Norfolk State University
Climate Action Plan
September 2009
Leadership through Advocacy and Proactive Communication
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Contents
Acknowledgement…………………..……………………………………………………………3
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4
Study Background ........................................................................................................................... 5
Methodology: GHG Emissions Inventory ...................................................................................... 6
Findings: GHG Emissions Inventory ............................................................................................ 11
Climate Action Plan ...................................................................................................................... 18
Immediate Action Items (2010-2015) ....................................................................................... 18
Formation of a Sustainability Council ................................................................................... 18
Building-related Actions........................................................................................................ 19
Transportation-related Actions .............................................................................................. 20
Recycling-related Actions ..................................................................................................... 21
Mid-Range Action Items (2015-2020) ...................................................................................... 21
Building-related Actions........................................................................................................ 21
Transportation-related Actions .............................................................................................. 22
Recycling-related Actions ..................................................................................................... 22
Long Term Action Items (2020-2030) ...................................................................................... 22
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 23
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 24
Tangible Action: LEED Silver Certification ............................................................................. 24
Tangible Action: Energy Star rated equipment ......................................................................... 26
Tangible Action: Public Transportation .................................................................................... 27
Tangible Action: Waste Minimization ...................................................................................... 27
2
Acknowledgement
The University acknowledges the significant contributions provided by Moseley Architects who
organized and analyzed the raw data, conducted consultations regarding the establishments of
proposed action plans and offered recommendations addressing the creation of institutional
structures to guide the development and implementation of a climate action plan. These
contributions have been incorporated in this document and into the University’s compliance with
the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment.
3
Executive Summary
As a Charter Signatory of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
(ACUPCC), Norfolk State University recognized the challenge of global climate change and
accepted responsibility for addressing green house gas emissions related to University
operations.
As part of our commitment, NSU undertook a green house gas emissions inventory, spanning the
years 2000-2008. The results of this inventory indicate the largest emission source on campus is
the electricity use of the built environment (56%), emissions from faculty, staff and student
commuting (35%). All other emissions sources amount to 9% of the total.
NSU has also agreed to initiate two “tangible actions” from a list of seven options provided
within the commitment. The first two tangible actions implemented were the adoption of a
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification policy, and the
adoption of an Energy Star rated equipment policy. The University is currently working on two
additional policies, one related to transportation issues, and the other related to recycling waste
materials on campus.
This report summarizes the processes used to develop the green house gas inventory and outlines
the next steps the University will take to achieve carbon neutrality. The first step is the proposed
formation of a “Sustainability Council”, which would be responsible for overseeing the actions
in this Plan. This Council would report to the office of the University President, and be
comprised of senior administrators, select faculty, and student leaders and form working groups
to focus on the Built Environment, Transportation, and Recycling. Responsibilities would
include data collection, policy development, metric reporting, and curriculum integration. The
primary purpose of a Sustainability Council would be to guide the University to achieving
carbon neutrality and the resultant cost savings.
4
Study Background
NSU became a Charter Signatory of the American College & Universities Presidents Climate
Commitment when President Carolyn Meyers signed the Commitment, thus joining other
institutions of higher learning that formally recognize the scientific consensus humans are
partially responsible for global warming.
According to the http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ website:
The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
(ACUPCC) is a high-visibility effort to address global climate disruption
undertaken by a network of colleges and universities that have made
institutional commitments to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from
specified campus operations, and to promote the research and educational
efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s
climate. Its mission is to accelerate progress towards climate neutrality
and sustainability by empowering the higher education sector to educate
students, create solutions, and provide leadership-by-example for the rest
of society.
The ACUPCC provides a framework and support for America’s colleges
and universities to implement comprehensive plans in pursuit of climate
neutrality. The Commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that
institutions of higher education have as role models for their communities
and in educating the people who will develop the social, economic and
technological solutions to reverse global warming and help create a
thriving, civil and sustainable society.
Being a signatory to the Presidents Climate Commitment obligates the University to develop a
plan addressing:
i. A target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible.
ii. Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to climate neutrality.
iii. Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other
educational experiences for all students.
iv.
Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate neutrality.
v. Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions.
5
Signatories to the President’s Climate Commitment also agree to immediately begin
implementation of at least two of seven listed “tangible actions”. Of the seven possible actions,
NSU has committed to two, and is preparing these policies for approval:
1. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
2. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of “Energy
Star” certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
The University is also considering two other initiatives:
3. Encourage use of, and provide access to, public transportation for all faculty, staff,
students and visitors at our institution.
4. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national “RecycleMania”
competition, and adopt three or more associated measures to reduce waste.
As a precursor to setting a target date for climate neutrality and developing interim targets for
achieving neutrality, a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory was conducted. This
project, which included the usage of electricity, natural gas and water, was developed to identify
historical trends related to carbon emissions and expenses spanning the years 2000-2008.
This document summarizes the results of the GHG Emissions Inventory, and outlines specific
strategies that NSU will adopt to reach the goal of climate neutrality.
Methodology: GHG Emissions Inventory
The University’s GHG Emissions Inventory basic data was provided by the Associate Vice
President and Directors of the Facilities Management Department, and analyzed by Moseley
Architects. In order to develop useful historical trends against which to measure future progress
in emissions reductions, the Inventory included all buildings operated by NSU during the study
years.
The Study Team used the Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) v6.1 Campus Carbon Calculator to
determine the campus-wide emissions levels for each of the study years. Data sources and
calculations used as the basis for entries into the CA-CP calculator are described, as follows.
6
Scope 1 Inventory:
On-campus stationary sources taken into account in the Inventory include boilers using
distillate oil #1-4 (for years 2000-2006) and natural gas fired boilers (for years 2000-2008).
NSU ceased the use of distillate oil in 2006.
In some cases, data for certain buildings for certain months were missing. Instead of assuming
zero gas usage, averages of existing data were inserted as a place holder, according to the
following process:
-
If data were available for the same month in two or more other calendar years, those existing
data points were averaged and used for that month in missing years.
If data were not available for the same month in at least two other calendar years, the rest of
the annual data for the year of the missing month was averaged and used for the missing
month.
Exceptions were made to the above processes as follows:
-
-
Gas consumption information at Echols Memorial Hall (laundry), Norfolk Community
Hospital, Hamm Fine Arts (kiln), Hamm Fine Arts (s/e corner) e2f Super Node Emergency
Generator, President’s Residence, Police Headquarters, and McDemmond was sporadic. In
those cases, the information that was provided was averaged to the best extent possible (for
example, if there were two years of January, one of March, two of April and one each of
July, November, and December, the two years of January and April would be averaged and
added to the rest of the months and the sum be divided by six) and this averaged number
would be placed in every missing month.
Where Echols Memorial Hall (laundry), Norfolk Community Hospital, and Hamm Fine Arts
(kiln) were missing whole years of data, the average of the years where data existed was used
for the missing years’ averages.
The master spreadsheet used to calculate campus totals differentiated actual reported values and
averaged placeholder values, such that it is clear which data is “real” and which data is
“calculated.” Subsequent to the completion of the initial inventory, the University was
successful in discovering additional data and clarifying certain usage inconsistencies. These
improved data will be incorporated in the next plan update.
7
Direct transportation sources included only University fleet vehicles, most of which use
gasoline as their fuel source. A few use diesel and/or bio-diesel fuels.
Refrigerants and chemicals used during the study period include HFC-134a (reported for years
2005-2008), HCFC-22 (reported for years 2005-2008), and Freon® (reported as “other” for years
2000-2008). Because no data was available for years 2000-2004 for either HFC-134a or HCFC22, a combination of the reported years’ usage was entered as a placeholder. There are no
reliable records available regarding which specific refrigerant is being referred to by the term
Freon (which is a trade name that has been applied to a variety of CFC and HCFC refrigerants
manufactured by DuPont).
Fertilizer application data was provided by NSU grounds keeping staff. All fertilizer
applications were with 0-0-8 organic fertilizer (0 nitrogen content).
Scope 2 Inventory:
Purchased electricity totals were generated by logging monthly electricity usage data for each
building on campus for the study years. This data has been listed on NSU spreadsheets which
were derived from utility invoices and websites.
In some cases, data for certain buildings for certain months were missing. Instead of assuming
zero electricity usage, averages of existing data were inserted as a place holder, according to the
following process:
-
If data were available for the same month in two or more other calendar years, those existing
data points were averaged and used for that month in missing years.
If data were not available for the same month in at least two other calendar years, the rest of
the annual data for the year of the missing month was averaged and used for the missing
month.
Exceptions were made to the above processes as follows:
-
All of the Echols Hall Site electricity data provided was reported as 1,760 kilowatt hours.
Accordingly, this same number was assumed in every missing field.
The Press Box & Dug Out, McDemmond, and Police Headquarters average of 12 month
periods of actual reported data to obtain values for missing months. This assumption was
based on the amount of information (12-13 months) and the consistent way it was distributed.
8
-
The Press Box & Dug Out, and McDemmond did have reported information for two
Novembers, so these two November values were averaged and then an average was taken of
that number plus the remaining ten months in order to determine annual average
placeholders.
The master spreadsheet used to calculate campus totals differentiated actual reported values and
averaged placeholder values, such that it is clear which data is “real” and which data is
“calculated.” Subsequent to the completion of the initial inventory, the University was
successful in discovering additional data and clarifying certain usage inconsistencies. These
improved data will be incorporated in the next plan update.
Scope 3 Inventory:
Faculty/Staff commuting miles were calculated by identifying how many faculty/staff were
employed for each year, and then estimating that 95% would drive to work alone in their
personal vehicles. Of the remaining 5% of faculty and staff, 3% were estimated to carpool, and
2% were estimated to ride the bus. The number of weeks per year that faculty commuted to
work was based on the academic calendar for faculty. For staff, commuting weeks per year was
based on the average work calendar, with an estimated two weeks of vacation per year.
Commuting distance was estimated at 30 miles each way, with one round trip commute
occurring per work day.
Faculty/Staff bus miles were placeholder estimates by the study team, as actual data is not
currently available regarding faculty/staff bus commuting patterns. Note that in the CA-CP v6.1
calculator, bus miles are added into faculty/staff commuting miles.
Student commuting miles were calculated by identifying the actual number of parking decals
sold in a given year. Of the decals sold, 10% were estimated to be used by carpoolers, and the
remaining 90% were estimated to be used by single-occupancy vehicle commuters. Distance
from home to campus was estimated by the study team as 30 miles each way, with one round-trip
commute per day accounted for in this study’s emissions estimate. Commuting weeks per year
were summed by using the academic calendar for each year.
Student bus miles were calculated for each year by subtracting the number of resident students
from the number of students that did not buy a commuter decal, and dividing by the total number
of students. The resulting percentage is the theoretical “bus ridership” population. This
percentage was lowered by 4% to account for the possibility of pedestrian and bicycle
commuters. Note that in the CA-CP v6.1 calculator, bus miles are added into student commuting
miles.
9
Faculty/Staff air travel miles were provided by an agency that handles faculty and staff air
travel for NSU, CI Travel, for the subject years. The value logged for the tear 2000 was a simple
average of the eight years of provided data.
Solid Waste tonnage data was based on University records.
Electricity Transmission & Distribution losses (related to Scope 2 usage) were estimated through the
use of the CA-CP calculator.
10
Findings: GHG Emissions Inventory
The 12 emission sources contributing to NSU’s “carbon footprint” were analyzed at several
different levels of detail.
As shown in Figure 1, emissions were grouped by scope, to determine which scope was the
largest contributor to NSU’s overall emissions. When the data is aggregated and viewed in this
graphic format, it is clear Scope 2 (purchased electricity) and Scope 3 (mainly commuting to and
from campus) emissions are the largest contributors to NSU’s carbon footprint. It should be
noted within Scope 1 emissions, the use of Freon (a CFC refrigerant) may still occur on campus,
although in small quantities.
Figure 1
11
The major contributors within each scope were also analyzed for 2008:
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
12
The data from Figures 2, 3 and 4 indicate;
-
The major Scope 1 contributor is Natural Gas,
-
The major Scope 2 contributor is Electricity, and
-
The major Scope 3 contributor is emissions from student commuting followed by
emissions from faculty and staff commuting.
A more detailed examination of data revealed how much the individual emission sources have
been contributing to the overall carbon footprint over the nine year study period (Ref. Figure 5).
This graphic representation clearly indicates;
-
Electricity usage as the major contributor (46%)
-
Commuting by students, faculty, and staff is the second largest contributor (35%)
-
Natural gas, used to heat buildings and provide domestic hot water, contributes 10%
-
The remaining 9% includes emissions from land filled waste, campus fleet vehicles, air
travel, fertilizers and refrigerants.
The University recognizes the most progress and greatest savings could be achieved by
addressing the consumption of natural gas and electricity. NSU is also cognizant of potential
savings by addressing the lesser contributor to the carbon footprint.
13
Figure 5
This portrayal of the data serves to illustrate the relative magnitude of each contributor has
remained fairly stable over the last nine years. There have been increases in natural gas
consumption, and electricity usage. Student commuting and faculty/staff air travel has decreased
slightly. There is no single contributing area that has shown growth or decline that significantly
outpaces the other contributors.
Note: Natural gas consumption has increased due to conversion from fuel oil fired furnaces to
state of the art natural gas fired boilers. This trend is expected to increase as new buildings are
erected and equipped with natural gas fired boilers.
14
Two additional common trends analyzed by signatories to the ACUPCC are emissions per
enrollment and emissions per 1,000 square feet of campus buildings:
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 6 displays Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per full time enrollment trends increasing
slightly upward, while CO2 emissions per 1,000 square feet have decreased in recent years. The
emissions per full time enrollment trends may be partly due to enrollment being slightly down
during the later study years. Due to increased square footage, and more efficient buildings, the
emission of CO2 per 1,000 square feet has lessened. This listing displays the relative magnitude
of emission trends over time, grouped into three major categories:
1) Building Related
a) Electricity used 42%
b) Oil Distillate #1-4 and Natural Gas 10%
c) Electricity T&D losses 4%
2) Commuting Related
a) Commuting by students 24%faculty and staff 11%
b) Commuting by faculty and staff 11%
3) Other
a) Fugitive emissions of methane due to land filling of waste 5%
b) Fertilizers and refrigerants 2%
c) Fleet Vehicles 1%
d) Air travel by faculty and staff 1%
15
Figure 8
Norfolk State University
2008 Emissions by Category
metric tons of CO2-equivalent
Other
9%
Commuting
Related
35%
Building
Related
56%
Figure 9
16
As illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the building-related category is clearly the largest contributor to
NSU’s carbon footprint, and the emissions are trending in a significantly upward direction in the
most recent years. Commuting related emissions are significant, but stable. Other contributions
are relatively minor in comparison to the two main categories, and are also stable over the study
period, with a slight downward trend in the last two years.
Although the greatest number of assumptions in developing the raw data was made in the
“commuting” category, the study team has assured the University the assumptions are valid. In
subsequent study years, it will be important to collect more accurate data to ensure emission
reduction efforts in this arena are demonstrably effective. Such data will be incorporated into the
next update.
17
Climate Action Plan
Immediate Action Items (2010-2015)
Formation of a “Sustainability Council”:
The University recognizes a program of this magnitude will require a high level committee
staffed with senior administrators, select faculty, and student leaders, which reports directly to
the Office of the University President. For purposes of initial discussion the committee has been
labeled as “Sustainability Council”, with the understanding the President and selected members
may choose another title. The committee would be responsible for implementing the
University’s Climate Action Plan and achieving the required results.
One option the Council may consider exploring is the formation of an “Office of Sustainability”,
which reports directly to the University President with direct access to the Facilities Management
Department.
The Council should be expected to first address these actions items:
-
Develop a sustainability component in NSU’s Master Plan
Develop sustainability policies, in addition to those addressed in the “Tangible Action”
portion of the ACUPCC.
As the program expands its influence, the Council may choose to address these goals:
- Develop data collection procedures sufficient to eliminate the need to make assumptions in
data collection & reporting.
- Develop and report annual sustainability metrics to the University President and to the
campus community.
The Council will also be responsible for future updates to the Climate Action Plan, including the
biennial updates. Data acquisition via utility websites, degree days, and dossiers for each
structure may be considered as a means of increasing interest and identifying sites achieving
significant improvements or requiring additional attention. Consideration of submeter
installations may serve to develop increased focus on new systems or suspected poor performing
units. Faculty members of the Council would be encouraged to integrate subjects relating to
“global climate change” and problem-solving into their curricula.
18
Building-related Actions:
In 2007, Governor Kaine signed Executive Order 48, Energy Efficiency in State Government,
which set specific goals for state agencies and institutions with respect to energy savings,
purchase of renewable energy, EnergyStar, LEED certification, and transportation energy use. In
2008, the Department of Engineering and Building issued DEB notice 120108 – Virginia Energy
Conservation and Environmental Standards in the Construction and Professional Services
Manual. This document set minimum standards for energy conservation and environmental
performance for all new and renovated state-owned facilities over 5,000 square feet.
In 2009, Governor Kaine signed Executive Order 82, which expanded upon his previous Order to
address Environmental Management Systems and Policies; raised the third-party certification
goals for all new and renovated state-owned facilities over 5,000 square feet; prescribed
additional energy savings and reporting goals; and introduced a Green Commonwealth
Challenge for agencies and institutions.
Consistent with these goals, requirements, and the ACUPCC goal of climate neutrality, the
University should focus on the campus built environment as their highest priority.
The Sustainability Council may consider establishing a “Built Environment” working group to
embark on the following priorities:
-
Conduct a detailed audit of building energy and water consumption patterns. This audit
should include submetering of a representative sample of campus building systems, at a
minimum, and should include the buildings with the highest energy usage per square foot as
determined by spreadsheet calculations.
-
Conduct a detailed audit of building envelope conditions. This audit may include visual
inspections of building envelope conditions that may contribute to energy inefficiency, as
well researching the thermal efficiency of envelope elements.
-
Based on the results of the two aforementioned audits, determine which buildings need the
most immediate attention from an energy and water performance perspective and identify
specific upgrades that should be made.
-
Based on the results of the two aforementioned audits, the Built Environment working group
should also make recommendations to the Sustainability Council regarding green building
policy language.
-
Conduct an inventory of refrigerant use and phase out CFC based refrigerants.
19
-
Identify equipment using more than manufacturer recommended amounts of refrigerant;
repair or replace all leaking equipment
Computer resources within the built environment can comprise a substantial portion of the
building’s overall energy usage through both plug loads and HVAC loads, the Built Environment
working group may also embark on a “Green IT” initiative to manage real and phantom loads
generated by computer usage. Topics to address might include:
-
EPA EnergyStar Computer Settings
-
Virtual Servers
-
Thin Client Systems
Finally, it is imperative that the building users become aware of how their actions affect the
overall energy consumption of a building. The Built Environment working group should
investigate methods to modify user behaviors. Initiatives to investigate include:
-
Building dashboards, which report real time energy and water usage (and can evoke friendly
competitions between building occupants.
-
An education campaign, which may include signage or events across campus.
-
The introduction of sustainability into curricula, including prerequisite courses for all
entering students.
Transportation-related Actions:
Transportation related emissions are the second largest source of emissions at NSU. The
Sustainability Council should establish a “Transportation” working group to initiate an in-depth
study of student and faculty travel patterns to better understand these contributions before
developing strategies to reduce transportation-related emissions. Depending on the results of this
study, opportunities to reduce transportation related emissions may include:
-
Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to better understand the commuting patterns
of students and of faculty/staff; work with local government officials to improve both mass
transit and bicycle infrastructure between the University and areas with a concentration of
trip generation potential.
-
Increasing distance-learning opportunities for students, as an alternative to driving to
campus.
-
Purchasing hybrid-electric or all-electric campus fleet vehicles.
20
-
Launching a public awareness campaign around low-emitting fuel-efficient vehicles.
-
Providing preferred parking for low emitting fuel efficient vehicles and/or carpools.
-
Partnering with local bus service to provide free or reduced-fare rides for NSU faculty, staff
and students.
-
Promoting faculty and staff telecommuting opportunities
-
Investigating the sale of single-use parking permits, for use when an “alternate commuter”
must drive to campus.
Recycling-related Actions:
The flow of materials through a campus can be tremendous, and much of the materials coming
onto campus as a useful resource end up leaving the campus as trash. Accordingly the
Sustainability Council should form a “Materials Flow” working group, whose initial efforts may
center on separating the trash from the recyclables. The initial action items for this working
group may include:
-
Installing campus-wide recycling infrastructure and launching a public awareness campaign
around recycling.
-
Participation in RecycleMania.
Additional action items for this working group may include a more complete inventory of the
material flows through campus (including food products) to identify other areas of potential
improvement.
Mid-Range Action Items (2015-2020)
By 2015, the Sustainability Council will be expected to be a well established campus entity, with
additional audits, inventories, and strategies developed by the group. The list of items below is
intended to serve as a general indicator of the direction the campus should be heading by this
time, and will necessarily be updated by the Sustainability Council in the interim years.
Building-related Actions:
New construction projects should be powered by mostly renewable energy either on-site or
purchased.
Existing buildings should be retrofitted through energy efficiency upgrades and the addition of
onsite renewable energy sources to reduce purchased power by 50 percent compared to a 2010
baseline.
21
All new construction should have an emphasis on passive solar and active solar strategies, with
integrated metering systems that allow the campus community to view energy consumption
patterns.
Transportation-related Actions:
- Expand on-campus and near-campus housing options.
-
Provide pedestrian and bicycle routes throughout campus, with gateway connections to the
neighboring community.
-
Expand distance learning offerings.
-
Work with the local community to promote ridership and expand offerings of mass
transportation options.
Recycling-related Actions:
Recycle, reuse, or compost at least 75% of the “waste” generated or brought to campus.
Long Term Action Items (2020-2030)
Because of rapidly changing codes, challenges, rating systems, and technologies, it is difficult to
predict with any degree of accuracy what strategies will be applicable at this future date.
22
Conclusions
Norfolk State University has completed several significant steps towards eventual climate
neutrality, including the
-
Completion of a 9-year emissions inventory.
-
The proposed LEED Silver Certification Policy.
-
An Energy Star rated equipment policy.
-
Adoption of this initial Climate Action Plan, and
-
The implied commitment to continue working on this issue until climate neutrality is
achieved.
In researching emission patterns on the campus, it became clear to the study team the
predominant emission source is the energy used to power the buildings on campus, and the
pollution generated by individuals driving to and from campus. It also became clear to the study
team the University has been developing data collection practices for the major metrics required
by a green house gas inventory.
The formation of a campus Sustainability Council, reporting directly to the office of the
University President, will be an essential step towards eventual climate neutrality as will the
creation of specific metrics and institutionalized data collection methods. The Sustainability
Council will be expected to promote the inclusion of a sustainability component in the campus
Master Plan, the development of campus-wide sustainability policies, additional audits and data
reporting, and updating this Climate Action Plan every two years.
In order to successfully achieve neutrality, the Sustainability Council should consider three
working groups: Built Environment; Transportation; and Recycling. These working groups will
develop specific metrics and conduct audits to be used to prioritize specific projects to undertake
in order to reduce energy consumption and green house gas emissions.
The effort to reach climate neutrality will be substantial, and the pace will necessarily be both
measured and purposeful. With the steps already taken to date at NSU, a clear direction and
attitude of determination has been set for the Sustainability Council
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Appendix A
Tangible Action: Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Silver Certification
Proposed Policy regarding LEED Silver Certification for all new construction and major
renovation projects
Approval pending
Responsible Executive: Vice President for Finance and Business
Responsible Office: Office of Associate Vice President for Facilities Management
Related Policy:
Approved-On Date:
Effective Date:
Revision Date:
Policy Statement
All new and major renovation projects of 5,000 gross square feet or greater commencing design
after January 1, 2010 shall be designed, constructed, and certified at the silver level in accordance
with the current version of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) for New
Construction Green Building Rating System, as published by the US Green Building Council.
Scope
Policies and procedures contained herein apply to the Facilities Management personnel
responsible for University capital projects.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to assure that University projects comply with the commitment made
by the Office of the President upon becoming a signatory of the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment (for additional detail, see
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/).
Additionally, this policy demonstrates compliance with Executive Order 82 (2009), which states:
All executive branch agencies and institutions entering the design phase for
construction of a new building greater than 5,000 gross square feet in size, or
renovating such a building where the cost of renovation exceeds 50 percent of the
value of the building, shall meet Department of General Services (DGS), Division
of Engineering and Buildings “Virginia Energy Conservation and Environmental
Standards” for energy performance and water conservation. In addition, all such
24
buildings shall conform to LEED silver or Green Globes two-globe standards,
unless an exemption from such standards is granted by the Director of the DGS
upon a written finding of special circumstances that make construction to the
standards impracticable.
Furthermore, this policy demonstrates compliance with the Department of General Services
(DGS), Division of Engineering and Buildings “Virginia Energy Conservation and Environmental
Standards” (DEB notice 120108).
Procedures
I.
Project Development
1. During the preplanning study, determine which LEED criteria are appropriate to
address during the design and construction of the project and capture that
information on a preliminary LEED scorecard. Identify any issues that need
resolution prior to the procurement of professional services.
II.
Procurement of Professional Services
1. In all solicitations for Architect/Engineer (A/E) services, the LEED Silver
certification objective will be clearly stated.
2. Selection criteria for A/E services will include demonstrated experience with high
performance building design and the successful completion of the LEED
certification process.
III.
Design Reviews and Approvals
1. At each phase review, an updated LEED Scorecard will be submitted to Facilities
Management by the A/E firm.
IV.
Construction Bids
1. Construction specifications will include, within the General Conditions, a LEED
requirements section that clearly defines the General Contractor’s responsibilities,
as related to LEED documentation.
2. Construction specifications will include, within applicable technical sections,
LEED related requirements and submittals.
3. Provisions for retaining payment to General Contractor shall be indicated in the
project specifications to ensure proper construction documentation.
V.
Project Monitoring
1. Appropriate Facilities Management personnel will be granted access to LEED
Online, to allow for participation in and monitoring of the LEED certification
process.
2. Construction progress meetings shall include updates and discussion on LEED
documentation.
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Tangible Action: Energy Star rated equipment
Policy regarding purchase of energy efficient and ENERGY STAR appliances and equipment
Approval pending
Responsible Executive: Vice President for Finance and Business
Responsible Office: Procurement Services
Related Policy:
Approved-On Date:
Effective Date:
Revision Date:
Policy Statement
Norfolk State University is committed to energy efficiency in its daily procurement of energyconsuming products. All employees with purchasing responsibility or who are involved in
procurement decisions for energy-consuming products are expected to seek out an Energy Star®
labeled model of that product.
Scope
Policies and procedures contained herein apply to the procurement personnel responsible for
University purchases of energy-consuming products. A list of qualifying items can be found on
the Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov)
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to assure the University procurement policy complies with the
commitment made by the Office of the President upon becoming a signatory of the American
College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (for additional detail, see
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/).
Additionally, this policy demonstrates compliance with Executive Order 82 (2009), which states:
Agencies and institutions shall purchase or lease Energy Star-rated appliances and
equipment for all classifications for which an Energy Star designation is available.
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Tangible Action: Public Transportation
Policy regarding access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors to
campus.
Under consideration
Tangible Action: Waste Minimization
Policy regarding participation in Recycle Mania and other waste minimization efforts on campus
Under consideration
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