Energy Fuel switching: coal to… anything Green Building Policies Waste management

Thanks for watching!Nick GoldsmithEmail: ngoldsmith@taitem.comPhone: 607.277.1118 x133

TAITEM Engineering, PCTechnology As If The Earth Mattered