Going Green @ Haverford

The student environmental group, Earthquakers, has been ruffling a few feathers. In fact, they kept Facilities Management running the entire spring semester.

The sustainability program at Haverford employs two students as ‘Energy Czars. It’s a quirky little job. Each evening students patrol campus, checking to make sure lights are turned off, sinks aren’t  dripping, windows are closed etc. They also check building temperatures, which is where facilities enters the picture. Protocol is, that if a temperature is significantly out of range (80 degrees) the Energy Czar sends a list to the work order system and it’s adjusted remotely. Well, they were inundated with emails. It ended up that they had to have someone work on it for an entire day to make sure all temperatures were reset. Other responsibilities include slipping notes under doors urging offenders to turn off lights when they leave. My email in box received so many messages, I decided to change the contact information and direct them to the Greening Haverford site. A drawback of working on a very small campus is that everyone knows who you are. I was getting flagged down left, right and center questioning why we were doing this. The credit for stirring the pot goes to Charlotte Lellman and Jasmin Parker. Nice job!!

Another project they spear headed was researching alternatives to paper towels on campus. They would like to see the removal of paper towel dispensers currently in residential and academic building to reduce Haverford’s carbon footprint as well as cost to the school. Their action plan consisted of installing one Xcelerator hand dryer to compare costs and energy use with new paper towel dispensers installed elsewhere on campus. They also proposed installing cubbies and hooks to encourage students to build their habits around using their own towels. Credit here goes to Lydie Costes, Eve Gutman and Sarah Wolberg.

Congratulations to a semester well done!

For more information about Earthquakers, their projects and member ship, visit the website below.

www.haverford.edu/greening_haverford/student_environmental_groups/earthQuakers/index.php

A month ago the Haverford Board of Managers approved the college’s Climate Action Plan. The plan is a huge step towards reducing the college’s carbon footprint because it clearly outlines the current carbon emissions, the best strategies for mitigation of emissions over time, and methods to track the progress of these mitigation efforts over time.

By far the largest contribution to emissions is purchased electricity, which is responsible for nearly 50% of the college’s total emissions. Strategies for mitigation include improving the efficiency of utilities, modernizing heating infrastructure and installing renewable energy systems on campus.

You can check out the plan for yourself on CER’s website under “News and Updates.”

If the possibility of seeing an actual silver squirrel was your reason for viewing this post, I advise you to look elsewhere. For everyone else, I have great news about the progress of the Green Office Program at Haverford.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, the Chemistry Department and the KINSC Administrative Office for becoming the first 3 offices to become Silver Squirrel certified as part of Haverford’s Green Office Program.

Established at the beginning of last semester, the Green Office Program seeks to make departments and administrative offices on campus more green. The program provides a checklist of sustainable actions. Examples of these actions include:

“We recycle our small printer cartridges in the green 5 gallon trash can in the Dining Center Lobby.”

and

“As incandescent light bulbs burn out we request CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) from either Facilities Management at facilities@haverford.edu  or Claudia Kent, Sustainability Coordinator at ckent@haverford.edu.”

Departments and offices become certified to either a silver, gold or green squirrel (the highest level within the program) by completing all of the actions within a certain category. The document covers five sustainability categories: Waste Prevention and Purchasing, Energy Conservation, Transportation, Recycling, and Participation.

Congrats to our first 3 offices, and to learn more, click HERE!

I have to admit that part of the reason for this blog is that it keeps Sustainability at Haverford on the college’s main page. Go Green!!

With that little confession out of the way, I’d like to introduce you to the pressure cooker. I’m a big beef and root vegetable person. Stews, soups you name it, it’s on my plate. These types of foods are perfect for the pressure cooker. Okay, you ask, so how does all this relate to sustainability?

Let me give you a little example.  Sunday, with the cooler temperatures, I decided it was beef stew season. I whipped out the pressure cooker, chopped the vegetables and threw everything in. 10 minutes to achieve pressure, 16 minutes cooking time. Voila!  Mouth watering stew. Gone are the days of letting it simmer for hours. Less simmering, less energy. Pressure cookers, because you use very little liquid, maintain most of the vitamins and minerals. You also keep good vegetable color.

Also gone is the somewhat volatile nature of the appliance. I’ve never seen it, but I believe there is an I love Lucy episode where it exploded and she had food dripping off the ceiling. Pressure cookers today are state of the art, you really can’t go wrong.

I’ve added a couple links below. The first, gives you all the benefits of using a pressure cooker, including the environmental and economical. The second is an article I found in Organic Gardening Magazine by Lorna Sass. Sass has written several books on pressure cooking, two of which I own, and has really perfected the technique.

With local food markets and home vegetable gardens, the pressure cooker is the perfect compliment to anyone’s kitchen.

missvickie.com/library/whyuseapc.html#Safe%20and%20Dependable

www.organicgardening.com/cook/cooking-under-pressure

A couple years ago, the Director for the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, Parker Snowe, approached me with the idea of greening the CPGC. He described it as wanting to “walk the walk” when it came to sustainability. Of course I was intrigued, I’m always up for suggestions on how to make Haverford more sustainable. The seed that CPGC planted several years ago has grown into a program that CER is proudly launching this fall. The Green Office Program.

Departments that sign up are given a checklist and ways to make their offices more sustainable. You could go for Silver or Gold Squirrel Certification or the granddaddy…”Green Squirrel.” For more information and how to get started, visit the Greening Haverford website.

In the garden

Haverford College’s Sustainability Website “Greening Haverford”  is up and running.

Anything you ever wanted to know about Sustainability at Haverford is posted on the new site. Questions about recycling?? It’s there!  How about energy conservation or local food? We have information and links to relevant sites.

“Ask the Green Squirrel” will answer any obscure (and not so obscure) questions you may have and the suggestion box is awaiting any ideas.

Take a look, we think you’ll like it.

www.haverford.edu/greening_haverford/

Facilities Management Department has developed an Energy Conservation Awareness Initiative to help mitigate the unprecedented escalation in energy prices that has occurred globally in recent months.

 As we face this challenge, we are calling upon our campus community to support this campus initiative by implementing simple changes in energy utilization behaviors that can positively affect operating costs and the environment while relieving some pressure on institutional resources.   We have identified four major awareness components of this program below.

 Wintertime Energy Conservation Guidelines

 Adjust Office and Building Temperatures to 68 Degrees Fahrenheit

Buildings that have centralized temperature controls will be set at a temperature of 68 degrees.   This includes administrative, academic, residence and athletic facilities.

• In buildings and rooms with thermostats that are not centrally controlled, individual occupants should manually set the temperature to 68 degrees
• Building occupants are encouraged to remove all items that block heating registers, radiators and baseboard radiation strips to allow proper heating distribution and air circulation to each space.
• The campus community is encouraged to close all exterior windows and doors in order to minimize heat loss from buildings.   Doors should not be propped open.   Operations staff members are requested to make sure that roll-up overhead doors remain closed in loading and receiving areas while not in use

 Minimize Use of Space Heaters

• It is estimated that there are many space heaters on campus.
• Building occupants are encouraged to minimize the use of electric space heaters

Summertime Energy Conservation Guidelines

 Adjust Office and Building Temperatures to 77 Degrees Fahrenheit

• Buildings that have centralized temperature controls will be set at a temperature of 76 degrees his includes administrative, academic, residential and athletic facilities.
• In buildings and rooms with thermostats that are not centrally controlled, individual occupants should manually set the temperature to 76 degrees.
• Building occupants are encouraged to remove all items that block cooling and return registers to allow proper cooling distribution and air circulation to each space.
• The campus community is encouraged to close all exterior windows and doors in order to minimize the loss of cooled air from building.   Doors should not be proper open.

Adopt a 10-Minute Lighting Guideline

• Building occupants are requested to adopt a “10-Minute Lighting Guideline” and turn off lights if you are leaving a room for more than 10 minutes.
• Additionally, building occupants are also requested to turn off lights in areas with adequate natural lighting and consider using task lighting instead of overhead lights in areas without natural daylight.

Thank you for your support and continued dedication in helping the College to succeed in this critical effort.

Energy Saving Tips

 Students, faculty and staff can help the energy conservation effort by following these tips:

 Copiers & Printers

      Think before you print!  Print and copy as little as possible.

      When you must print, do it double-sided.

      Edit on screen, not on paper.

      Save to disk instead of printing on paper.

      Use e-mail to minimize paper use and don’t routinely print e-mails.

      Send and store documents electronically instead of on paper.

      Designate a box for scrap paper and use it for printing all drafts or unofficial documents.

      Circulate documents instead of making an individual copy for everyone.

      Reuse envelopes by placing a new label over the old address.

Heating and Cooling:

      Dress appropriately to the season and keep thermostats set at 68 degrees.

During the heating season, open blinds, drapes and curtains to let sun in.   If cloudy, close them to keep the heat in especially at night.

During the cooling season close blinds, drapes and curtains to block direct sun.

Use hot water sparingly.

Lights:

      Turn off unused or unneeded lights.

      Use natural lighting instead of electric lighting whenever possible.

      Try task lighting and reduce overhead lighting.

      If you have a desk lamp, make sure it uses a fluorescent bulb.

      Don’t use table lamps unless illumination from the lamps is actually needed.

“10 Minute Rule” Please use the 10 min. rule:  If you do not plan to be in your room, or office for more then ten mins. Turn off your lights

Windows and Doors:

      Keep windows and doors closed in heated and air conditioned areas

      Close vestibule doors when propped open.

      Keep rollup doors closed in shipping/receiving area closed when not in use.

Report Energy Waste

Please report instances of energy waste to the Office of Facilities Management (610-896-1100).

Guidelines for Electric Space Heaters

The first phase of the HC Energy Conservation Program is to garner support from the campus community by creating greater awareness, and identifying simple ways in which the campus can contribute.  Minimizing the use of space heaters was identified as a key component to the energy conservation initiative.   Space heathers are a very costly means of heating, therefore, we should optimize their utilization by using them as a temporary solution, pending the repair or adjustment of a building’s main heating system.

In addition to the cost of operation, space heathers can also represent potential fire hazards.   Therefore, we should also be mindful of the safety guidelines related to space heater use.

Safety Guidelines for Space Heaters:

• No liquid fueled space heaters (e.g., kerosene heaters) are to be used in any College building.
• Heaters must meet the following characteristics:
  • Have UL approval
  • Have heating elements that are protected from contact
  • Be tilt-proof (when tipped over the heater turns off)
  • Have adjustable heating controls
  • Three feet of clearance is required around all space heaters.  NOTHING may be placed on, over, above, or around a space heater.
  • Space heaters are only used while under direct supervision.
  • When not in use, the space heater shall be unplugged from the wall electric outlet.
  • Extension cords are not to be used with space heaters
  • Space heaters may not be tipped over or positioned in any way other than intended.
  • The user should inspect the space heater daily for cord cracks, hot spots, or signs of wear.  Any deficiencies shall be reported to the Office of Facilities Management, ext. 1096.
• For additional information on safe space heater usage, please contact the Office of Safety and Security at extension 1111

What if I already have a space heater?

Electric space heaters should be used in areas where a space temperature of 68 degrees is unattainable:

• Privately owned space heaters should be taken home by the owners.
• All College-owned space heaters that are currently in buildings on campus should be unplugged and placed in storage in each department/work area.   If no space exists in the department or work area, please alert Facilities, who will store the device.
• If you believe your space heater does not meet the aforementioned Safety Guidelines for Space Heaters, it should be removed from use completely.

Are You Cold?

In efforts to conserve energy the College is asking that temperatures be maintained at 68 degrees.   Please confirm the following before seeking additional assistance:

• Area rugs or carpet are not pushed under baseboard heating strips
• Furniture is at least six inches away from any baseboard heat unit.
• Windows and doors are closed.
• If located within your area, please confirm that the thermostat is set at 68 degrees.

If you are still cold and you believe your office is colder than 68 degrees, please contact your department unit head or director (or his/her representative).  In a residence hall, residents should contact the ORCD Senior Staff member on duty.   If required, they will place a call for a heating Work Order to the Office of Facilities Management at ext. 1351.   The Office of Facilities Management will respond and follow their procedures for performing a temperature evaluation.   If possible, Facilities Management will attempt to adjust the temperature using the building’s heating system.

If it is determined that the temperature cannot be maintained using the building heating system, the College may, on a case by case basis, approve temporary use of space heaters.

The use of space heaters in academic, administrative, and athletic building will also require prior approval of the department’s unit head or director.   The use of space heaters in residential building will also require prior approval by the Senior Staff member on duty.   The department unit head or director (or his/her representative) and residence hall Senior Staff members on duty are responsible for compliance with the space heater guidelines in their respective areas of responsibility.

When no longer required all space heaters in academic, administrative, and athletic buildings shall be returned to the unit head or director (or his/her representative).   When no longer required, all space heaters in residential buildings shall be returned to Senior Staff member on duty.

Are you Too Warm?

Sometimes adjustments are needed to a building’s heating system.  If you believe your office is too warm, please contact the Office of Facilities Management at extension 1096.  In a residence hall, residents should contact the ORCD Senior Staff member on duty.   If required, they will place a call for a heating work Order to the Office of Facilities Management at extension 1096.

In efforts to conserve energy, please remember:

• Heating and cooling systems should not be used simultaneously.

Opening windows and doors is a waste of energy.   The heating system will continue to operate and try to maintain the thermo

The U.S. Green Building Council and the Princeton Review recently released a Guide to 285 Green Colleges. Haverford is described as having “so many accomplishments on its green scorecard that it’s hard to know where to begin”. Learn more>

The Dining Center will be going trayless on Tuesdays starting April 13, 2010. Each tray washed uses 1/3-1/2 gallon of water and demands energy to heat the water and run the dishwasher. That’s $0.50 in energy, water, detergent, and labor costs per rack of dishes.

Not using a tray in the Dining Center comes with big benefits:

• If every dining center customer uses a tray, it costs $843.75 per week – or $27,000 per year – in energy, water, detergent, and labor costs.
• Going trayless could reduce food waste by 25-30%

Brought to you by EarthQuakers, CER, and the Dining Center.

Questions? hcearthquakers@gmail.com

Bob Harper

Bob Harper, the  Manager of Central Heating plant and HVAC Services, just clued me in on a great energy web site. I had been attempting to convert oil and natural gas into BTU’s and provide greenhouse gas emissions per-thousand square feet (yeah, I know!!) for the college. He told me not to be insulted but directed me to www.eia.doe.gov/kids/index.html .  What a great site for explaining energy in simple and easy terms.

So the next time you need to know where natural gas comes from, what states produce oil or if you’re just in the mood for energy sudoku, check out this site.