Sustainability at Rensselaer

Sustainable Sites:

• Erosion and sedimentation control (REQ)
• Site Selection (1)
• Development density and community connectivity (1)
• Alternative transportation
  • Public transportation access (1)
  • Bicycle storage and changing rooms (1)
  • Low emission and fuel efficient vehicles (1)
  • Parking capacity (1)
• Stormwater design- quantity control (1)
• Stormwater design- quality control (1)

Water Efficiency

• Water efficient landscaping
  • reduce by 50% (1)
  • No potable water use or irrigation system (1)
• Waste water reduction 30% (2)

Energy and Atmosphere

• Fundamental commissioning of the building energy systems (REQ)
• Minimum energy performance (REQ)

Category: Sustainable Sites

• Construction activity pollution prevention (REQ)
• Site selection (1)
• Within 1/2 mile of public transportation (1)
• Bicycle racks and showers (1)
• Alternative fueling station (1)
• Minimal parking lot and designated carpool spaces (1)
• Site development: protect or restore habitat (1)
• Site development: maximize open space (1)
• Stormwater design: quality control (1)
• Stormwater design: quantity control (1)
• Heat island effect: non-roof (1)

Water Efficiency

• Water efficient landscaping (2)
• water use 30% below baseline (2)

Energy and Atmosphere

• Fundamental systems building commissioning (REQ)

Green Building + LEED certification

• LEED certification
• Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC)
• East Campus Athletic Villiage (ECAV)

The EVAC plans to receive LEED Silver Certification for New Building Construction by addressing the six core categories laid out by the United States Building Council: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design. Click here for a Complete breakdown of Points the EVAC anticipates.

The Empac received LEED Certification for New Building Construction by addressing and following through on the six core categories laid out by the United States Building Council: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design. Click here for a Complete breakdown of Points the EMPAC received.

The panels that were installed next to the VCC to power the computers are going to be used in a Solar Energy Study to determine whether it is worth it to have rotating panels that follow the path of the sun, as opposed to panels that remain stationary. The study will include the cost of the equipment, set-up, as well as the added maintenance of moving parts.

When investing time and money into energy conservation initiatives, it is important to have a broader understanding of your project so that you can identify the easiest ways to make significant changes. This graphic is a breakdown of each individual building’s energy usage on RPI’s campus, in the form of a pie chart, so that it is easy to see which buildings are getting the biggest piece. As you can see, there are 4 buildings that use almost half of the total energy usage on campus, the Center for Industrial Innovation, the Jonsson Engineering Center, the Cogswell Laboratory, and the Materials Research Center. Small changes in the way these buildings are run can have a significant result.

Retro commissioning

• 1993 Dormitory Authority Loan
• 1996 NYS Power Authority Loan
• Success in the Union Troy Cogswell Chillers and DCC

Recently a study was done to show that the amount of research grant money awarded to RPI corresponds to the amount of energy we use on campus. The idea came about when the research labs were identified as energy hubs on campus, and proves that this is an area where RPI could make significant changes. Often when RPI gets research grants, the money goes towards a machine that has to run for months at a time. However, the money does not pay the additions to the utility bill, and of course it doesn’t pay for the impact this has on the environment, so it is up to Utilities Management to provide tips on how to minimize their energy usage.

• Live Energy Feedback System: coming soon!
• Annual Graphs
• History of Energy Use on Campus
• The correlation between research grants and energy consumption