Policy Alternatives -- Civil Society Initiatives:
The Greening of Institutions and the
Emergence of Grassroots Carbon Activism
Building Momentum for Campus Sustainability at MIT:
Integrating with the Core Academic Mission and
Engaging Students
Steven M. Lanou
Deputy Director - Sustainability Program
Environmental Programs Office
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
617-452-2907 slanou@mit.edu
What Does Campus Sustainability Mean at MIT?
 Minimizing our campus energy and
environmental footprint
 Building and strengthening a local community
 Leading by example
 Creating a learning laboratory – “mens et
manus”
 Enabling and facilitating community aspirations
Key Players in our Campus Sustainability
Community
Top Level Leadership
Student
Groups
and Activities
Environmental
Programs
Office EHS HQ Office
Academic
Departments
Department
Initiative
Staff Organizing
Student Action
Department
of Facilities
Schools and
Departments
Core
Mission
A More
Sustainable
Campus
Division of
Student Life
(Housing,
Dining,
Athletics)
MIT Energy
Initiative
Local
Organizations
Other
Operational
Departments
Setting the Stage at MIT
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158 academic buildings
12 million sq feet academic space
153 urban acres in Cambridge
20,000 person campus population
Over 2,000 research labs
District steam, chilled water & electricity
Utilities purchased for FY07 $60M+

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$31.7M natural gas (2.9 million mmbtu) FY06
$9.4M electric (80 GWh of 200 GWh total) FY06
$3.8M oil (0.4 million mmbtu) FY06
$4.2M water and sewer FY06
 Building energy intensity

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Campus average 373 kbtu/sf/year
Typical wet lab 1200 kbtu/sf/yr
Bldg 39 2600 kbtu/sf/yr
Typical dorm (unairconditioned) 150 kbtu/sf/yr
 Historical 1M sq ft of new space/decade
MIT Campus: A Microcosm of Our Global
Challenge
 MIT targeting energy and climate issues
 Aligning research, education, walking the talk
 A learning laboratory for local & global change
 Students play key role in all aspects
 Pushing the envelop on all frontiers
MIT’s Sustainability Challenge
MIT's Recycling Rate and Amounts Have Increased
Dramatically Since 2000, While Overall Trash Discards
Have Declined
- Achieving 40% Recycling Goal in 2005 8000
50
7035
6881
7000
40
6000
5176
5132
27
5000
11
648
993
1329
1667
15
1871
10
5
0
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Year








25
20
12
2000
35
30
3288
16
3000
1000
4851
22
4000
45
40
5788
Tons Recycled
Tons Trash Discarded
Percent Recycled
MIT uses 350 million gallons of water annually
Generates nearly 16,000,000 lbs of trash per year
…and over 270,000 lbs of lab chemical waste per year
Produces thousands of cu/ft of other regulated lab waste
annually
25% of MIT community drives to campus alone
But 75% take the T, carpool, bike, walk, etc. versus 45%
nationally
Of over 100 campus vehicles, only 3 use alternative fuel
Energy, energy, energy…
Our GHG Challenge
GHG Reduction Scenario
(1990 levels by 2015)
Equivalent
Metric Tons
CO2 Reduced
 Building consumption 90%
 Transportation (including
commuting) 9.5%
200,000
150,000
50,000
100,000
60,000
50,000
5,100
53,000
0
Reduction Source
 Solid waste 0.5%
CO2 EMISSIONS FROM MIT CAMBRIDGE CAMPUS
(Calculated 1990-2005; Estim ated 2006-2020)
Co-gen Expansion (16MW)
Sustainable Building Design
Energy Conservation Programs
Renewable Power Investments
500,000
You Are Here
450,000
168,000 Ton
Reduction Needed
for 1990 Levels
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
Fiscal Year
Utilties
Transportation
20
20
20
18
20
16
20
14
20
12
20
10
20
08
20
06
20
04
20
02
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
0
19
90
Equivalent Metric Tons CO2
400,000
MIT Air Travel
Now Add
20% More!
What Are We Doing About Sustainability?
 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
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MIT's Recycling Rate and Amounts Have Increased
Dramatically Since 2000, While Overall Trash Discards
Have Declined
- Achieving 40% Recycling Goal in 2005 -
MIT’s trash to waste has gone down
Solid waste goes to waste-to-energy facility
Comprehensive recycling program established
Our recycling rate has gone up…to over 40%
We now compost over 20 tons of food waste per month
8000
50
7035
6881
7000
40
6000
5176
5132
27
5000
16
11
648
993
1329
1667
15
1871
10
5
0
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Year
Tons Recycled
Tons Trash Discarded
“Green Procurement” policy in place
Pollution prevention program formalized – Green Chemistry
Re-use listservs and furniture exchange in place
Water use on campus reduced 60% from 1990 to 2005 levels: that’s
over 40 million gallons saved a year!
 Stormwater runoff significantly reduced
 Waste vegetable oil to biodiesel in the works
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


25
20
12
2000
35
30
3288
3000
1000
4851
22
4000
45
40
5788
Percent Recycled
What Are We Doing About Sustainability?
 Minimizing Transportation Impacts
 Aggressive transportation demand management programs – including
MIT subsidized T-Passes, rideshares, van pools, Zip Cars, GoLoco –
have significantly reduced the passenger miles driven by the MIT
community, and resulted in MIT being distinguished as a “Best Work
Place for Commuters” by the EPA.
 MIT adopted several alternative-fuel vehicles, including campus utility
vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) & hybrid.
 MIT and the City of Cambridge awarded an EPA grant to install
advanced diesel pollution control devices on their fleets.
 Renewable, plant-based biodiesel fuel has been introduced into MIT’s
fleet. Student run waste vegetable oil processor coming.
 Student-led efforts have shaped new commuting and parking options
What Are We Doing About Sustainability?
 Adopting Sustainable Design
 Because building energy use contributes heavily to our ecological
impact, MIT has made a commitment to build more sustainably.
 MIT’s Institute building construction guidelines specify that all new
construction and major renovations strive for LEED Silver certification or
better. Ready for revisiting.
 The Brain and Cognitive Sciences Building was recently awarded
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver
certification. The Stata Center was designed to meet LEED Silver.
 An anticipated LEED Gold Sloan School building and a new graduate
dormitory expected to surpass Silver are in the works.
 Our new Center for Cancer Research lab is hitting fume hood & HVAC
use head-on.
What Are We Doing About Sustainability?
 Implementing Cleaner, More Efficient Energy Systems
 Co-generation technology in the power plant has saved money,
reduced fuel consumption, and drastically reduced air pollutants
from the conventional systems.
 With co-generation MIT reduced - in the short-term - greenhouse
gas emissions by 32%. Over 60,000 tons a year!
 Solar panel and algae bioreactor installations on campus have
further demonstrated the reality of zero emission power
generation and advanced control technologies.
 Energy conservation programs have been effective…but limited.
We are now ramping up significant, new pilot programs.
How to Deepen Sustainable Practices?
Work both the top
and the bottom
Engage top level leadership by
linking operational objectives to
academic mission
Demonstrate pilot project success &
highlight actual savings/impacts
Build the grassroots by actively engaging student and
broader MIT community participation
Engage Leadership through Linking Operational
Objectives with Academic Mission
 Energy Initiative: President Hockfield’s signature research initiative
 A call to action for MIT to tackle the global “energy crisis”:
 “The need for workable energy options is perhaps the greatest single
challenge facing our nation and the world in the 21st century”
 The gist: how to meet growing energy demand without destroying our
world’s resources = sustainable energy
web.mit.edu/mitei
Energy Council
Research
Education Task
Force
Campus Energy
Task Force “Walking the
Talk”
MIT Energy Initiative: Walking the Talk on Campus
 Extending research impact by demonstrating sustainable energy
practices on campus and integrating education opportunities
 Leading and educating by example: MIT taking action to reduce its
own campus energy foot print through:

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Making a commitment
Investing in energy conservation
Increasing energy efficiency
Applying advanced energy technologies
Embracing sustainable design
Applying innovative financial strategies
Opening our campus as a learning laboratory
Creating campus-focused energy research and education opportunities
 Using greenhouse gas emissions & student engagement as some
metrics of our progress
Pilot Success: A Steam Trap Demonstration Project
A dramatic increase in energy efficiency was
demonstrated after steam traps – devices to
regulate steam use - were replaced in one of two
identical dorms. Steam use in Building 62
(indicated by the black line) was reduced by
nearly 50% and was responsive to changes in
outside temperatures.
This year: all academic buildings renewed
for $700,000 savings = 1 year payback!
Show the Data: A Chemical Fume Hood Example
Expect annual cost savings upwards of
$100,000 in Dept. of Chemistry
alone…more opportunities abound.
Document the Obvious (Lights Out 16-56)
 Two webcams in Stata Center & Occupant Sensors in 16 & 56
 capture photos every 20 minutes between 9pm and 4am
 Threshold algorithm detects whether lights are on and matches them to rooms
 Java software computes lighting usage and sends weekly emails to participants
Engage the Entire Community
 First 2 years: a focus on the engineered solutions for energy
conservation
 Current priority: the community solutions
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Individual actions that make a difference for energy conservation
A need to engage the entire MIT community in their “place”
Build awareness, inform, enable, and empower individuals
greeningMIT logo strengthening community of action
Harness the Local Culture: Revolving Door Analysis
As seen in…
If everyone used the revolving doors at E25 alone, MIT would save almost $7500
amounting to nearly 15 tons of CO2. And that’s just from two of the 29 revolving
doors on campus!
Avenues for Student Engagement in Sustainability
 Researching
 Learning
 Doing
 Leading
 Driving
Research
Education
& Learning
Campus
Operations/Campus
Greening
How We Engage Students On Campus
(and Get Engaged by Them)
 “Formal” education channels
 Course curricula
 Class projects (5.92, S-Lab)
 Special modules (FPOP DEEP)
 Faculty-sponsored research (CS-UROPS)
 “Informal” education channels
 Explosion of volunteer activities & internships
 Student clubs: SAVE, SfGS, Sloan EE, Energy Club
 MIT Generator
 MIT Pledge
Classwork – Undergraduates
Energy, Environment & Society (5.92)
 First Year Students
 Project-Based Learning
 Interdisciplinary
Key Lessons
Projects
 Freshman exceed expectations
 MIT Wind Capacity
 Meaningful results for partners
 Waste Heat from MIT
Nuclear Research Reactor
 Sufficient guidance is key
 Renewables Capacity at
Cambridge High School
 Bring new students into network
Classwork – Lab for Sustainable Business
(S-Lab)
Carbon Mitigation Projects Matrix
Key columns
Totals
Project
category
Project description
Fac Eff
Cogen. Plant Expansion 16MW, 300,000 pph
Fac Eff
Window Film Application
Fac Eff
Retrocommission Six Buildings
Fac Eff
Lighting Occupancy Sensors
Fac Eff
ROI
132,164
CO2
Reduction
MTCO2e/yr
NPV per
MTCO2e
%52.27%
of Total
MIT CO2e
2003
8%
53,086.13
40%
110.98
$148,647
233%
16,776.82
$503
6.64%
63%
5,026.04
$992
1.99%
Laboratory Fume Hoods Upgrade & VAV Controls
19%
4,274.88
$267
1.69%
Fac Eff
Continuous Commissioning of Buildings W35 & 18
302%
12,522.20
$244
Fac Eff
Continuous Commissioning of Four More Academic
133%
10,017.76
$229
Fac Eff
Re-Lamp / Re-Ballast Campus-Wide
Fac Eff
Steam Trap Retrofits
Fac Eff
Add Heat Recovery to Building 13
Fac Eff
Air Handler Low Drop Filters and Coil Cleaning
Fac Eff
Fac Eff
Fac Eff
$103,721,140 $16,284,745
Annual
Installed
Energy
# of Units
Cost
Saving $
21.00%
$78,000,000
$6,500,000
$10,000,000
$4,000,000
6
$600,000
$1,400,000
9,867
$1,609,820
$1,006,933
500
$4,000,000
$750,000
4.95%
2
$165,000
$499,102
3.96%
4
$300,000
$400,000
0.04% 2,400,000
16%
1,570.64
$133
0.62%
50,000
$2,500,000
$390,000
119%
8,184.59
$248
3.24%
3,000
$302,000
$360,000
1
$2,000,000
$225,000
$150,000
$150,000
11%
9,093.98
-$43
3.60%
100%
604.09
$1,366
0.24%
Underground Steam Pipe Insulation
35%
4,546.99
$117
1.80%
1,800
$400,000
$140,000
Add Heat Recovery from Lab Exhaust Systems
Incandescent Light Bulbs to CFL Retrofits (Task
Lighting)
13%
4,092.29
-$11
1.62%
5
$750,000
$100,000
70%
212.04
$1,269
0.08%
5,000
$75,000
$52,650
FPOP DEEP@MIT
Pre-freshmen get DEEP into energy and environment
 Freshmen Pre-Orientation Program = Discover
Energy & Environmental Programs
 Leading faculty presentations on global climate issues,
research, classes
 Calculation of own “carbon footprint”
 Learning about MIT’s own energy use & CO2 emissions
 Dorm building audit: heating loss, water & electricity use,
trash and recycling
 Leads to sets of recommendations for improvements
 New addition to programs on literature, engineering
and outdoor adventures
Campus Sustainability UROPs
Education Office
UROP = Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
 >80% of MIT undergraduates do at least one
Project Examples
 Green Roof Feasibility
Analysis
 Lab HVAC Assessments for
Energy Conservation
Undergrad
Student
Faculty
Advisor
Operations
Advisor
EPO Sponsorship/MITEI Coordination
Environmental Programs Office
 Recycling Systems &
Communications Analysis
Graduate Thesis or Independent Research
Student Campus Energy Project Grants
Wind Turbine Competition
Energy Mapping Project
Campus Climate
Awareness Project
Revolving Door
Behavioral
Change
Campaign
MIT Generator
UA Campus Energy and
Environment Pamphlet
Appliance Use
Energy Audits and
Case Studies
http://mit.edu/mitei/campus/project-fund.html
Students Embrace the Campus
as a Learning Laboratory
 Student interest in on-campus energy and
environmental performance has skyrocketed
 Driven by desire to:
 Walk the Talk on campus and affect change in their
community
 Create a unique space to apply MIT-honed creative
problem-solving skills
 Develop and test emerging leadership abilities
 Build collaborative bridges across academy and
administration
 Lead the way on campus for win-win solutions:

Reduce energy use and costs

Educate the community (and themselves)

Minimize MIT’s climate footprint

Create smarter, more efficient campus
The MIT Generator exists to unite and catalyze student
groups working on local energy, environment, and
sustainability projects with a campus focus
Operations
Education
Research
Our vision is for MIT to be a living laboratory, where the
campus itself is a development site and proving ground
for student leadership and innovative policies, practices,
and technologies
MIT Student
Pugwash
SAVE
Sloan Net
Impact
SfGS
S*
LFEE
Generator
Events
UA
committee
Energy
Club
EPO
Generator - Nov 14th
Re-Generator - Feb 12th
Earth Week - April 23th
Facilities
Vision 2015
Mapping
Vision 2050
Energy Audits and
Assessment
Closing the
Loop
Transportation
Course
Dorm Electricity
Solar Electric
Vehicle Team
Biodiesel
Biodiesel
Fume Hoods
???
 8 week undergraduate competition:
Saved over 230 megawatt/hours (over $30,000)
Enough to power 21 homes for a year
Created education and awareness
Sustainable Transportation Through Policy:
1.963 A Sustainable Transportation Plan for MIT
6 credits, 2-0-4 (G), W 2:30-4:00 PM, Rm. 1-132
John Attanucci, Research Associate, Center for Transportation and Logistics
Lawrence Brutti, Operations Manager, MIT Parking & Transportation Office
Goal: Evaluate and recommend alternative
commuter and business-related transportation
policies for the MIT campus, with an emphasis
on reducing transportation-related energy usage
in a sustainable manner in response to President
Hockfield’s “Walk the Talk” energy initiative.
Source: Collegehumor.com
 This student team really wanted to get their
hands dirty and make a difference
 Setting the gold standard for student
leadership, commitment and organization
 Created whole new campus community
 Established new model for bringing change
 Leading faculty member: “Don’t let these
proposals gather dust!”
MIT group strikes oil, wins "eco-grant"
A plan to turn used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel has
won a group led by MIT students a $25,000 "eco-grant"
and a concert to be headlined by Angels & Airwaves.
Campus Energy Mapping
Lessons to Share
 Aligning operational goals with core academic
and educational mission increases its power
 For academics and educators, knowing the
rhythms of operations is critical
 Student learning is optimized through a mix of
informal and formal opportunities for learning
and leadership
 Persistence, vigilance, and constant “linking”
are key to keeping the threads together
Some campus links you should check out:
 http://mit.edu/environment
 http://mit.edu/facilities/environmental
 http://mit.edu/mitei/campus
 http://sustainability.mit.edu