Did you know that one of the largest single sources of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) on your campus that can be cost-effectively made more sustainable is your school’s heated swimming pool?

From a sustainability perspective, the heating of your campus swimming pool, or the heating of any commercial or single-family residential swimming pool exclusively with natural gas, propane or electricity, is a habit that is not sustainable.  Help Break the Habit! Reduce Costs. Save Money. Live Green. Swim Warm

If your school has become accustomed, by habit, to a heated swimming pool with the convenience of “anytime heat” from a natural gas, propane, or electric heater, it’s time to change. Help Break the Habit and consider the sustainable benefits of hybrid solar pool heating.

By creating a hybrid solar pool heating system through the addition of polypropylene solar thermal panels designed specifically to heat swimming pools, in conjunction with the existing natural gas, propane or electrically powered pool heater, you get the best of both worlds with a five-year payback.

A hybrid solar pool heater provides;

A. The most cost effective “primary” swimming pool heater: Solar pool heating for “free heat from the sun”

B. The most convenient “back-up” swimming pool heater:  Your existing natural gas, propane or electric pool heater for “anytime heat” for times when solar will not be enough.

C. The most sustainable “primary” swimming pool heater: Solar pool heating for “CO2 emissions-free heat”

A typical gas pool heater uses around 8 therms per square foot of pool surface per year to maintain a constant temperature of approx. 80 degrees F (this varies depending upon local microclimate conditions.)

CO2 emissions from gas pool heaters are around 11 pounds per therm.

Olympic-size pools generally have about 12,000 feet of surface area and are typically heated for daily use, year round.  A hybrid solar pool heating system can reduce 40% to 60% of the annual gas used to heat a year-round pool (the solar contribution is even higher for pools that are NOT heated year-round and can range up to 100%). Now THAT’S sustainability!

A hybrid solar pool heater on an Olympic-size pool heated year-round with natural gas would save between 35,000 to 55,000 therms per year of gas and reduce carbon dioxide emissions between 400,000 to 600,000 pounds per year.

The possible reductions for smaller-sized commercial or single-family residential swimming pools heated exclusively with natural gas, propane or electricity would be directly proportional.  Help Break the Habit! Reduce Costs. Save Money. Live Green. Swim Warm

Hybrid solar pool heating with polypropylene solar thermal panels is so cost-effective that to achieve the same economic and sustainability benefits through the reduction of the same number of therms of gas and the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions by a Solar Photovoltaic System (PV) for creating electricity or a Solar Domestic Hot Water System (DHW) for providing hot water for washing and bathing, would cost 10 times as much money for that system.  So you get 10 times the “bang for the solar buck” when you invest inhybrid solar pool heating with a five-year payback. That’s why hybrid solar pool heating using polypropylene solar thermal panels is the most cost effective and sustainable use of solar technology. Period.

So from a sustainability perspective, shouldn’t your school be thinking about hybrid solar pool heating? Help Break the Habit!

And for students thinking “beyond your campus”, consider earning extra money as a Sustainability Agent-of-Change by participating in our Sustainability Off-Campus Outreach Program.

Let us help you Break the Habit! Contact Jody Gorran, Campus Coordinator for Aquatherm Industries Inc. on our Campus Sustainability Projects facebook page link or at jgorran@warmwater.com  While still a small sustainable company, we are the largest US manufacturer of polypropylene solar thermal panels for hybrid solar pool heating of commercial and residential swimming pools.   www.hybridsolarpoolheating.com

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Lynchburg College has saved 3.6 million kWH in electricity and 13.3 million gallons of water in the last two years (2010-2011), for a dollar savings of about$454,000, thanks in large part to continuing campus-wide retrofits completed as part of LC’s $4.65 million commitment to reducing energy use.

The savings in electrical use were accomplished with retrofitted lights and heating and cooling systems and are equivalent to burning 49,677 100-watt incandescent light bulbs continuously for one month. Because of fluctuations in weather and electric rates, not all that savings can be attributed to conservation efforts, but the vast majority does represent the installations of more efficient electrical systems and lighting.

The savings in water came from the installation of low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets, as well as “smart” irrigation systems have also decreased water usage and are equivalent to 3.2 million flushes in two years.

These upgrades will pay for themselves in eight to nine years with the amount of energy the College will save.

LC is also preventing 5,348 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere every year, or the equivalent of:

Planting 1,215 acres of trees, or Removing 980 cars from the road, or Saving 607,000 gallons of gasoline, or Powering 741 homes annually.

For more information, check out their other Green Initiatives.

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Bridgewater College plans to save 50 trees this year.

In its ongoing mission to make the college environmentally responsible and sustainable, Bridgewater has instituted a campus-wide printing system that eliminates laser printers from labs and classrooms and replaces them with 15 printing kiosks located throughout the campus. The new printing system is expected to reduce printing and paper use by 30 percent. The system is anticipated to  save paper equivalent to approximately 50 trees each academic year.

Also, the paper used in the kiosks contains 50 percent recycled materials.

Students are able to wirelessly send documents to the kiosks for printing from anywhere on campus or print documents from a USB at any kiosk. Since the college doesn’t use printing to generate revenue, only a small fee is charged per printed document with the system – about eight cents for black and white and 45 cents for color. Students’ printing accounts will be preloaded each semester with a stipend of $5.

“The college has undertaken this initiative to enhance its sustainability efforts,” said Terry Houff, chief information officer and director of Bridgewater’s C.E. Shull Information Technology Center. “People tend to print a lot of material without thinking twice about whether it is necessary. The new system will challenge everyone to consider what can be used electronically rather than in paper form.”

The system itself is called WEPA, which stands for “Wireless Everywhere, Print Anywhere.” The brainchild of New Jersey-based Heartland Payment Systems, WEPA is designed to eliminate an institution’s dependence on equipment purchases and leases, hardware and software licenses and maintenance and server integration fees, all the while offering students enhanced convenience and cutting-edge printing technology.

Houff noted that the WEPA method is more economical per page than printing from a personal inkjet printer and that all WEPA kiosks print in vibrant, high-definition color.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,700 undergraduate students.

Learn more about Bridgewater College

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             BRIDGEWATER, Va. – A comprehensive energy audit funded in part by a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund will further Bridgewater College’s ongoing mission to achieve environmental sustainability.

            The audit, which is scheduled to begin in October, will evaluate energy and utility consumption in every structure on campus and prioritize energy uses. Armed with a comprehensive picture of energy consumption, Bridgewater will then implement systems to conserve usage, save natural resources and educate students about energy conservation.

            The audit will be used to identify the highest priority campus buildings for utility submetering, which is important for benchmarking energy use and measuring the results of utility conservation initiatives. Grant funds will also be used to procure and install meters in 13 major buildings.

            Of the project’s $225,000 cost, the duPont Fund provided $150,000. Money from the fund is available only to institutions and organizations that received support from Jesse Ball duPont during the years 1960-64. Bridgewater College is one of only 65 colleges and universities eligible for grants from the fund.

            Teshome Molalenge, executive director of facility support and auxiliary services, noted that the energy audit is vital to Bridgewater’s thrust toward conservation and sustainability. He said that while construction of the LEED Silver-registered Stone Village student residences and the energy-efficient renovation of the Wright-Heritage buildings underscore Bridgewater’s commitment to energy optimization, they were only a first step.

            He said that 80 percent of the college’s buildings are at least 50 years old, with 13 percent exceeding the 100-year mark. Thirteen  buildings – 25 percent of the structures at Bridgewater – account for a combined total of 65 percent of campus energy use. Molalenge said that by monitoring through the use of sub-meters, the college can account for energy use on a time-of-day basis, identify performance problems, guide preventive maintenance, verify energy savings and prioritize energy projects.

            “This audit will provide us both short- and long-term strategies to lessen energy consumption, reduce the college’s carbon footprint, identify energy efficiency measures and provide the energy component for future master planning,” said Molalenge. “We will realize benefits in many ways, including cost savings, the improvement of human comfort and health and, of course, wise stewardship of the environment.”

            In addition to examining energy consumption by reviewing utility bills and services, auditors will examine buildings and the systems that support them, including heating and cooling, lighting and water. Molalenge said the project is expected to take 18 months to complete – one month to finalize the selection of auditors, four months to complete the audit and develop the energy master plan, seven months to install sub-meters and six months to collect and analyze data and prepare the final report.

            Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,700 undergraduate students.

Learn more about Bridgewater College

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My name is Jody Gorran.  For 22 years I have owned a small sustainable manufacturing company.

I am very proud that while still a small business with 45 employees, Aquatherm Industries Inc of Lakewood, NJ is the largest US manufacturer of solar thermal panels for hybrid solar pool heating of commercial and residential swimming pools. We are an associate member of  the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and also a member of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and believe strongly in the concept of sustainability.

Sustainable development has been described as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  It’s like a stool with three legs:

1. Protect and restore ecological systems

2. Improve economic efficiency and

3. Enhance the well-being of all people.

We think of ourselves as a sustainable company.

A. Solar pool heating is the most cost effective use of solar technology today.

B. Payback averages 5 years and can be as little as 3 years. It is very economically efficient.

C. We reduce the use of fossil fuels and eliminate the production of an enormous amount of CO2 effecting climate change.

D. As a vertically integrated manufacturer, the vast majority of plastic scrap that we produce is re-processed on site into additional product.

E. We care about our employees and provide them with good compensation including health insurance and a 401 K program.

F. Our distributors and dealers earn a good living and support their families by selling and installing our products.

If we can increase awareness of what our products have to offer, we can increase demand and “create more jobs”.  It is not easy today being a small manufacturer. “Proudly made in the USA”

In an effort to help showcase hybrid solar pool heating as a viable project for campus sustainability efforts and help promote the campus sustainability movement to a potentially larger audience, we created a blog and called it “Campus Sustainability Projects”. We’d also like to attract and pay environmentally-conscious students to promote hybrid solar pool heating off-campus.  We believe that as a company, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our employees and the public and that we can do well by doing good.

Visit our Blog’s Home Page at www.campussustainabilityprojects.org

I ask for your help in letting others, including students and administrators, as well as friends and colleagues at other schools, know about the site.

Thank You for your Help!

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The University of Louisville’s Clinical and Translational Research Building has received a top rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit agency based in Washington that promotes sustainability in building design, construction and operation.

The building has received a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, one of the council’s highest designations.

Only 33 research buildings in the United States have earned the same certification, and UofL’s eight-level, 288,000-square-foot building at 505 S. Hancock St. is believed to be the largest, said Stephen Cotton, assistant director of university planning, design and construction.

The use of energy-saving natural light was a key factor in designing the $143 million, state-funded biomedical research facility, which opened in October. A reflective roof keeps down heating costs while special louvers and light shelves control the amount of sun entering the building. Another system in the building turns off electric lights when they aren’t being used.

Condensed water from the air conditioner is used to irrigate the building’s landscaping, and built-in showers and bicycle racks make it easier for employees to avoid driving to work.

UofL is pursuing LEED certification for three other projects, the renovations of its dental school and Duthie Center for Engineering and construction of its Level 3 biosafety lab at ShelbyHurst.

“Not long ago, we promised that UofL would become a sustainability leader,” said UofL President James Ramsey. “It’s rewarding to get verification from the nation’s most respected green building organization that we’re moving in the right direction.”

The U.S. Green Building Council established the LEED rating system in 2000. Businesses, schools, government agencies, stores and homes can apply for certification through the program, but must meet strict criteria before they can qualify for a certified, silver, gold or platinum rating.

Learn more about Sustainability at University of Louisville

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The Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library is a nationally recognized educational resource that provides FREE bicycle use and repair assistance to students, faculty and staff at the University of Kentucky.

USE:The core of the program is a bicycle recycling system that takes abandoned bicycles from the campus and recycles them into the campus fleet. See how it works.

REPAIR: In addition to the bicycle library, WWBL also operates an on-campus bike shop and offers bike maintenance workshops.

Learn more about Sustainability at the University of Kentucky

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Water

Current and planned efforts for water include:

• The Department of Student Housing, Facilities Operations, and KU Memorial Unions have installed fixtures to reduce water consumption throughout campus.
• Facilities Operations limits watering turf to high profile areas and uses an integrated pest management system, which reduces the use of pesticides that can contribute to water pollution.
• The KU Park & Ride lot was designed with bioswales to slow and filter runoff from the facility.
• A series of rain gardens and swales will be installed on west campus between the new School of Pharmacy building and the Structural Biology Center to improve stormwater management.
• Design & Construction Management, the Center for Sustainability, Recreation Services, the Kansas Biological Survey, and other campus departments have provided support for the KU Student Rain Garden and the Potter Lake Project, student initiatives that address water quality and conservation.

For more information about water conservation, visit their Green Guide website about water.

Learn more about Sustainability at University of Kansas

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Iowa Memorial Union Dining

The Iowa Memorial Union dining services has made a special commitment to including local foods in dining and catering. In addition to including produce from the UIEC Student Garden in IMU menu offerings, the amount of local foods-within about a 500 mile radius-purchased for catering and dining has increased to around 52%, based on dollars spent.

Other IMU dining service sustainable actions of note:

• Features Fair Trade coffee exclusively.
• Converted to biodegradable take out containers and utensils.
• Catering service donates any leftover food to Table to Table, a local food recovery organization.

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Green Building

Illinois is committed to sustainable building design.  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facility Standards and Design Guidelines were recently updated to require all new construction and major renovations over $5 million be certified at a minimum Gold level building under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.  All projects less than $5 million are asked to design to Gold standards, but are not required to be certified.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign completed construction on the Business Instructional Facility(BIF) in 2008, which received Platinum level LEED certification.  The facility is expected to consume 75% less energy than the average older campus buildings.  The University Student Dining and Residence Hall project is expected to achieve a LEED Silver rating, and several other projects are in the planning stages that will pursue LEED accreditation.

Learn more about Sustainability at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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University of Illinois President Joe White has directed that all new construction projects and major renovations meet LEED silver. This is in line with the Green Building Guidelines for State Construction which have been mandated for all new state-funded building construction and major renovations of existing state-owned facilities. Therefore, future new construction, remodeling, and renovation projects of $5 million or greater will be LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified.  New construction, remodeling, and renovations totally less than $5 million should comply with the LEED® Silver requirements to the greatest extent practicable.  Therefore, buildings will be constructed to be significantly more energy efficient than the current standards and may utilize renewable energy.

The renovation of Lincoln Hall, completed in 2009, will be at least LEED Silver certified. A geothermal system will be used for heating and cooling. The existing window panels will be removed and replaced with an insulated glass curtain wall. Points will be claimed for proximity to alternative transportation, reducing the heat island effect through a white roof, water efficient landscaping, low flow water fixtures, optimizing energy performance and utilizing on-site renewable energy – possibly photovoltaic cells on the roof, enhanced refrigerant management, recycling of construction waste, building reuse, recycled content in materials, low-emitting materials, and controlled lighting and thermal systems.

The renovation of Douglas Hall, scheduled to begin in 2010, will be at least LEED Silver certified. A geothermal system will be used for heating and cooling. The well field for this system is already being constructed along with the well field for Lincoln Hall. The existing window panels will be removed and replaced with an insulated glass curtain wall. Points will be claimed for proximity to alternative transportation, reducing the heat island effect through a white roof, water efficient landscaping, low flow water fixtures, optimizing energy performance and utilizing on-site renewable energy – possibly photovoltaic cells on the roof, enhanced refrigerant management, recycling of construction waste, building reuse, recycled content in materials, low-emitting materials, and controlled lighting and thermal systems.

Learn more about Sustainability at University of Illinois at Chicago

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