Sustainability at Rensselaer

ECAV Breakdown of anticipated LEED points

Elly — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:51:44 +0000

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)
Fundamental refrigerant management (REQ)
Optimize energy performance by 17.5% (3)
Enhanced commissioning (1)
Enhanced refrigerant management (1)

Materials and Resources

Storage and Collection of Recyclables (REQ)
Regional materials-20% extracted, processed, and manufactured regionally (2)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Minimum IAQ performance (1)
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) control (1)
Outdoor air delivery monitorin (1)
Increased venilation (1)
Construction IAQ management plan
- during construction (1)
- before occupancy (1)
Low-emitting materials
- Adhesives and sealants (1)
- Paints and coating (1)
- Carpet system (1)
- Composite wood and agrifiber products (1)
Indoor chemical and pollutant source control (1)
controllability of systems- thermal comfort (1)
Thermal comfort
- design (1)
- verification (1)

Innovative Design

40% H2O

EMPAC Breakdown of LEED Points

Elly — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:12:05 +0000

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)
Minimum energy performance (REQ)
CFC reduction in HVAC and ref. equiptment (REQ)
Energy Performance 20% below baseline (2)
Additional commissioning (1)

Materials and Resources

Storage & collection of recyclables (REQ)
Construction waste management: divert 50% from disposal (1)
Material reuse 5% (1)
Use of Recycled Materials (1)
Regional materials: 20% materials obtained within 500 mile radius of the site (1)

Indoor Environmental Quality

Minimum indoor air quality performance (REQ)
Environmental tobacco smoke control (REQ)
Outdoor air delivery monitoring (1)
Construction IAQ management plan (1)
Indoor chemical and pollutant source (1)
Increased ventilation (1)
Thermal comfort design and verificatio (1)
Low Emitting Material
- adhesives and sealants (1)
- paints and coatings (1)
- carpet systems (1)
- composite wood and agrifiber products (1)

Innovative design

LEED accredited professional (1)

Current Initiatives

Elly — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:36:22 +0000

Green Building + LEED certification

East Village Athletic Center

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:19:48 +0000

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.

Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:12:06 +0000

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.

Solar Energy Studies

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:00:27 +0000

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.

Individual Building Energy breakdown

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:27:13 +0000

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.

Past Initiatives

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:41:57 +0000

Retro commissioning

The correlation between research grants and energy consumption

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:26:50 +0000

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.

Campus Energy Consumption

Elly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:01:07 +0000

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