R∙I∙T Rochester Institute of Technology
Contents
CAP – Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1
Organizational Boundaries ................................................................................................................ 1
Operational Boundaries ..................................................................................................................... 1
Emission Source Breakdown .............................................................................................................. 1
Offsets ................................................................................................................................................ 2
GHG Footprint................................................................................................................................... 3
The Climate Action Planning Process .................................................................................................. 5
The 2011 Climate Action Plan Strategy ............................................................................................. 6
Frequency of Reporting ................................................................................................................. 6
Selection of Target Year ................................................................................................................ 6
Rationale for Selecting 2030 as the Target Year ........................................................................... 7
Creating a Long Term System to Achieve a Zero Emission Campus........................................... 8
Report’s Focus ................................................................................................................................ 9
The Items Deferred Until the 2013 Report .................................................................................... 9
Templates of Action .............................................................................................................................. 9
Facility Operations ...........................................................................................................................10
Mission Statement: ...........................................................................................................................10
Objectives: ....................................................................................................................................10
Suggestions: ..................................................................................................................................10
Facilities Team Proposals ............................................................................................................. 13
Food Service...................................................................................................................................... 14
Mission Statement: ........................................................................................................................... 14
Objectives: .................................................................................................................................... 14
Suggestions: .................................................................................................................................. 15
Food Service Team Proposals ....................................................................................................... 15
Grounds ............................................................................................................................................ 17
Mission Statement: ....................................................................................................................... 17
Objectives: .................................................................................................................................... 17
Suggestions: .................................................................................................................................. 17
CAP – Executive Summary
ii
Grounds Team Proposals ............................................................................................................. 17
Outreach ...........................................................................................................................................18
Mission Statement: .......................................................................................................................18
Objectives: ....................................................................................................................................18
Suggestions: ..................................................................................................................................18
Outreach Team Proposals ............................................................................................................19
New Initiatives ............................................................................................................................. 22
Purchasing ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Mission: ........................................................................................................................................ 22
Objectives: ................................................................................................................................... 23
Suggestions: ................................................................................................................................. 23
Purchasing Team Proposals ........................................................................................................ 23
Sustainable Purchasing Policy .................................................................................................... 24
Specification and Procurement ................................................................................................... 24
Communication and Education .................................................................................................. 25
Tracking and Benchmarking ....................................................................................................... 26
Recycling .......................................................................................................................................... 26
Objectives: ................................................................................................................................... 26
Suggestions: ................................................................................................................................. 26
Recycle Team Proposals .............................................................................................................. 27
Communications ......................................................................................................................... 28
Transportation ................................................................................................................................. 29
Objectives: ................................................................................................................................... 29
Suggestions: ................................................................................................................................. 29
Transportation Team Proposals .................................................................................................. 29
Other ideas.................................................................................................................................... 31
The Effect of the CAP Plan on the GHG Inventory............................................................................ 32
The 2011 Climate Action Plan Projections ...................................................................................... 32
CAP Summary.................................................................................................................................. 32
Next Steps ............................................................................................................................................ 34
The Facility Operations team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: ... 34
The Food Service team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: .............. 36
CAP – Executive Summary
iii
The Grounds team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: ..................... 38
The Outreach team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: ................... 38
The Purchasing team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: ................. 39
The Recycle team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:....................... 39
The Transportation team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures: .......... 40
Contributors ......................................................................................................................................... 41
CAP – Executive Summary
iv
CAP – Executive Summary
ochester Institute of Technology‟s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was completed as part of their
commitment to the American College & University President‟s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
initiative. In 2010 the University inventoried their greenhouse gas emissions and developed a
baseline from which RIT will plan, forecast and measure reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions
defined by the Kyoto Protocol (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, and SF6) as contributing to global warming.
R
This is the University‟s initial climate action plan that forecasts emission reductions using the base year
greenhouse gas inventory for FY 2009 and evaluates the impact of projects, actions and proposals that
are being undertaken to improve operational efficiencies and processes. The Clean Air – Cool Planet
Campus Carbon Calculator workbook was used to develop this report.
Organizational Boundaries
T
T
he GHG inventory and CAP include the emissions generated by the RIT community at the
Henrietta Campus, Boathouse, Racquet Club, Liberty Hill and Observatory sites.
Operational Boundaries
he Operational Boundaries of the GHG inventory indicate which emission sources are part of the
University‟s annual submission to the ACUPCC. These boundaries also indicate the emissions
being managed to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint to its smallest practical value through the
measures enacted in the CAP, before other offsetting measures are undertaken. The emissions recorded
in the inventory are produced by many sources. The combustion of natural gas that is used to heat the
facilities, warm potable water for washing, and energize lab equipment is a major source of annual
emissions. Additional emissions are generated by the gasoline, diesel, B20, airline and other fuels used in
campus-related transportation. Another large source of emissions result from the generation and
transmission of the electricity used for powering equipment, lights and other devices (plug loads) in the
buildings. The application of nitrogen-based fertilizers, the burying of solid wastes in the landfill and other
processes also yield emissions tracked in accordance with the GHG Protocol. All of these emissions are
the greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming and are recorded in the University‟s GHG
inventory. Their quantities were reported in the initial inventory (88,393.2 metric tonnes (Mt) of equivalent
CO2 in FY 2009) and are updated annually to track the change in GHG emissions. In FY2010, the
emissions generated within the Operational Boundaries of the University amounted to 75,221.3 Mt of
equivalent CO2. Explanations for the differences in GHG emissions are detained in the appropriate scope
in the Emission Source Breakdown section of this report.
Emission Source Breakdown
T
he 2009 inventory was made of the sources of emissions within the Operational and Organizational
Boundaries of the study and updated for FY10. The quantified sources were allocated within the
three Scopes following GHG Protocol. Within the Organizational Boundaries of the RIT study,
Scope 1 emissions are generated primarily by stationary sources; heating boilers, potable hot water
heaters, the heating sections of roof top heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) units and other
natural gas combustion equipment. These sources accounted for 22,233.8 metric tonnes of the base year
CAP – Executive Summary
1
emissions and 18,203.2 Mt in FY10. The 18.1% reduction in Stationary Equipment emissions was a result
of having the new centralized boiler system online for the entire fiscal year.
Other Source 1 contributors are produced by directly-financed transportation which are emissions
produced by RIT fleet vehicles, refrigerants leaking into the atmosphere and fertilizers applied within the
boundaries. The sum of these non-stationary sources contributed 1,422.5 Mt of the RIT GHG footprint in
2009 and 997.7 Mt in 2010. There were reductions in all three categories due to decreases in the amount
of recorded direct transportation fuel usage, the quantity of refrigerant used to replace that which leaked
into the atmosphere and the quantity of fertilizer applied as recorded by the Grounds department.
Therefore, the total Scope 1 contribution to the greenhouse gas footprint in 2009 was 23,656 and 19,201
in 2010, which represents a change of -18.8% in the mass of Scope 1 emissions.
Scope 2 emissions are produced by the generation of the electricity purchased for the facilities within the
Organizational Boundaries. The emissions produced by the electric generators for the quantity of energy
purchased by RIT are assigned to Scope 2 emissions while the associated transmission losses are
assigned as part of RIT‟s Scope 3 emissions. Scope 2 emissions accounted for 25,995.7 Mt of the
University‟s greenhouse gas footprint in 2009 and 25,589.6 Mt in 2010, a reduction of 1.6%. The
transmission-related emissions accounted for an additional 2,571.0 Mt in 2009 and 2,530.8 Mt in 2010, a
reduction of 1.6%, which are assigned to Scope 3 emissions.
Additional Scope 3 emissions are produced by faculty, staff and students commuting to the University
facilities for work or classes; University financed air, bus and other travel; and the methane produced by
the solid waste buried in landfills. The sum of all Scope 3 emissions totaled 38,824.1 Mt of the CO2-e
inventory footprint in 2009 and 33,144.0 Mt in 2010. The reduction in commuter-based emissions may be
a consequence of the poor response to the commuter survey. Only 2.4% of students, 10.2% of faculty
and 17.5% of the staff filled out the survey instrument and the results were extrapolated from that small
sample.
Offsets
Offsets are a carbon accounting method by which the footprint of an organization is reduced in response
to the implementation of processes that produce a net reduction in the global mass of CO2-e emissions.
Beginning in 2009, the University has purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) in the form of
green electricity delivered to the main campus. A REC is a non-tangible energy commodity that
represents proof that one megawatt–hour of energy was produced by a renewable energy source such as
wind, solar, biofuel, hydropower, geothermal heat, etc. If the University had not purchase this green
energy its footprint would be greater because the energy would have had to have been produced by
conventional fuels. The offsets attributed to these RECs reduced the GHG footprint by 79.1 metric tonnes
in the base year and 2,545.5 Mt in 2010. The University also received carbon credits for the aerobic
composting of yard waste and waste from the dining centers on the Henrietta campus. The offsets for the
base year were 3.8 metric tonnes of equivalent CO 2 emissions and 167.7 Mt in 2010. The increase in
non-additional offsets was due to an increase in purchase of RECs and the additional offset increase was
due to 30.9 Mt of pre-consumer food waste from campus that was sent for composting and a large
reported increase in aerobic composting.
CAP – Executive Summary
2
GHG Footprint
he 2009 GHG footprint for RIT is shown in Table 1 on Page 3 and Figure 1 on Page 4, the 2010
footprint is depicted in Table 2 and Figure 2. To fulfill the ACUPCC requirements, the University
began evaluating modifications in planning, operations, projects, processes, and procedures to
reduce the greenhouse gas footprint from 88,393.2 metric tonnes of CO2-e emissions to a net emission
value of zero – at which point operations within the Organizational Boundaries become greenhouse gas
neutral. Milestones have been set to achieve carbon neutrality by the end of FY 2030. These milestones
are described in the GHG Targets section of this report.
T
Select Year -->
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
O ffsets
Totals
Energy
Consumption
MMBtu
2009
Other On-Campus Stationary
Direct T ransportation
Refrigerants & Chemicals
Agriculture
Purchased Electricity
Faculty / Staff Commuting
Student Commuting
Directly Financed Air T ravel
Other Directly Financed T ravel
Solid Waste
Scope 2 T &D Losses
Additional
Non-Additional
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
All Scopes
All Offsets
CO 2
CH 4
N2 O
eCO 2
kg
kg
kg
Metric T onnes
420,148.3
6,342.7
326,186.5
182,615.2
225,228.4
32,427.0
1,795.0
32,260.2
22,165,233.6
443,951.5
25,893,166.2
12,806,104.3
15,854,843.3
6,366,638.9
127,929.8
2,560,862.6
2,216.3
74.1
291.0
2,556.8
2,887.0
62.7
16.1
14,967.5
28.8
44.3
26.2
2,309.7
319.7
880.3
1,006.0
72.1
5.9
31.6
426,491.0
326,186.5
474,325.8
1,227,003.2
22,609,185.1
25,893,166.2
37,716,378.9
86,218,730.1
2,290.4
291.0
20,518.9
23,100.3
2,380.2
319.7
1,995.9
4,695.8
Net Emissions:
22,233.8
453.6
280.6
688.3
25,995.7
13,132.3
16,226.8
6,389.7
130.1
374.2
2,571.0
(3.8)
(79.1)
23,656.3
25,995.7
38,824.1
88,476.1
(83.0)
88,393.2
Table 1 – 2009 GHG Data
CAP – Executive Summary
3
Figure 1 – 2009 GHG Data Chart
Select Year -->
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
O ffsets
Totals
2010
Other On-Campus Stationary
Direct T ransportation
Refrigerants & Chemicals
Agriculture
Purchased Electricity
Faculty / Staff Commuting
Student Commuting
Directly Financed Air T ravel
Other Directly Financed T ravel
Solid Waste
Scope 2 T &D Losses
Additional
Non-Additional
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
All Scopes
All Offsets
Energy
Consumption
MMBtu
CO 2
CH 4
N2 O
eCO 2
kg
kg
kg
Metric T onnes
343,982.0
6,223.0
321,090.5
106,824.0
220,428.1
33,237.5
2,434.7
31,756.2
18,147,025.3
437,067.4
25,488,635.0
7,491,159.3
15,551,077.0
6,525,773.5
173,159.7
2,520,854.0
1,814.5
71.1
286.4
1,495.6
2,674.8
64.3
23.4
12,304.2
28.3
36.3
25.2
1,712.1
314.7
514.9
939.5
73.9
8.5
31.1
350,205.0
321,090.5
394,680.5
1,065,975.9
18,584,092.7
25,488,635.0
32,262,023.5
76,334,751.2
1,885.6
286.4
16,590.7
18,762.8
1,773.6
314.7
1,568.0
3,656.3
Net Emissions:
18,203.2
446.4
41.2
510.2
25,589.6
7,682.0
15,897.9
6,549.4
176.3
307.6
2,530.8
(167.7)
(2,545.5)
19,200.9
25,589.6
33,144.0
77,934.6
(2,713.2)
75,221.3
Table 2 – 2010 GHG Data
CAP – Executive Summary
4
Figure 2 - 2010 GHG Data Chart
The Climate Action Planning Process
R
ochester Institute of Technology is committed to conducting its operations in a sustainable way. A
well-developed CAP will advance sustainability, lower emissions, save energy and help the
University conduct its activities in an ecologically and economically sound manner. It also
promotes responsible consumption of resources and environmentally sound practices among all
members of the University and engaged communities.
To maximize the chances of successfully implementing the American College and University Presidents‟
Climate Commitment, five champions were selected from the campus community to co-chair a Climate
Task Force (CTF), representing the education, research, community outreach, facilities, and purchasing
activities of the campus, with the role of CTF task coordination performed by the RIT Sustainability
Manager. These groups of interested individuals engage in diverse roles at the University and are
dedicated to navigate and maintain University‟s successful path toward climate neutrality. The strategies
developed in this CAP are based upon input from nine University teams brought together in the formation
of the CTF. The individual CTF teams have personnel with responsibilities in facility operations,
purchasing, transportation, food service, recycling, grounds maintenance, education, research and
community outreach. Each team was tasked to independently achieve their objectives in preparing a
proposal that fulfilled the following general criteria:
Develop a list of processes, procedures, incentives and resources to identify, promote and
measure opportunities that may lead to reducing the existing footprint of carbon-based
emissions associated with that team‟s focus.
The Climate Action Planning Process
5
Rank the processes, procedures, incentives and resources identified by the team based on
their projected impact on reducing the carbon footprint. Consideration for ranking includes
first costs, annual costs, CO2 reduction potential, implementation feasibility and other
characteristics unique to the measures.
Create an initial strategic plan addressing the requirements for implementing, benchmarking
and quantifying the measures identified in the previous tasks.
Develop a structure to permanently support the carbon emission reduction efforts and the
education of the University and local communities.
In response to this request, each CTF team prepared a report of their measures and submitted them to
the Sustainability Manager who integrated the input from the nine teams into a unified report prepared for
the Committee for Sustainable Practices (CSP) and the Administration‟s approval. RIT‟s initial CAP
submission was originally scheduled for submission in May 2011 but the date has been changed by
ACUPCC. RIT's mandatory CAP delivery date is now January 15th, 2012 with subsequent Progress
Reports due to ACUPCC in bi-annual intervals.
The RIT Sustainability Manager entered the quantifiable opportunities submitted by the teams and
entered it into the Clean Air – Cool Planet Carbon Calculator. Other initiatives proposed by the teams
have been included in this Climate Action Report even though their impact is not currently quantifiable.
The 2011 Climate Action Plan Strategy
This section of the report outlines the University‟s approach in developing and executing the CAP, the
selection of a target year, the initial strategy for creating long term success and a list of the measures that
will be further developed and described in the 2013 CAP report.
Frequency of Reporting
This is RIT‟s first CAP Report prepared for the year 2011 to fulfill the ACUPCC submission
schedule. Accordingly, the follow-up reports will be prepared in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021,
2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029, with the final “Zero-Emission Report” scheduled for 2030. These
eleven reports will reflect the measures implemented and progress occurring since the previous
submission to maintain the University on the pathway to climate neutrality.
Selection of Target Year
A review of CAP reports submitted to the ACUPCC shows the carbon neutrality target years
selected by the reporting universities fall within the years of 2012 through 2050. Those planning
a target year in the near future are reporting well-developed plans to credibly achieve climate
neutrality. Conversely, universities reporting a target year closer to the far end of the range
anticipate implementing aggressive measures towards the end of the reporting cycle. It is the
intent of the RIT CAP team to achieve climate neutrality by the year 2030.
The Climate Action Planning Process
6
Rationale for Selecting 2030 as the Target Year
RIT intends to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. The University recognizes that its commitment
to reduce the impact on global climate disruption requires moderate yet decisive action to
demonstrate its leadership role in the curtailment of emissions supported by reasonable and
measurable annual net reductions. In October 2009, the U.S. President signed Executive Order
No 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance”. Its intent
is to require all federal agencies to lead by example in implementing sustainable practices and
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Executive Order 13514 also establishes that all new
federal buildings must achieve a zero-net-energy by the year 2030. Based on the direction taken
by the federal government, challenges from other universities, growing pressure from internal and
external interest groups, regulatory agencies and calls for leadership from RIT Administration, the
University selected 2030 as the carbon neutrality target date.
As signatories of the AUPCC, the universities have committed to reducing their carbon emissions.
Realistically, there are many obstacles that institutions of higher education face when making
operational changes. A balance must be maintained that keeps a university attractive to
prospective and current students, while meeting programmatic needs within its budget
constraints. The following is a list of known cost-related impediments RIT is assessing that impact
the time schedule and order of implementation needed to achieve carbon neutrality:
Costs associated with upgrading existing equipment to improve the operating efficiency
of campus heating and cooling equipment thereby reducing emissions
Costs associated with improving existing buildings, sealing building envelopes and
improving thermal resistance to reduce energy losses
Costs associated with adding energy-related experts (commissioning agents and energy
analysts) to the physical plant staff to tune energy consuming systems
Costs associated with lowering emissions associated with commuting. This may involve
expansion of local mass transit system, subsidies for using a public transportation and
construction of affordable living quarters for faculty and staff in close proximity to the
campus
Costs associated with buying offsets to neutralize corporate air and land travel
Costs associated with buying Green-E certified power to offset a fossil fuel sourced
electric power that is currently being purchased
Costs associated with buying offsets needed to counter-balance the emissions remaining
after all other opportunities have been exhausted.
The above-mentioned measures alone will not be enough to markedly lower emissions and it is
reasonable to expect that, as new emerging technologies become more affordable, the University
may actively pursue construction and operation of power producing facilities and large-scale
energy storage systems. Those facilities may need to counterbalance the University‟s GHG in all
three scopes until a zero-emission state is achieved. The following list represents some of those
hurdles resulting from implementation of those end-of-the-curve counter measures:
Costs associated with implementation of new technologies, like the “Ice Ball
Technology”, where thermal energy harvested during cold winter months is stored
underground and recovered in the warmer months, thereby reducing energy
requirements associated with the operation of chiller plants
The Climate Action Planning Process
7
Costs associated with erecting and operating wind farms. Wind harvesting offers
opportunities to generate energy at off-campus areas of Upstate NY
Costs associated with installation of a solar photovoltaic power plant. Solar opportunities
exist in RIT‟s geographic area but equipment costs are prohibitive
Costs associated with the construction and operation of the University‟s power plant
running on natural gas. Total electrical energy independence is a logical objective and
should be considered in future plans.
All these factors were considered when selecting year 2030 as the carbon neutrality target date.
Creating a Long Term System to Achieve a Zero Emission Campus
The University sent a representative to the Pre-Conference Workshop “Creating Your Action
Plan: Sharing Best Practices” organized by the AUPCC and held in Denver, Colorado on October
12, 2010. It was suggested at the conference that the focus of the first CAP Report should be
developing the framework for getting the plan to completion, and building a long term system to
support the plan‟s objectives from first report to the target date. Following that format, RIT has
executed the following operational changes and tasks in support of this report:
Critical areas of campus operations affecting sustainability and GHG production were
identified recognizing Facility Operations, Purchasing, Transportation, Food Service,
Recycling, and Grounds Maintenance as key sectors on the road to zero-emission
campus.
Each of these sectors of operation has been thoroughly analyzed and
“templates for action” completed with objectives, suggestions for actions, and list of
deliverables needed to properly execute CAP were developed.
Education, Research, and Community Outreach teams provided the necessary curricular
and social components of sustainability that make progress in reaching the carbon
neutrality by 2030 possible. The outcome of the actions of these teams will impact
emissions reductions but may be challenging to quantify. The University recognizes the
profound importance of these areas and their impact on the University‟s sustainability
performance through behavior change; the development of sustainability practitioners;
advancements in science, research and related innovation; and community education
and outreach efforts. Each of these sectors has been thoroughly analyzed and “templates
for action” - complete with objectives, suggestions for actions, and list of deliverables
needed to properly execute the CAP - were also developed.
A dedicated and permanent CAP Task Force was formed with representation from
Facility Operations, Purchasing, Transportation, Food Service, Recycling, Grounds,
Maintenance, Education, Research, and Community Outreach. This Task Force is
coordinated by the Sustainability Manager.
A new position, Senior Advisor to the President on Sustainability, was developed to
provide leadership across all sectors of the University‟s operations, and to create a
department focused on sustainability, budgetary appropriation and cross-reporting of
sustainability-related communications and promotions.
The Committee for Sustainable Practices has been engaged to act as a guiding body and
steward of the University‟s GHG reduction process.
An RIT Greenhouse Gas Inventory Manual was created to manage the collection of
University emissions data and development of the report. RIT has conducted a voluntary
GHG inventory for 2010 to obtain a second point on the CAP performance curve to assist
The Climate Action Planning Process
8
with planning the GHG reduction. RIT intends to continue to update its GHG inventory on
an annual basis.
Report’s Focus
The 2011 CAP focused on the following activities:
Defining tasks related to the GHG inventory.
Reporting the results of the second GHG inventory in relation it to the first inventory.
Preparing “templates for action” for the identified sectors of University operations.
affecting sustainability and GHG production, and vital to the University‟s curricular,
research and community outreach activities.
Developing a list of intended actions and approaches based on each sectors‟ responses
to their “templates for action”.
Developing a list of projects undertaken to reduce carbon emissions, mainly through
energy efficiency improvements.
Developing a list of projects for future considerations.
The Items Deferred Until the 2013 Report
In this Report, RIT has refrained from making any assumption on implementation of measures
that may create significant impact on GHG reduction but are difficult to quantify at this time.
Projects proposed by the teams that have a predictable high initial cost will be preceded by an
engineering evaluation to assess the cost / benefit ratio of the measure. After this evaluation, the
University may decide on its implementation and determine the timing of the project and its
emissions impact. RIT has decided to look at this initial CAP Report as the basis for thinking and
creativity and anticipates a well-defined list of actions, associated costs and a timeline for
implementation in its 2013 report.
Templates of Action
The following sections highlight the data requested and collected from the Climate Task Force teams
based on prepared “templates for action.” Each team‟s mission statement, objectives, suggestions and
projects are presented.
Templates of Action
9
Facility Operations
Mission Statement:
As the main provider of utilities, Facility Operations assumes a leading role in reducing carbonbased emissions, developing and implementing the best in class environmental practices in
support of the American College & University Presidents‟ Climate commitment.
Objectives:
Develop processes, procedures, solutions, incentives and resources to recognize, measure,
impact, and reduce the existing footprint of carbon-based emissions associated with the
operation, maintenance, and upkeep of the interior and exterior spaces of the facilities and
grounds, along with intra-facility transportation and other processes and systems that fall
within the operational boundaries of the University as declared in GHG Inventory and the
jurisdiction of Facilities
Develop and implement a strategic plan that defines and quantifies processes procedures
and benchmarks addressing the University environmental and energy efficiency goals that
guide the design, upgrades and repair of new and existing facilities, utility systems and
equipment, thereby increasing the efficiency, sustainability, comfort and reliability of the
campus infrastructure
Provide a University structure to permanently support the carbon emission reduction efforts,
utilizing energy analysis, commissioning, reporting and forecasting.
Develop policies guiding the selection and purchase of utilities, cleaning supplies, materials,
fuels, consumables, replacement equipment, vehicles, etc., based on their sustainability,
how they are harvested, manufactured, packaged and delivered and other appropriate
characteristics to minimize their embodied carbon
Develop vital statistics and a collaborative platform to transparently illustrate the progress in
achieving the Climate Action Plan of the University in relation to the responsibilities of
Facilities and the stewardship of land, water and built environments.
Suggestions:
Develop the following sustainable policies and processes for the University facilities
departments and support their proper implementation:
o University Energy Policy: Guidelines and setpoints for maintaining acceptable
internal space conditions, indoor air quality and a system of checks and balances to
continuously assess operations to reduce variation from the norms established by the
policy
o Operation Reporting Procedures: In support of the University Energy Policy,
implement a reporting procedure that will automatically generate daily, weekly,
monthly and annual status reports listing setpoint changes, trending, overrides, alarm
densities and other daily dynamics, along with the number of outstanding HVAC
system alarms remaining in the daily stack, in an effort to quantify the impact of these
changes on the carbon footprint
o Sustainable Construction Policy: An enforceable policy including pre and post score
sheets that calculate the impact of Value Engineering decisions that had taken place
after construction documents
o Contractor’s Performance Integration Policy (CPIP): mandating commissioning of all
deliverables according to University standards and assures results through
contractual contingencies
Templates of Action
10
o
Green Building Policy: Specifications addressing required materials, recycling
content, light transmittance, insulation factors, energy factors, water use minimization
and other sustainable parameters for use in the project design and submittal
documentation, based on the LEED, local and state codes and best practice
recommended for the universities, including:
 Certification of all new and renovated buildings to LEED standard assuring:
Design to a LEED specification with (an initial) minimum
achievement of LEED Silver certification
Design based on a carefully prepared Owner's Project Requirement
(OPR) and Base of Design (BOD) documentation
Designed based on the energy modeling input
Completed with a design thoroughly reviewed by an internal
engineering team
Commissioned with 'zero defect' goal, confirmed throughout a basic
and extended commissioning
Commissioned with full resolution of all punch list items
Followed up with a ten-month-review and survey of building
occupants to establish a level of customer satisfaction in the
building‟s use and its comfort
 Furnishing new buildings with a public display showing a demonstration of
building's energy performance indicative of the energy use by various
normalization factors
 Participation in NYSERDA energy incentives programs
Develop a position for a dedicated Energy Analyst (EA), whose role is focused on finding
system deficiencies and continuous investigative work, problem solving and verification of
corrections, in an effort to decrease emissions throughout the campus
Develop building energy metering systems including:
o Continuous monitoring of its energy sources, including gas, electric, heating and
cooling consumption, renewable energy, and water and sewer usage per each
building
o Meter balance reports to show the accuracy of energy metering, (for example,
compare a total sum of heating energy metered in each building against a total
metered heating output produced at the central plant). Do this for all utility supplies
o Trend and tracking process for each building integrated with the associated energy
benchmarks/profiles to support continuous, intelligent analysis of the energy
consumption and its variations over time
o Development of the utility charges and a department-based billing process based on
network of building-based meters, feeding the data into dynamic matrixes utilized for
implementation of a real-use charges appropriated to the University entities
according to the amount of energy utilized
o Develop media to educate and impact a building occupant‟s behavior with focus on
the resources conservation, CO2 based control and other applicable opportunities
Organize a revolving commissioning program, reinforced through the development of a
dedicated Commissioning Authority (CxA)
o The University CxA will be responsible for existing building infrastructure, new
construction and renovations to maximize energy performance, asset value, life
expectancy and reduction of emissions associated with their use
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11
Develop procedures for accurately and continuously tracking the data needed for the GHG
inventory submission. Institutionalize each task so its completion becomes routine, supported
by personal responsibility, accountability and proper supervision
o Development of procedures, supporting tools, archives and reporting methods to
continuously track data, impact of changes, measuring of progress and updating the
milestones through updates of Climate Action Plan (CAP)
o Development of Refrigerant Replacement and Loss Log record as needed for GHG
reporting
o Development of methods and systems to allow for online creation, collaboration,
sharing, storage and retrieval of GHG and CAP records, transparent and native to a
common PC software platform.
Develop operational procedures favorable to reducing the University‟s carbon footprint and
increasing its sustainability
o Incorporate sustainability parameters into the prioritization of equipment
replacements, calculating the potential of the carbon released or saved and use it as
one of the considerations of the selection process
o Develop maintenance procedure policies that detail recycling of CFLs, fluorescent
and mercury containing lamps and increased recycling of other electronic
components
o Implement sustainable housekeeping, grounds, HVAC, painting, etc. policies and
procedures
o Maximize the efficiency of university-owned vehicles, centralize FMS operations to
reduce the vehicle miles associated with maintenance functions, purchase green fuel
vehicles, develop a replacement vehicle policy, etc.
Develop outreach opportunities on efficiency and sustainability topics for the campus and
outside communities
o Work within the University and engaged communities to share lessons learned and
encourage adoption of sustainable practices.
o Promote and maintain activities that encourage exchanges, swaps and resale of
surplus products and supplies.
o Investigate resource conservation, reuse and recycling options and encourage
adoption of those by all members of the University community.
o Organize open forums, town meetings and other publicly available events that would
inform the community of the Facilities‟ progress in sustainability, application of new
products and technologies and progress in energy efficiency and GHG curtailment
o Provide a public forum for vendors demonstrating exceptionally sustainable quality of
product or service
o Participate in large public events, like Innovation Festival, by including
demonstrations of sustainable methods, products and achievements implemented as
a consequential aspect of University‟s innovation, progress and involvement in the
Presidents‟ Climate Commitment
o Review sustainable performance of leading educational institutions in search of
ideas, approaches, current progress and achievements in area of sustainable
facilities, energy and emission curtailment through implementation of their Climate
Action Plans.
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Facilities Team Proposals
In response to the above suggestions, the Facility Operations‟ team presented the following
projects, initiatives, polices, procedures and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint.
Projects are initiatives that have a quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; initiatives
are undertakings already in place or under consideration that are instrumental in lowering
emissions; policies are statements of intent that delineate Facility Operations‟ commitment to
sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill their commitments; procedures
describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following projects are underway by the Facilities team:
1. West Chilled Water System optimization
2. West and East Boiler System optimization
3. Air handling unit retro-commissioning
The Facility Operations team is also engaged in several initiatives designed to decrease campus
emissions, knowing that in some cases the GHG reductions are hard to calculate; nevertheless
those are necessary to increase energy efficiency and maintain long-term efficiency gains. A
significant capital investment will be needed to conclude some of those projects.
The following initiatives are already in place:
1. Consolidation of various building‟s energy systems into a web-based seamless control
platform
2. Retrofit of buildings with energy metering system to determine their cooling and heating
consumption, electric, gas and water usage; all metered in real time
3. Development of reporting related to building energy system as a base for understanding
buildings‟ performance under diverse conditions and against established energy
benchmarks
4. Development of system for a customer-specific billing charges to link the energy use with
a customer budget, thus providing direct incentives for energy conservation by each
billed unit
5. Development of display media to educate and impact a building occupant‟s behavior with
focus on the resource‟s conservation and applicable opportunities
The following initiatives are being considered in the near future; their implementation and
sequence of completion will depend on availability of the financial resources:
1. Adding a “winter chiller” unit to improve the cooling plant‟s energy performance when
operating under decreased load condition
2. Interconnecting of East and Water Heating and Cooling Plants to improve energy
performance, system redundancy and reduce the equipment wear when operating under
decreased load condition
3. Improving energy efficiency and system response to a changeable load conditions by
adding variable speed drives and two-way vales in heating and cooling loops of existing
buildings
4. Review of tertiary heating and cooling energy loops and related energy exchange in
buildings
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5. Adding a new position of Energy Analyst (EA), with the role focused on finding system
deficiencies and continuous investigative work, to advance a problem solving and
verification of corrections in effort to decrease emissions related to operations of campus
buildings. Unprecedented level of energy performance called upon by the CAP
commitment will require continuous tuning and adjustment of campus energy system,
well beyond our traditional operating normative
6. Adding a new position of Commissioning Authority (CxA) focused on integrating a
continuous, systematic and revolving commissioning of building system, to sustain their
mechanical endurance while maximizing energy performance
The development or modifications of the following policies are underway by the Facilities team:
1. University Energy Policy
2. Commissioning for LEED, New Construction and Renovation
The development or modifications of the following procedures will be considered by the Facilities
team:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Refrigerant Loss replacement and log procedure
Green Housekeeping procedure
Sustainable Construction policy
LEED Certification for new construction and existing buildings
GHG Data Collection system
CAP Data Exchange and archiving system
Repair or replacement equipment analysis based on a potential GHG impact of the
change
8. CFL and Mercury Recycling procedure.
Food Service
Mission Statement:
As the main provider of prepared foodstuffs to the campus community, Food Service assumes a
leading role in reducing carbon-based emissions through integrating opportunities to reduce
imbedded carbon associated with purchasing; developing and implementing measures to
aerobically compost organic wastes; and Institute environmental practices in support of the
American College & University Presidents‟ Climate commitment.
Objectives:
Develop solutions, incentives and resources to lower the environmental burden of the
University‟s food service operations while maintaining a nutritional quality, product appeal
and requirements of health standards
Implement a strategic plan that defines and quantifies the imbedded carbon associated with
the purchase of foodstuffs used by dining services and develop benchmarks and procedures
to measurably reduce carbon
Provide a structure to permit the collection, measurement and composting of organic waste
by aerobic methods
Investigate the selection and purchase of recyclable dishware, utensils and packaging along
with a method to collect, measure and recycle the used material
Templates of Action
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Implement procedures to improve the efficiency of water usage by the food service locations.
Suggestions:
Develop a sustainable food purchasing policy for the University and support its proper
implementation and periodic revisions, and furthermore:
o Recognizing that sustainable purchasing is a critical component of preserving natural
resources, lowering of operating costs and reducing waste investigate procedures to
reduce carbon emissions associated with the growth, manufacture, delivery and use
of foodstuffs, materials and their disposal
o Develop supplier requirements with business partners, contractors and suppliers to
drive sustainable and socially conscious practices
o Construct procurement policies for the purchase of commonly used supplies,
materials, equipment and services to minimized their environmental costs
 Disposable plates and dishes (bio-degradable if practical)
 Cleaning solvents (bio-degradable)
 Packaging (recyclable, bio-degradable or containing a minimum packaging
mass)
Investigate resource recovery, conservation, reuse and recycling including the:
o Application of the energy recovery equipment in cooking, ventilation, heating, air
conditioning and dishwashing equipment and processes
o Implementation of run-time minimization for all energy consuming equipment and
processes
o Recycling of cooking oil
Develop the following outreach and educational instruments to improve the efficiency of use
and reduction of carbon associated with food service functions:
o A Vendor Questionnaire Form to monitor food market supply chains including details
of harvesting, manufacturing, packaging, delivery and disposal of goods to assist in
purchasing “green” products
o An assessment tools designed to evaluate effectiveness of this policy and make
changes when necessary
o Fliers to encourage customers to adopt the recycling and other sustainable practices
o Participation plans for public events to demonstrate and deploy sustainable food
service practices, products and processes.
Food Service Team Proposals
In response to the above, the Food Service team presented the following projects, polices,
procedures and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are initiatives that
have a quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that
delineate the Facilities commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to
fulfill their commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following projects and operational changes are underway by the Food Services team:
Arrangements were made to remove pre-consumer food waste from campus for
composting
Currently replacing all foam food containers with number 5 plastic products. Number 5
plastics are recyclable, eco-friendly products and are versatile for all uses including
microwaveable use
Templates of Action
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Number 5 plastic food containers including salad bowls, pasta bowls, grill/sandwich stir
fry platters and soup/chili bowls are being collected in separate recycling bins.
All pasta products are produced at the local Barilla Pasta plant
In conjunction with RIT Procurement Services, Energy Star compliant appliances and
equipment are specified and acquired when available as an alternative.
Specification and use of bio-degradable cleaning chemicals that have substituted baking
soda-based chemical for soda ash-based products
Currently employing sustainable purchasing with approximately 34% of the food products
budget sourced from within a 150 mile radius of the campus and a prime vendor pool that
is currently 100% local
All seafood purchases are made with consideration for sustainable fishing standards, with
associated chain of custody documentation
Recycling used cooking oil which is removed from the campus and recycled for use as
biodiesel fuel. Current totals approximately 30,000 gallons/year.
Began a program to eliminate trans-fats from the food program with an oil product that
has the added benefit of longer oil life, therefore offering an increase of cycle times for oil
usage with subsequent reduction of waste oil leaving the campus
Tray-less food delivery was rolled out in one dining hall and has resulted in a 30%
reduction in waste from this facility. Plans are in place to expand the tray-less program to
another facility
Currently in place a „Bring your own mug‟ program in dining facilities offering a 10¢ cost
reduction and a reduction of disposable cup usage
Currently using a bio-degradable clam shell package but have not partnered with a
recycler or on-campus group to formulate an action plan for processing the waste.
Currently exploring operating alternatives for energy consuming equipment including
reduced runtimes for dish washing equipment, optimum operating temperatures for fryers
and zoned heating for grills
Food Services has worked in conjunction with the RIT Community Garden to coordinate
growing cycles with dining offerings and has included garden output including tomatoes,
green beans, herbs, peppers and edamame in its supply stream
Food Services offers a NetNutrition online nutrition program that provides guests with
nutritional information and recipe ingredients for meals at many on-campus dining
locations. The on-line program also allows guest to filter meals by allergies, such as milk
and peanuts
Currently providing support to the Farmer‟s Market activities on campus with featured
product recipes, on-site samples and a recipe share program staffed by the Dining
Services Executive Chef and other staff.
The development or modifications of the following policies are underway by the Food Service
team:
Currently working with the RIT Recycling Administrator to develop promotional and
educational materials to encourage customers to take advantage of recycling
opportunities and adopt/support other sustainable practices within the scope of Food
Services
Food Services will begin a Smart Nutrition labeling system focusing on allergen warnings,
low fat, special dietary needs and healthy benefits
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Currently participating in the Green Report Card program for college sustainability
assessment. 2011 Report Card indicates a grade of B for the Food and Recycling
category.
Grounds
Mission Statement:
As the department charged with the responsibility to maintain the excess of 1,300 acres of
University land, roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, playing fields and vegetation beds, the
Grounds team assumes a leading role in reducing carbon-based emissions associated with their
upkeep.
Objectives:
Develop policies, solutions, incentives and resources to decrease the environmental burden of
the University on the local ecosystem by maintaining synergistic harmony of the natural and built
environment; enhancing ecological value and size of woods, wetlands and agricultural land;
protecting natural and native spices of fauna and flora; and enhancing growth of the mutually
beneficial forestall sink of the CO2 on campus grounds.
Suggestions:
Develop a practical composting policy that includes realistic solutions to systematically
collect, process and dispose of the aerobic composted materials
o Develop and implement use of assessment tools designed to evaluate
effectiveness of this policy by:
 Creating the goals, benchmarks, reports and statistics to plan, trend and
track progress of campus recycling
 Creating mechanism for monthly tracking of recycling data and
implementation of corrective actions
 Comparing the University‟s performance with the achievements of other
similar universities
Develop a plan to replace vehicles and gas fueled equipment with comparable equipment
that emits lower CO2
o Natural gas
o Biodiesel
o E-85
Reduce the quantity of nitrogen-based fertilizers used on site.
Grounds Team Proposals
In response to the above, the Grounds team presented the following projects, polices, procedures
and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are the initiatives that have a
quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that delineate
the Facilities commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill their
commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following projects are underway by the Grounds team:
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Aerobic Composting
a. Developing a work order system to systematically aerate the compost pile
b. Developing a process for weighing and recording the organic materials added to
the compost site
The development or modifications of the following policies are underway by the Facilities team:
Vehicle replacement emissions policy
o Vehicle replacement schedule
Fertilization policy to minimize the use of nitrogen-based chemicals
o Develop a process for weighing and recording the fertilizer applied
Outreach
Mission Statement:
To educate, instruct, inform and promote behavioral changes of University‟s stakeholders,
students, business partners and engaged communities on the sciences associated with carbon
emissions and global warming.
Objectives:
Develop solutions and strategies to educate, instruct, inform and promote behavioral changes of
University‟s stakeholders, students, business partners, and engaged communities. Create an
environment that encourages faculty and students to share sustainable experience, knowledge,
tools and educational resources. Develop community outreach programs that could propel
University into sustainability leadership in the community.
Suggestions:
Organize open forums, town meetings and other publicly available events that would inform
the community on University‟s progress and sustainable performance.
Use easily recognizable promotions like Campus Sustainability Day, Earth Day, Recycle Day,
etc.
Reach out to local colleges, universities and high schools to educate, exchange information,
coordinate joint activities to reduce global carbon emissions
Become an active participant at large public events to present sustainable processes and
breakthroughs, opportunities and possibilities based on the University‟s innovation and
progress
Invite key experts and representatives to community gatherings to present, discuss events
and exchange information
Become an active part of RIT Open Houses, to raise awareness of educational courses
available to freshmen in sustainable areas of study
Encourage and engage University‟s student population in sustainability initiatives, energy
competitions, recycling and club activities that address environmental needs of RIT and
community at large
Work with the University on the deployment of public displays addressing current and
pending events, building energy performance, recycling and other sustainable topics
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18
Initiate a regional clean energy demonstration and resource center to inspire, educate, and
assist members of the wider community on availability and use of renewable energy
Develop new ideas for the RIT Green website and University News to attract a larger
audience of internal and external readers
Review the sustainable performance of leading educational institutions in search of ideas,
approaches, current statuses and achievements in area of a community outreach component
of the Climate Action Plan.
Outreach Team Proposals
In response to the above suggestion, the Outreach team presented the following projects, and
efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are the initiatives that have a
quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that delineate
the Outreach team‟s commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill
their commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following projects are underway by the Outreach team:
Events
National Teach-In on Global Warming On February 5, 2009, RIT's President Destler
announced his commitment to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate
Commitment. This announcement was made during an address to the campus community,
which concluded a daylong observance of the National Teach-In on Global Warming. This
event, organized by an ad hoc group of faculty, staff and students at RIT, encouraged all
members of the campus community to engage in solution-driven dialogue on climate change.
Activities included an expert panel on the human impact of climate change, the screening of
several environmentally-themed films, and outside speakers
RIT Climate Change Action Awareness Week (October 2009) This weeklong event
highlighted a number of on-campus initiatives and concluded with participation in the 350.org
International Day of Action with a Cycling Summit, to celebrate and discuss bicycle and
alternative transportation initiatives, and to make connections between the Rochester
bicycling community, city planners, and environmentalists
RIT Sustainability Mobility Fair (May 2010) This event was sponsored by The Center for
Student Innovation at RIT (CSI) and the Center for Environmental Information (CEI), a local
non-profit organization that works with citizens, organizations, institutions, government and
businesses to advance environmental sustainability. Attendees had an opportunity learn to
what is new and available on the markets and were able to experience the latest choices in
electric (bicycles, trikes, cars and motorcycles), hybrid electric, GEM car, Zip car, hydrogen,
biodiesel, compressed natural gas, propane hybrid, plug-in electric, ethanol, Walking School
Buses, bicycles, „veggie‟ vehicles, and cycling transportation technologies. In addition,
alternative fuel options were on display
Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival (Annually - first Saturday in May) This
campus-wide, public event showcases the innovative and creative spirit of RIT students,
faculty and staff. A number of exhibits and demonstrations throughout the campus have
climate change and energy themes, with a focus on student and faculty research. In 2010,
RIT President Bill Destler challenged the RIT community to build energy-efficient vehicles for
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19
a competition. All contestants showcased their vehicles. In addition, other alternative fuel
vehicles in the RIT fleet (electric carts, natural gas powered trucks, biodiesel powered FMS
vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, etc.) were on display. Visitors learned about the power train and
annual energy savings for each vehicle, and the extent to which the technology is available to
the general public
Earth Day Events RIT student, faculty and staff have participated annually in Earth Day
events that include members of the general public. In recent years, climate change initiatives
have been a major focus of on-campus activities.
Workshops/Presentations/Conferences
Office of Sponsored Research-Forum for University and Energy Leaders (FUEL) on Fuel
Cells and Batteries This forum was designed to connect RIT researchers in this field with
local and national company experts. The Symposium featured an expert in Fuel Cell and
Battery Technology from the University of Munich (Germany)
Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) In addition to its research and graduate education
programs, GIS has hosted a series of educational forums featuring experts from around the
world in the areas of life cycle engineering, industrial ecology, alternative energy
development, and remanufacturing. The series‟ goal is to disseminate information in a host of
sustainability disciplines to researchers and students both at RIT and in the greater
Rochester community
The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (P2I) This organization is a statewide
research and technology transfer center funded by the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation. RIT and its partner universities, Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, Clarkson University, and the University of Buffalo, along with the state's ten regional
technology development centers (RTDC) together comprise the NYSP2I. P2I provides a
statewide, comprehensive and integrated program of research, technology development and
diffusion, outreach, training and education aimed at making New York State more sustainable
for workers, the public, the environment and the economy. The P2I offers education and
training programs that are marketed to RTDCs, other government agencies, companies, and
nonprofit organizations. Programs include classroom training sessions, technology
demonstrations at RIT and other partner university facilities as well as in private companies,
conferences and workshops. Recent workshops have included Sustainable Practices and
Lean, Energy and Environment Assessments
Environmental Management Leadership Symposium Launched in 2008, this annual
symposium has been held in the United States (Rochester) and Europe (Hungary and
Croatia). These events consist of workshops that examine specified issues with a long-term
goal of developing consensus documents representing the position of environmental
managers on a variety of topics and issues, with an emphasis on sustainability and corporate
social responsibility.
Co-ops and Internships
Cooperative education (co-op) is the most extensive and intensive of RIT‟s experiential
education opportunities. Many academic programs require co-op while other academic
programs feature internships and other work opportunities. A number of these experiences
are within the local community and focus on sustainability and climate change initiatives.
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Capstone Projects
Several undergraduate degree programs require students to complete capstone projects and
some of these projects come from local government and community organizations with an
emphasis on climate change, energy efficiency and sustainability. A few examples are
described below.
o
During Winter Quarter AY 2010, Public Policy seniors assisted the City of Rochester
with its Climate Action Plan by conducting a benchmarking study of CAPs in cities of
comparable size and geographic location
o
In Spring Quarter AY 2010, Environmental Science students will earn capstone credit
by partnering with Monroe County Environmental Services to restore Red Creek
Student Organizations and Initiatives
Student Environmental Action League (SEAL) SEAL coordinates a number of events
throughout the year, including the annual Campus Clean-Up (April 20) and Waste Audit (April
22). SEAL also sponsored an Environmental Summit, which featured a series of speakers
from various environmentally-related backgrounds and experiences
RIT Habitat for Humanity RIT‟s Habitat for Humanity, a student-led campus organization,
built its first sustainable Habitat home in the Josanna neighborhood of the city of Rochester.
The home featured energy-efficient innovations designed by students and materials that
minimize the home‟s environmental impact. A number of alumni and industry partners also
supported the project financially or through donations of green building materials
Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) ESW is composed mostly of engineering students,
but the group is open to anyone interested in improving sustainable practices. ESW focuses
most on innovative applications and hands-on projects to improve sustainability on campus.
Recent events include a GM fuel cell demonstration and UV tube workshop. In addition, ESW
is assisting St. Joseph's House of Hospitality on energy efficiency improvements for its men's
emergency housing shelter
The P3 Workgroup This group was founded by faculty and students in RIT's Kate Gleason
College of Engineering. With focus on „P3‟ philosophy (people, prosperity and the planet) the
group works on advancement of sustainability “by increasing the level of awareness on all
sustainability dimensions among students, so that they can later make a positive impact on
our planet and society”.
Other
gRIT (GreenRIT) is a networking group for members of the environmental community at RIT.
The group maintains a website that includes information on events and other environmental
topics
Students in Service Twenty-five RIT undergraduate and graduate students will receive
education awards for their work in the community. Several of the student projects focus on
sustainability and environmental issues
EnvironmentalManager.org EnvironmentalManager.org is part of a larger international effort
to identify common ground upon which environment professionals can stand in solidarity of
purpose, with commonly held goals, and delineated opportunities and responsibilities. The
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website is a clearinghouse for information and a public forum for environmental managers
around the globe
RIT Climate Change Expert Group The RIT Climate Change Expert Group is a group of
faculty from many different Colleges on campus, including the COE, COS, GCCIS, CLA,
CAST, COB, and GIS. The goal of the expert group is to provide a resource for RIT students
and faculty interested in climate change issues
AASHE Member RIT is a member of Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in
Higher Education (AASHE). Faculty, staff and students with valid RIT email account can
access online databases, assessment tools, fact sheets, publications, presentations, policy
lists, reports and other electronic resources
Rochestereatslocal.org This website was designed and produced by students in anthropology
courses in an effort to promote local food producers and to encourage local consumers to
patronize local producers
RIT Farmers‟ Market Offered during fall quarter, the Farmers‟ Market provides a huge
selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The market is held for six consecutive
Thursdays during September and October.
New Initiatives
Hold annual town meetings in the Spring quarter with faculty, students and staff to update
inventory of current initiatives/activities and identify new initiatives
Support COOL Rochester by becoming a partner in the Summer of 2011
Include sustainability information in New Student and New faculty Orientation materials
beginning in the Fall 2011 quarter
Organize for a more comprehensive carbon neutrality/climate change exhibit/demonstrations
at Imagine RIT beginning in May 2012
Participate in Greentopia Festival beginning in September 2011 (The Greentopia Festival is
Rochester‟s and the Finger Lakes‟ celebration of the green movement sweeping around the
globe. The two-day, interactive fest in Rochester‟s historic High Falls section will reveal what
the region is doing to help the environment – and envision a greener Rochester of the future.
RIT faculty and staff are represented on the Festival Steering Committee)
Convene an annual regional Climate Disruption Summit on RIT Campus in 2014
Purchasing
Mission:
Strive to conduct activities in an ecologically and economically sound manner and will promote
responsible consumption and environmentally sound practices among all members of the
University community. We recognize that sustainable procurement practices are a critical
component of preserving natural resources, lowering operating costs, and minimizing waste.
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22
Objectives:
Develop solutions, incentives and resources to lower the environmental burden of purchasing and
procured products by developing requirements for sustainable goods, products and services
distinguished by their extended life expectancy, high ranking efficiency, high content of recycled
materials or certifiable pre-consumer use. Other sustainable opportunities should consider how
purchased products are harvested, manufactured, packaged and delivered. These characteristics
should be imbedded in procurement requirements and documents for direct purchases and
competitive bids.
Suggestions:
Develop a sustainable purchasing policy for the University and support its proper
implementation by:
o
o
o
o
Recognizing that sustainable purchasing is a critical component of preserving
natural resources, lowering of operating costs and waste minimization, specify
whenever possible and reasonable, the use of sustainable, environmentally
friendly systems, equipment and materials
Ensuring that supplies, materials, equipment and services are procured at the
lowest possible monetary and environmental costs
Incorporating a commitment to purchasing the Energy Star certified appliances
and products
Promoting business with design firms, consultants, contractors, manufacturers
and suppliers that consistently demonstrate sustainable and socially conscious
business practices
Develop and maintain a database of suppliers and materials complying with University‟s
sustainable purchasing policy
Develop procurement tables with details and parameters of measuring the sustainability of
recommended equipment, appliances and other items listed below:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Electronic equipment, desktop computers, notebooks, monitors, printers, copiers,
scanners and overhead projectors
Copiers and printers should be comparable with the use of recycled products and
defaulting to double sided printing
Electric motors and motor driven appliance should have a high energy efficiency
ratings
Water appliances should have low water flow characteristics
Car fleet should consider electric-hybrids, biodiesel and high MPG characteristics
Cleaning solvents should be biodegradable
Packaging should use recyclable, biodegradable or similar materials and contain
a minimum of packaging mass
Work within the University and engaged communities to share lessons learned and
encourage adoption of sustainable practices.
Purchasing Team Proposals
In response to the above, the Purchasing team presented the following projects, polices,
procedures and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are the initiatives that
Templates of Action
23
have a quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that
delineate the commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill their
commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The development or modifications of the following policies are underway by the Purchasing
team:
Sustainable Purchasing Policy
The University is developing a Sustainable Purchasing Policy which will:
Specify the use of sustainable, environmentally friendly systems, equipment and materials
Investigate resource conservation, reuse and recycling options and encourage adoption by all
members of the University community
Promote and maintain activities that encourage exchanges, swaps and resale of surplus
products and supplies
Commit to purchasing the Energy Star certified appliances and products
Promote business with suppliers that consistently demonstrate sustainable and socially
conscious business practices
Encourage the University and in the broader community in which we reside to share
experiences and encourage the adoption of sustainable practices
Develop and implement the use of assessment tools designed to evaluate the effectiveness
of this policy and make changes where necessary
Specification and Procurement
The University is developing a Specification and Procurement Policy with the following
characteristics:
Waste collection specifications have been developed that seek innovation in resource
conservation and recycling options resulting in a single-stream recycling solution reducing the
carbon impact of on-campus collection traffic and increased overall efficiency of the recycling
process downstream. (Contract term – Calendar 2011 – 2014 with 2-year renewal option
based on evidence of productivity and sustainability improvements)
RIT has actively promoted a recycle/reuse program for Institute-owned office furniture and
supplies. Current tracking mechanisms employ actual unit counts and estimated savings
based on buying new. Future tracking plan will consider the mass of surplus diverted from
the waste stream.
In conjunction with Institute Information and Technology Services, Energy Star compliant
standard computer configurations have been specified and established.
In conjunction with Housing Operations, Energy Star compliant appliance configurations have
been specified and established for student housing facilities.
The Institute selects flex-fuel alternative vehicles on all purchases when available on State
Contract Pricing or when offered as an in-kind alternative.
Sustainable and value engineering solutions have been included as evaluation criteria in
campus-wide bids. Sustainable alternatives offered in the campus Vending Machine contract
have resulted in energy efficiencies from LED, insulation and cooling technologies totaling
approximately 35,000 kWh/year
In conjunction with Facilities Management Services, minimum LEED Silver requirements
have been established for new construction Requests for Proposal
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24
Electricity purchases for the Institute are committed to a progressive Green-e power
component
Established Steelcase Furniture as Institute office furniture standard to reduce waste of office
turnover as well as company-specific green/sustainable manufacturing, recycled content,
product certification and handling components
Will to establish an internal designation of RIT Sustainable Vendor/Contractor with key
evaluation components measuring supplier performance and commitment to partnering with
the Institute in long-term improvements in reducing environmental impacts. Designation will
become a key evaluation criterion in all future contract awards
Review of inbound/outbound logistics and the impact of delivery frequency of vendors. Is
underway. The goal of this review will be the consolidation of package delivery with
subsequent reduction of on-campus miles attributed to vendors
In conjunction with Facilities Management Services, specified, bid and secured pricing for low
VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints. Low VOC has subsequently become the de-facto
standard for Institute paint
The current Request for Proposal process is being reviewed and enhanced to include
sustainable components as key determining factors in the bid selection process
Electronic waste recycling has been bid and awarded to provide for routine disposal of
electronic office waste and periodic department and/or student organization targeted recycle
efforts
Facilities Management Services Design Guidelines are included as a part of Institute
Supplementary General Conditions in all RIT contracts for construction. Design guidelines
specifically include components for:
o Occupancy sensors
o High-performance hand dryers
o High efficiency lighting systems
o Type G low-flow shower heads in Housing Operations
Communication and Education
Procurement Services publishes a quarterly newsletter outlining procurement trends, vendor
highlights and technical updates. A “Green Corner” will be added to highlight sustainable
initiatives and opportunities for the Institute community
Procurement Services conducts a bi-annual program entitled The ABC‟s of Purchasing and
will add a component on sustainable purchasing and established Institute Green procurement
standards
Procurement Services has promoted and maintained activities that encourage exchanges,
swaps and resale of surplus products and supplies. The RITchies List web site is an online
tool for faculty and staff to promote a free office supply exchange within Rochester Institute of
Technology
Investigate resource conservation, reuse and recycling options and encourage adoption of
those by all members of the University community
Organize open forums, town meetings and other publicly available events that would inform
the community on University‟s progress in sustainable purchasing, available new products
and technologies
Procurement Services regularly invites in and provides a public forum for vendors
demonstrating products or services, and has begun to focus on sustainable quality and
components
Templates of Action
25
Participate in large public events, like Innovation Festival, by including sustainable
purchasing products as a consequential aspect of University‟s innovation and progress.
Tracking and Benchmarking
Continuous improvement through benchmarking with other Institute, local partners or best
practices
Active partner in the National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM) and its
associated Listserv.
Recycling
Mission Statement:
The Rochester Institute of Technology Recycling Department exists to actively promote
proper waste management through Recycling and Waste Minimization. We do this by
developing solutions, initiatives, and educational programs that encourage sustainable
behavior throughout the University in order to facilitate change in our Global community.
Objectives:
The recycling program currently recycles over 2,000 tons per year, diverting about 38.5%
of our waste stream from the landfill. The Facilities Management Services Recycling
Department has set a goal of recycling over 50% of the waste that leaves the campus. In
order to meet the goal of recycling half of the Institute's waste, the Recycling Department
at RIT is working continuously to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling and to
make recycling more convenient for everyone.
Suggestions:
Recognizing that recycling is a critical component of preserving natural resources, lowering
operating costs and improving waste minimization, develop a comprehensive recycling and
composting policy for the University open space and grounds and support its implementation:
o Develop a comprehensive recycling policy addressing:
 dormitories and housing collection routines that support sorting, storage
and distribution mechanisms to “free-cycle” the usable items during the
move-in and move-out days
 New construction and renovation projects including a reporting platform
 Recycling at University events, celebrations, festivals and public events
 Annual actions focused on collection and disposal of electronics,
computers, cell phones, printers and other hazardous and postconsumer materials
o Develop and implement use of assessment tools designed to evaluate
effectiveness of this policy by:
 Creating the goals, benchmarks, reports and statistics to plan, trend and
track progress of campus recycling
 Creating mechanism for monthly tracking of recycling data and
implementation of corrective actions
 Comparing the University‟s performance with the achievements of other
similar universities
Templates of Action
26
o
o
o
o
Develop a campus-wide recycling contest supported by a matrix‟s table to allow
comparison and measurement of the individual and collective achievements
Participate in the nationwide recycling events including the America Recycles
Day and RecycleMania
Develop a Vendor Qualification Form to assess the level of vendor‟s operational
efficiencies considering the type of provided recycling stream (single vs.
comingled) and the hauler‟s driving distance from the base from the University‟s
campus
Create the recycling informational campaign to educate campus community
Recycle Team Proposals
In response to the above, the Recycle team presented the following projects, polices, procedures
and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are the initiatives that have a
quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that delineate
the commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill their
commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following initiatives are underway by the Recycle team:
RecycleMania – With over 400 participants, Recyclemania is a nationwide competition
between colleges and universities to achieve the highest reuse and recycling results for their
campus community. Locally, RIT competes with the University of Rochester, Roberts
Wesleyan University, SUNY College at Brockport, Monroe Community College, and St. John
Fisher College. Recyclemania is one of the most exciting ways of raising awareness about
recycling at RIT. In 2008, RIT ranked #1 in New York in three categories: the largest amount
of recyclables per person, the largest amount of total recyclables, and the highest recycling
rate. This was RIT‟s first year of participation in Recyclemania
Earth Month – Events throughout the entire month of April are put on by the Recycling
Department to highlight environmental awareness at RIT. Activities are scheduled each week
to further enhance a larger event on Earth Day, sponsored by others in the RIT community
Waste Audit – These activities are conducted multiple times during the year in a joint effort
with Facilities Management Services and Student Environmental Action League (SEAL).
Volunteers sort bags of RIT trash on the main “Quarter Mile” walkway to bring awareness to
the student body about recyclables that are being thrown away. This popular activity provides
a learning opportunity for all members of campus, including the Recycling Department, which
learns where progress can be made with campus recycling efforts
Brick City Recycling Showcase – A display in the Student Alumni Union (SAU) is set-up for
part of the year to exhibit the Recycling Department‟s efforts on campus. This is used as an
awareness and educative tool
Imagine RIT – This is a day to celebrate innovation and creativity in the RIT community. The
Recycling Department presents current and future recycling efforts in a way that encourages
involvement with students, faculty, staff, and local businesses
Templates of Action
27
America Recycles Day – An event held with the support of Keep America Beautiful to raise
awareness about the benefits of recycling
Greenwill – Working in conjunction with Housing Operations to support the collection, sorting,
storage and distribution to “free-cycle” usable items during student housing move-in/move-out
cycles. Initiated a fiscal 2011 pilot program to collect and warehouse usable items and
coordinate with Fall move-in and Orientation programs
E-Waste – SEAL organizes bi-annual electronic waste reuse and recycling events focused on
the collection and proper disposal of electronics, computers, cell phones, printers and other
hazardous or post-consumer materials
Facilities Management Services programmatically removes construction debris and materials
from the waste stream and segregates for special handling
Dorm Challenge – Recycling contests have been initiated for dorm-dorm and floor-floor
competitions in the residence halls during various recycling events.
Communications
Campus Recycling Bin Map - In addition to small-scale recycling stations there are also
approximately 50 dumpster-size recycling centers. Mapped locations are updated as
needed, and the master map is accessible through the RIT Recycling Web site
The recycling informational campaign uses the Facilities Management Website, brochures,
posters, and e-mails to educate the campus community
Twitter and Facebook are used to increase communication with students about news and
events within the Recycling Department.
The development or modifications of the following policies are underway by the Recycle team:
The recycling Department in conjunction with Facilities Management Services and RIT Dining
Services is developing a practical composting policy that includes realistic solutions to
systematically collect, process and dispose of the compostable materials. FMS currently
composts grounds waste (clippings, branches, leaves, etc) for use as mulch. Dining Services
is exploring a similar composting effort for food wastes that would be ultimately used as
composted soil. Develop a reporting platform to include this data in overall campus reporting
Develop and implement the use of assessment tools designed to evaluate effectiveness of
this policy by:
o Creating the goals, benchmarks, reports and statistics to plan, trend and track
progress of campus recycling
o Creating mechanism for monthly tracking of recycling data and implementation of
corrective actions
o Comparing the University‟s performance with the achievements of other similar
universities
Templates of Action
28
o
Review sustainable performance of leading educational institutions in search of
ideas, approaches, current statuses and achievements in the area of recycling
component of CAP.
Transportation
Objectives:
The Institute is committed to improve the vehicular and pedestrian movements on campus. The
recently completed Comprehensive Parking and Transportation Strategy focuses on the analysis
of opportunities and improvements in the existing transportation patterns; bus and shuttle transit
services; parking allocations; and advancements in bike and pedestrian traffic. These new
initiatives are part of a coordinated effort to introduce sustainable Travel Demand Management
(TDM) techniques to our community.
Suggestions:
Develop methods to accurately record emissions from University-related transportation
sources
Encourage use of low energy, fuel efficient (LEFE) vehicles by faculty, staff and students,
including the motorcycles, electric vehicles (EV) and hybrids, by providing preferred parking
incentives, EV charging stations and other incentives
Develop and maintain solutions and incentives to reduce emissions associated with campus
commuting like carpooling, park and ride, and rideshare programs. Create and support a
culture that encourages faculty, staff and students to share transportation resources
Develop programs and infrastructure that encourages the student population to minimize
driving within the University campus
Develop a bikeway infrastructure including bike-thruways, shelters and storage, parking
equipment and shower facilities.
o Provide and encourage the use of RITbike, a free on-campus bike use program
and bike tune-up services
Work with the local Transit Authority on developing cost-effective commuter options and bus
route alternatives.
o Provide and expand subsidized Bus-Pass programs for work-related
transportation of faculty, staff and students, and make available transportation to
nearby shopping centers for campus residents
Increase the number and capacity of energy efficient residence halls on campus and in its
vicinity to minimize number of commuting students and their commuting distance
Introduce and expand the use of alternative fuels in University fleet vehicles and provide
adequate filling and charging infrastructure
Develop a University telecommuting policy and support its implementation
Create a regional clean transportation demonstration and resource center to inspire, educate,
and inform
Transportation Team Proposals
In response to the above, the Transportation team presented the following projects, polices,
procedures and efforts to reduce the University‟s carbon footprint. Projects are the initiatives that
have a quantifiable impact on greenhouse gas emissions; policies are statements of intent that
Templates of Action
29
delineate the commitment to sustainability and guide the decisions they will make to fulfill their
commitments; procedures will describe how the policies will be enacted.
The following initiatives are underway by the Transportation team:
A pilot program in progress to encourage the use of low energy, fuel efficient (LEFE) vehicles
by faculty, staff and students, including motorcycles, electric vehicles (EV) and hybrids, by
providing preferred parking incentives, EV charging stations and other incentives. Upon
review and modification, pilot program will be expanded campus-wide providing the
infrastructure, such as charging stations, to enable charging of electric vehicles.
Programs and infrastructure are being investigated to encourage the student population to
minimize driving within the University campus
o
Additional shuttle (routes and frequency)
o
Increased enforcement and fines to discourage parking on campus
o
Covered walkways and travelators
A bikeway infrastructure including bike-thruways, shelters and storage, parking equipment
and shower facilities is being developed.
o
Provide and encourage the use of RITbike, a free on-campus bike use program and
bike tune-up services
o
Cash subsidy/financing to buy a bicycle (eg. Boulder/Davis?)
o
Free bike if a student does not bring a car to campus
Increase the number and capacity of energy efficient residence halls on campus and in its
vicinity to minimize number of commuting students and their commuting distance
st
nd
o
Mandatory RIT housing for 1 and 2
o
Affordable housing compared to other private entities
year students
Introduce and expand the use of alternative fuels in University fleet vehicles and provide
adequate filling and charging infrastructure
o
Public/paid/”commercial” filing station for hydrogen, bio-diesel, electric
o
All new university vehicle to comply with LEED LEFE standards
Develop a University telecommuting policy and support its proper implementation
Create a regional clean transportation demonstration and resource center to inspire, educate,
and inform
o
Showcase different alternatives to conventional ICE vehicles with honest pros vs
cons and applications for each
Templates of Action
30
Other ideas
Increase/improve shuttle service to off-campus locations
Require alternative fuel for all on-campus shuttles
Monorail across campus
Bus charters for breaks to popular cities, eg, NYC, Boston, Buffalo, Syracuse
Improve pedestrian and bike route to connect to/from campus
The development or modifications of the following policies and initiatives are underway by the
Transportation team:
University vehicles are being tracked using the miles travelled per year based on inspection
information. Applying average miles-per-gallon to each vehicle will yield estimated fuel
consumption, even if not all fuel is “purchased” on campus. The same level of tracking will be
enforced for contract transportation services.
Incentives to reduce emissions associated with campus commuting like carpooling, park and
ride, and rideshare programs are being developed to create and support a culture that
encourages faculty, staff and students to share transportation resources:
o
Car share
o
Van pool
o
Ride-share – in progress through Genesee transportation Council Commuter Choice
o
Park-and-ride – UR has a program from two locations in Greece with low ridership
rates. We will consider joining their program to achieve higher participation and
minimize user‟s cost for both entities.
o
Federal reimbursement for bicycle commuting
Investigating cost-effective commuter options and bus route alternatives with the regional
Transit Authority. Provide and expand subsidized Bus-Pass programs for work-related
transportation of faculty, staff and students, and make available transportation to nearby
shopping centers for campus residents
o
Free ride on all RTS buses with RIT ID
o
Increased bus frequency on campus and routes
Templates of Action
31
The Effect of the CAP Plan on the GHG Inventory
The 2011 Climate Action Plan Projections
T
his initial CAP that resulted from the integration of the feedback from the CTF teams consists of
two projects whose impact on the greenhouse gas footprint was quantifiable and a multitude of
proposed projects, actions and process changes. These proposed changes will be further
developed and quantified in the succeeding years and will be added to the calculator as reliable
projection and costs are developed.
CAP Summary
T
he climate action plan based on the marginal amount of implemented projects covered with our
first CAP report will permit RIT to reduce its carbon footprint only by 0.54% or 405.7 metric tonnes
per year. The annual impact of these projects is depicted in Figure 3; the reduction in emissions
over the life of the projects is shown in Figure 4. University progresses toward its goal of reaching
carbon neutrality by 2030 will require a systematic, focused and coordinated action by all campus entities
affecting campus ecology. A targeted path to the reduction in emissions is shown in figure 5.
Figure 3 – Annual Reduction in Emissions from Initial Projects
The Effect of the CAP Plan on the GHG Inventory
32
Figure 4 – Lifetime Reduction in Emissions from Initial Projects
100000
Starting Point
90000
80000
Current State
70000
MT eCO2
60000
Emissions at Business as Usual Scenario
50000
50% Below 2009 Emission levels
40000
30000
20000
2030 Net
Zero
10000
-
Year
Figure 5 – Annual Emissions: Business as Usual Scenario verses Net Zero Reductions
The Effect of the CAP Plan on the GHG Inventory
33
Next Steps
In this, RIT‟s first CAP report, the University focused on developing a system, especially a long term
mission and templates of tasks to support a planning process over the subsequent years of the CAP
program. The initial focus of the plan is to improve energy efficiency through strengthening of that function
throughout the Facilities department and through the commissioning of existing mechanical and electrical
systems. The Facilities department is adding BTU metering systems for hot and chilled water building
loops to improve energy tracking and understanding energy use patterns. When completed, the system
will help relaying the actual operating costs to building users. A GHG Inventory Procedure manual is
being finalized with intent to clearly describe GHG data collection procedures and assign each task to
caretaker departments and other campus groups that will permit accurately tracking the carbon inventory.
Simultaneously, programs will be developed to reduce commuter and other transportation-related
emissions, the quantity of waste produced and the imbedded carbon in materials, supplies and food
service processes to further reduce the impact RIT has on the environment. A concerted effort is also
underway to increase the amount of additional and non-additional offsets in the GHG portfolio with 10% of
Green-E certified power purchased in 2010 and 15% of Green-E certified power contracted through 2012.
The following list indicates the projects, procedures and actions that will be reviewed in greater detail
before the next report in order to determine their feasibility and quantify their impact.
The Facility Operations team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and
Procedures:
1. Develop or review and update the following sustainable policies and processes:
a. University Energy Policy: Guidelines and setpoints for maintaining acceptable
internal space conditions, indoor air quality and a system of checks and balances
to continuously assess operations to reduce variation from the norms established
by the policy
b. Operation Reporting Procedures: In support of the University Energy Policy,
implementing a reporting procedure will generate daily, weekly, monthly and
annual status reports on set point changes, trending, overrides, alarm densities
and other daily dynamics, along with the number of outstanding HVAC system
alarms remaining in the daily stack in an effort to quantify the impact of changes on
the carbon footprint
c. Sustainable Construction Policy: An enforceable policy including pre and post
score sheets that calculate the impact of Value Engineering decisions that had
taken place after construction documents
d. Contractor’s Performance Integration Policy (CPIP): mandating commissioning of
all deliverables according to University standards and assures results through
contractual contingencies
e. Green Building Policy: Specifications addressing required materials, recycling
content, light transmittance, insulation factors, energy factors, water use
minimization and other sustainable parameters for use in the project design and
submittal documentation, based on the LEED, local and state codes and best
practice recommended for the universities
Next Steps
34
2. Develop a position for a dedicated Energy Analyst (EA), whose role is focused on finding
system deficiencies and continuous investigative work, problem-solving and verification
of corrective actions, in effort to decrease emissions throughout the campus
3. Development of building energy metering systems including:
a. Continuous monitoring of its energy sources, including gas, electric, heating and
cooling consumption, renewable energy, and water and sewer usage per each
building
b. Development of meter balance reports to show the accuracy of energy metering,
(for example, compare a total sum of heating energy metered in each building
against a total metered heating output produced at the central plant). Do this for all
utility supplies
c. Trend and tracking process for each building integrated with the associated energy
benchmarks/profiles to support continuous, intelligent analysis of the energy
consumption and its variations over time
d. Development of the utility charges and a department-based billing process based
on network of building-based meters, feeding the data into dynamic matrixes
utilized for implementation of a real-use charges appropriated to the University
entities according to the amount of energy utilized
e. Develop media to educate and impact a building occupant‟s behavior with focus on
the resources conservation, CO2 and other applicable opportunities
4. Organize a revolving commissioning program, reinforced through the development of a
dedicated Commissioning Authority (CxA)
a. The University CxA will be responsible for maximization of operational performance
in building infrastructure, new construction and renovations – to maintain energy
performance, asset value, life expectancy and reduce emissions associated with
their use for all existing buildings on campus
5. Develop of procedures for accurate and continuous tracking of data needed for GHG
inventory submission. Institutionalize each task so its completion becomes a routine,
supported by personal responsibility, accountability and proper supervision
a. Development of procedures, supporting tools, archives and reporting methods to
continuously track data, impact of changes, measuring of progress and updating
the milestones through updates of Climate Action Plan (CAP)
b. Development of Refrigerant Replacement and Loss Log record as needed for GHG
reporting
c. Development of methods and systems to allow for online creation, collaboration,
sharing, storage and retrieval of GHG and CAP records, transparent and native to
a common PC software platform
6. Develop operational procedures favorable to reducing the University‟s carbon footprint
and increasing its sustainability
a. Incorporate sustainability parameters into the prioritization of equipment
replacements, calculating the potential of the carbon released or saved and use it
as one of the considerations of the selection process
Next Steps
35
b. Develop maintenance procedure policies that detail recycling of CFLs, fluorescent
and mercury containing lamps and increased recycling of other electronic
components
c. Implement sustainable housekeeping, grounds, HVAC, painting, etc. policies and
procedures
d. Maximize the efficiency of university-owned vehicles, centralize FMS operations to
reduce the vehicle miles associated with maintenance functions, purchase green
fuel vehicles, develop a replacement vehicle policy, etc.
7. Develop outreach opportunities on efficiency and sustainability topics for the campus and
outside communities
a. Work within the University and engaged communities to share lessons learned and
encourage adoption of sustainable practices.
b. Promote and maintain activities that encourage exchanges, swaps and resale of
surplus products and supplies.
c. Investigate resource conservation, reuse and recycling options and encourage
adoption of those by all members of the University community.
d. Organize open forums, town meetings and other publicly available events that
would inform the community on the Facilities progress in sustainability, application
of new products and technologies and progress in energy efficiency and GHG
curtailment
e. Provide a public forum for vendors demonstrating exceptionally sustainable quality
of product or service
f. Impact large public events, like Innovation Festival, by including demonstrations of
sustainable methods, products and achievements implemented as a consequential
aspect of University‟s
innovation, progress and the Presidents‟ Climate
Commitment
g. Review sustainable performance of leading educational institutions in search of
ideas, approaches, current statuses and achievements in area of sustainable
facilities, energy and emission curtailment through implementation of their climate
action plans
8. The following projects are underway by the Facilities team and their impact will be
quantified:
a. West Chilled Water System optimization
b. West and East Boiler System optimization
c. Air handling unit retro-commissioning
The Food Service team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Develop a sustainable food purchasing policy for the University and support its proper
implementation and periodic revisions
2. Develop supplier requirements with business partners, contractors and suppliers to drive
sustainable and socially conscious practices
Next Steps
36
3. Construct procurement policies for the purchase of commonly used supplies, materials,
equipment and services to minimize their environmental costs
a. Use disposable plates and dishes (bio-degradable if practical)
4. Use cleaning solvents (bio-degradable)
5. Packaging (recyclable, bio-degradable or containing a minimum packaging mass)
6. Investigate resource recovery, conservation, reuse and recycling including the:
a. Application of the energy recovery equipment in cooking, ventilation, heating, air
conditioning and dishwashing equipment and processes
b. Implementation of run-time minimization for all energy consuming equipment and
processes
c. Recycling of cooking oil
7. Develop the following outreach and educational instruments to improve the efficiency of
use and reduction of carbon associated with food service functions:
a. A Vendor Questionnaire Form to monitor food market supply chains including
details of harvesting, manufacturing, packaging, delivery and disposal of goods
to assist in purchasing “green” products
b. An assessment tools designed to evaluate effectiveness of this policy and make
changes when necessary
c. Fliers to encourage customers to adopt the recycling and other sustainable
practices
8. Make arrangements to remove pre-consumer food waste from campus for composting.
9. Replace all foam food containers with number 5 plastic products. Number 5 plastic food
containers including salad bowls, pasta bowls, grill/sandwich stir fry platters and
soup/chili bowls are being collected in separate recycling bins
10. Develop specification and use of bio-degradable cleaning chemicals that have substituted
baking soda-based chemical for soda ash-based products
11. Increase sustainable purchasing to approximately 50% of the food products budget
sourced from within a 150 mile radius of the campus.
12. Expand tray-less food.
13. Expand „Bring your own mug‟ program in dining facilities.
14. Partner with a recycler or on-campus group to formulate an action plan for processing
bio-degradable clam shell package waste
15. Coordinate growing cycles with dining offerings and include garden output including
tomatoes, green beans, herbs, peppers and edamame (soybeans) in its supply stream.
Next Steps
37
The Grounds team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Develop a practical composting policy that includes realistic solutions to systematically
collect, process and dispose of the aerobic composted materials.
a. Developing a work order system to systematically aerate the compost pile
b. Developing a process for weighing and recording the organic materials
added to the compost site
2. Develop and implement use of assessment tools designed to evaluate effectiveness of
this policy by:
o Creating the goals, benchmarks, reports and statistics to plan, trend and track
progress of campus recycling
o Creating mechanism for monthly tracking of recycling data and implementation of
corrective actions
o Comparing the University‟s performance with the achievements of other similar
universities
3. Develop a plan to replace vehicles and gas fueled equipment with comparable
equipment that emits lower CO2.
o Natural gas
o Biodiesel
o E-85
4. Reduce the quantity of nitrogen-based fertilizers used on site
o Develop a process for weighing and recording the fertilizer applied
The Outreach team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Hold annual town meetings in the Spring quarter with faculty, students and staff to
update inventory of current initiatives/activities and identify new initiatives.
2. Support COOL Rochester by becoming a partner in the Summer of 2011.
3. Include sustainability information in New Student and New faculty Orientation materials
beginning in the Fall 2011 quarter.
4. Organize for a more comprehensive carbon neutrality/climate disruption exhibits and
demonstrations at Imagine RIT beginning in May 2012
5. Participate in Greentopia Festival beginning in September 2011 (The Greentopia
Festival is Rochester‟s and the Finger Lakes‟ celebration of the green movement
sweeping around the globe. The two-day, interactive fest in historic High Falls will reveal
what the region is doing to help the environment – and envision a greener Rochester of
the future. RIT faculty and staff are represented on the Festival Steering Committee)
6. Convene an annual regional Climate Disruption Summit on RIT Campus in 2014
Next Steps
38
The Purchasing team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Develop policies that specify the use of sustainable, environmentally friendly systems,
equipment and materials
2. Investigate resource conservation, reuse and recycling options and encourage adoption
by all members of the University community
3. Promote and maintain activities that encourage exchanges, swaps and resale of surplus
products and supplies
4. Commit to purchasing the Energy Star certified appliances and products
5. Promote business with suppliers that consistently demonstrate sustainable and socially
conscious business practices
6. Work within the University and in the broader community in which we reside to share
experiences and encourage the adoption of sustainable practices
7. Develop and implement the use of assessment tools designed to evaluate the
effectiveness of this policy and make changes where necessary
The Recycle team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Update the Campus Recycling Bin Map and signage
2. Expand the recycling informational campaign
3. Expand the use of social communication networks to increase communication with
students about news and events within the Recycling Department.
4. Develop a practical composting policy that includes realistic solutions to systematically
collect, process and dispose of the compostable materials.
5. Develop and implement the use of assessment tools designed to evaluate effectiveness
of this policy by:
o Creating the goals, benchmarks, reports and statistics to plan, trend and track
progress of campus recycling
o Creating mechanism for monthly tracking of recycling data and implementation of
corrective actions
o Comparing the University‟s performance with the achievements of other similar
universities
o Review sustainable performance of leading educational institutions in search of
ideas, approaches, current statuses and achievements in the area of recycling
component of CAP.
Next Steps
39
The Transportation team will focus on the Following Projects, Actions and Procedures:
1. Implementing a pilot program in progress to encourage the use of low energy, fuel
efficient (LEFE) vehicles by faculty, staff and students, including motorcycles, electric
vehicles (EV) and hybrids, by providing preferred parking incentives, EV charging
stations and other incentives. Upon review and modification, pilot program will be
expanded campus-wide providing the infrastructure, such as charging stations, to
enable charging of electric vehicles.
2. Implementing programs and infrastructure to encourage the student population to
minimize driving within the University campus
3. Develop a bikeway infrastructure including bike-thruways, shelters and storage, parking
equipment and shower facilities is being developed.
4. Increase the number and capacity of energy efficient residence halls on campus and in
its vicinity to minimize number of commuting students and their commuting distance
5. Introduce and expand the use of alternative fuels in University fleet vehicles and provide
adequate filling and charging infrastructure
6. Develop a University telecommuting policy and support its proper implementation
The teams will meet periodically with the Sustainability Manager to report progress and quantifiable
impacts / costs on each of the tasks being developed. As an outcome of these meetings, the calculator
will be updated to measure progress on the road to carbon neutrality.
Next Steps
40
Contributors
CLIMATE TASKFORCE:
James H. Watters, Chair, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration
Witold Bujak, Coordination, Sustainability Manager, Facilities Management Services
Catherine Ahern, (Facilities), Director, Engineering Services, Facilities Management Services
Don Boyd, (Research), Vice President for Research, Office of VP for Research
M. Ann Howard, (Community Outreach), Senior Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Gary A. Prokop, (Campus Services), Procurement Analyst, Purchasing
Maureen Valentine, (Education), College of Applied Science and Technology
SUPPORTING MEMBERS:
Gary Gasper, (Campus Services - Food), Director, Dining Services
Chris Furnare, (Campus Services - Grounds), Grounds Foreman, Facilities
L. Dave Harris, (Facilities), Director, Environmental Management, Facilities
Laura Collibee, (Campus Services - Recycling), Recycling Administrator, Facilities
Tina Karol, (Campus Services - Purchasing), Director, Commodity Management, Purchasing
Gil Ong, (Campus Services - Transportation), Transportations Manager, Facilities
Patty Spinelli, (Campus Services - Food), Executive Director, Food Services
Kitty Stappenbeck, (Campus Services - Accounting), Payroll Manager, Controller‟s Office
Richard D. Stein, (Facilities), HVAC Engineering System Manager, Facilities
Jim Yarrington, (Facilities), Director, Construction Services, Facilities
ADMINISTRATION:
Bill Destler, President, Rochester Institute of Technology
Enid Cardinal, Senior Advisor to the President on Sustainability
Jan Reich, Director, Facility Management Services
CONSULTING SERVICES:
Thomas Horan, Consultant, Sustainable Performance Consulting Inc.
Contributors
41