GRIFFITH ENVIRONMENTAL LOAN FUND OVERVIEW
1.0 Background
The Griffith Environmental Loan Fund was established in 2009 as a means to target sustainability under the direction of a corporate agenda. The underpinning principles that shape its focus, embrace Griffith’s corporate badge and best practice, provide a useful framework that focuses on behaviour and infrastructure and is measurable in terms of competition. The GELF is modelled on
Harvard University’s GCLF and is aimed to be a self-sustaining initiative.
2.0 What is the Griffith Environmental Loan Fund?
The Griffith Environmental Loan Fund was established with a purpose to provide upfront loans to fund projects in order to reduce Griffith’s environmental impact and save future expenditure on utilities, consumables or operating costs. Projects may fund new infrastructure to reduce consumption or waste, to make operations more efficient, or to change staff or students’ behaviour.
Projects will be evaluated and chosen for support on 2 criteria:
2.0.1
2.0.2 the amount of savings expected as a proportion of the initial investment; and the size of the likely reduction in the university’s environmental impact.
An allocation of $500,000 has been made to establish the fund in its first year while Griffith builds its capacity to develop, evaluate and implement environmental savings projects. Further allocations are anticipated 2010 and 2011. Thereafter the fund will be replenished from the savings from projects financed by the fund.
3.0 Loan Fund Criteria and Eligibility Requirements
Projects will be evaluated on their ability to contribute to one or more of the following areas of consideration:

Greenhouse gas reductions
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Energy use reduction
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Water use reduction
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Sewage and storm water output reductions

Hazardous waste
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Solid waste
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Liquid waste
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Gaseous emissions
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Operations improvements that decrease environmental impacts

Environmental procurement practices

Education of and reputation building with internal and external community
3.1
Assessing your project’s Loan Fundability
The Criteria
Projects that will be considered for GELF review must meet both of the following core criteria, with exceptions and qualifications noted below:
3.1.1
Projects must generate infrastructure or behavioural improvements that directly decrease Griffith University’s current environmental impact, as per points above.
Projects can include refurbishment and maintenance.
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3.1.2
Projects must normally have a payback period of five years or less. (see exceptions below)
3.2 Eligibility Exceptions and Qualifications
3.2.1
Loan Funded applicants can include any rebates in end calculations of payback periods (a rebate from an energy utility can reduce a 6 year payback period to 5
3.2.2
years, making the project eligible for loan funding).
Loans of up to $20,000 are available for Feasibility Studies supporting early project start-up efforts. Feasibility loans must either be repaid within 2 years or rolled into a repayment schedule of any loan funded project resulting from the feasibility
3.2.3
3.2.4
assessment.
Loan funding is available for Photovoltaic (PV) Projects in support of renewable energy at Griffith University. Loans must still be repaid within 5 years even though actual payback periods are much longer for PV.
“Project bundling” allows funding applicants to apply for one loan fund for multiple projects. The terms of this agreement are that the total payback period of the bundled projects cannot exceed 5 years. For example an applicant may apply for one loan to fund two projects including a 2 year payback lighting project and a 6 year payback ventilation upgrade as long as the combined payback does not exceed five years. The intention of this concept is to leverage very low payback projects to enable projects with longer paybacks.
4.0 Mode of Application
Applicants must complete the GELF Application Form, which is available upon request. Please contact Tennille Lee (Deputy Resource Manager, RAIS), x54500 or email: t.lee@griffith.edu.au
The following information will be essential:
4.0.1
Project Description
4.0.2
Statement of how the project addresses the GELF criteria
4.0.3
GELF project budget and repayment schedule. GELF business model is available upon request. Please contact Tennille Lee (Deputy Resource Manager, RAIS), x54500 or email: t.lee@griffith.edu.au
5.0 Reporting Requirements
A reporting schedule incorporating project milestones and financial performance will be negotiated with successful recipients
6.0 Administrative Fee
All GELs are subject to a fee that is equivalent to the cost of funds for the University.
7.0
Examples of Projects
7.0.1
Efficiency Investments: Installation of high-efficiency pumps, equipment, lighting, boilers, and air conditioners; the weatherization of campus windows with modern highinsulating glass and frames; installing energy recovery ventilators on Olin-Rice ventilation hoods; and payment of the marginal difference between more efficient models of equipment.
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7.0.2
Water Conservation: Repairing water leaks and installing additional low-flow appliances; installation of systems that recover or reuse wastewater.
7.0.3
Renewable Fuels: Manufacture of biodiesel from waste oil from cafeteria and local businesses or other uses of clean biomass-based fuels not requiring extensive additional fossil energy inputs.
7.0.4
Renewable Energy: The installation of on-campus renewable energy systems, such as wind power, solar thermal or photovoltaic, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and microhydropower.; investing in community-based renewable energy projects.
7.0.5
Green Building: Investing in equipment or design of green building, like passive solar heating or green roofing, that provides measurable cost-savings.
7.1
Examples of Inappropriate Projects
7.1.1
Fossil Fuels: GELF should not invest in any project using fossil fuels, unless the project leads to a significant net decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
7.1.2
Renewable Energy tags/offsets: GELF funding should not be used for the purchase of green tags, renewable energy certificates, or other offsets. Instead, GELF should aim to invest in projects that provide economic savings and environmental leadership to the
University.
7.1.3
Budget Shortfalls: GELF funding should never be used to cover project/departmental budget shortfalls, except by investing by projects that meet GELF standards.
7.1.4
Staffing/Salaries: GELF funds must never be used for the following: department or staff salary or wages except for in association with a GELF project.
8.0 Sample Project Ideas
These are just a handful of project ideas to help you get started:
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Installing motion sensors (vending misers) on vending machines to reduce power usage;
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Installing motion sensors in class rooms and other areas that are unoccupied for long periods of time;
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Renegotiating a washing machine contract and paying the marginal difference of more efficient, front-loading washing machine models, which can further displace dryer usage;
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Paying for building re-commissioning;
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Installing low-flow water appliances;
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Installing high-efficiency pumps, equipment, boilers, and air conditioners;
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Payment of the marginal difference in cost between more conventional and more efficient equipment models;
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Replacing single-pane campus windows with modern high-insulating glass and frames;
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Replacing all incandescent light bulbs with CLFs;
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Installing energy recovery ventilators on science building ventilation hoods;
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Installing solar thermal systems and other renewable heating systems;
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Installing photovoltaic panels;
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Installing wind turbine(s).
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