Climate Action Plan
May 12, 2010
Table of Contents
Nassau Community College Climate Action Plan Executive Summary……………………….............................. 3
Current Assessment and Future Plans………………………………………………………………………………………3
Introduction to NCC………………………………………………………......................................................................... 4
Institutional Structure…………………………………………………………….................................................................4
Sustainability in Curriculum………………………………………………………………..................................................... 4
Community Outreach................................................................................................................................ 5
NCC Carbon Footprint………………………...................................................................................................... 5
Figure 1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sources……………………………………………………......................... 5
Figure 2 High Temperature Hot Water Usage 2007-2009………………………………………….………….... 6
Figure 3 High Temperature Hot Water Usage 2007-2009, Adjusted for Heating Degree Days… 6
Figure 4 Chilled Water Usage 2007-2009…………………………………………………………………………….…. 7
Figure 5 Chilled Water Usage 2007-2009, Adjusted for Cooling Degree Days…………………..…….. 7
Figure 6 Purchased Electricity Usage 2007-2009……………………………………………………….…………… 8
Interpretation of Data and Action Plan..................................................................................................... 8
New Construction and Major Renovations……………………………………………………………………………… 8
Existing Building Retrofits…………………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Table 1 – NCC Energy Performance Contract Schedule……………………………………….……… 9
Ongoing Activities…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………. 10
Renewable Energy………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..… 10
Setting Targets and Measuring Progress................................................................................................... 11
Emissions Targets……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Measuring Progress………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
Implementing the Campus Climate Action Plan………………………………………………………………….…… 10
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
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Nassau Community College Climate Action Plan Executive Summary
Nassau Community College, the largest single campus community college in New York, maintains a
nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year institutions. The
College offers the A.A. degree in Liberal Arts focused on humanities and social sciences, the A.S. degree
in Liberal Arts emphasizing mathematics and laboratory sciences, specialized A.A. and A.S. transfer
degrees, and A.A.S. degrees and certificate programs designed to serve immediate employment goals of
students. Nassau Community College prides itself on its small classes taught by highly qualified and
accomplished faculty. Over 23,000 day and evening students and close to 15,000 continuing and
professional students of all ages and backgrounds come together at our 225-acre campus in the center
of Long Island.
Current Assessment and Future Plans
At NCC we are fully committed to doing all we can to reduce our carbon footprint through energy
conservation, recycling, and reducing commuting to the campus.
NCC has inventoried its greenhouse gasses for 2008 and found that the vast majority of our carbon
footprint is a result of student commuting, purchased electricity, and heating and cooling of campus
buildings. Together, these sources contribute 90% of NCC carbon footprint. Clearly, any initiative to
reduce our carbon footprint will address these areas first. While NCC will certainly encourage students
to take public transportation (which is readily available) to the campus, it is unlikely that we will realize a
significant reduction in this category due to our being a Community College in a suburban area where
transportation by private vehicle is considered the norm. Thus, we will concentrate our efforts on the
reducing purchased electricity, and heating and cooling energy purchased from the county’s central
utilities plant. These three energy sources cost NCC, on average, $8M per year and thus have a major
impact on our $200M budget. A significant reduction in energy use will pay off in reduced cost to the
campus in a very challenging fiscal environment.
NCC believes that it can achieve a 20% reduction from its 2008 base year greenhouse gas emissions for
purchased electricity, and purchased heating and cooling water by the year 2020. We anticipate that
this reduction will be realized through an initial $6M Energy Savings Contract which is starting now, and
a follow-on $6M contract in the near future. Additionally, although NCC will add a new Life Sciences
Building to its inventory in 2012, it will be LEED certified and energy-efficient. All future construction and
major renovation at NCC will also be LEED certified. NCC anticipates continued financial support from
Nassau County and New York State which will allow us to make even further progress in reducing energy
consumption and green house gas emissions.
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Introduction to NCC
Nassau Community College is the largest single campus community college in New York State and
maintains a nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year
institutions. The College offers the A.A. degree in Liberal Arts focused on humanities and social sciences,
the A.S. degree in Liberal Arts emphasizing mathematics and laboratory sciences, specialized A.A. and
A.S. transfer degrees, and A.A.S. degrees and certificate programs designed to serve immediate
employment goals of students. Intern/work-study opportunities with local, national and international
businesses and organizations are available for students in both career and liberal arts programs. Nassau
Community College prides itself on its small classes taught by highly qualified and accomplished faculty.
Over 23,000 day and evening students and close to 15,000 continuing and professional students of all
ages and backgrounds come together at our 225-acre campus in the center of Long Island. Our academic
standards are high, our facilities are first-class, and our faculty is among the most distinguished in New
York higher education.
NCC is fully committed to doing all it can to reduce its carbon footprint through energy conservation,
recycling, and reducing commuting to the campus.
Institutional Structure
The Vice President for Administration and Planning is the chief coordinator of sustainability efforts on
the campus. Through this office, NCC has just completed award of a $6M Energy Savings Performance
Contract with Johnson Controls, International which will update and expand the Metasys energy
management system. NCC has also awarded a new recycling contract (at no cost to the college) which
will greatly expand the amount of material recycled on the campus. The President of NCC and the Board
of Trustees will be directly involved in the approval and oversight of NCC’s Climate Actions Plan and will
receive regular updates on progress during meetings of the Board of Trustees.
Sustainability in Curriculum
NCC already includes sustainability topics in a number of courses. Classes in the Marketing, Fashion
Design, and Interior Design all include sensitivity to sustainability in those fields. Additionally, a number
of courses in Biology include instruction on sustainability, carbon neutrality, and greenhouse gas issues
directly. Courses in Multidisciplinary Science and General Science Studies include discussions on energy,
including alternative energy sources, climate change, hybrid vehicles, and sustainable products. A new
course in General Science Studies will concentrate on sustainable construction practices to include the
USGBC's LEED rating system and will be taught by a LEED certified professor. The Physical Sciences
Department also teaches four courses that directly address environmental science, including
Environmental Resources, Climatology, and Environmental Mapping. NCC was one of the first
Community Colleges in the nations to offer Environmental Science courses.
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Community Outreach
NCC has a very active student environmental club which strongly supports our recycling effort. Members
of the club were instrumental in working with the prospective contractor to visit NCC and submit a
proposal for recycling services. Additionally, the club seeks to publicize the recycling program among
students. The NCC Academic Senate has a Campus Services Committee which also has a deep and
supportive involvement of sustainable activities on the campus. Each year this committee sponsors a
well-attended event to educate the campus community on sustainable activities on the campus.
Also, NCC has had a long and successful relationship with a community group, the Friends of the
Hempstead Plains, which oversees a 19 acre tract of land on the campus as a nature preserve. NCC and
the Friends of the Hempstead Plains are planning an education center for the site which will host school
children from all over Nassau County to educate them on the environment and preservation.
NCC Carbon Footprint
The chart below shows the results of NCC’s 2008 Green-House-Gas inventory. As can be plainly seen, the
vast majority of NCC’s emissions come from commuting, purchased electricity, and purchased
steam/chilled water. These three sources contribute a total of 90% of NCC’s emissions.
Figure - 1 NCC – Carbon Footprint
The charts below show the last three years of electricity, high temperature hot water, and chilled water
usage by NCC. These three areas will be targeted for a 20% reduction over the next 10 years.
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Figure 2 - High Temperature Hot Water Usage 2007-2009
Figure 3 - High Temperature Hot Water Usage 2007-2009, Adjusted for Heating Degree Days
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Figure 4 - Chilled Water Usage 2007-2009
Figure 5 - Chilled Water Usage 2007-2009, Adjusted for Cooling Degree Days
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Figure 6 – Purchased Electricity Usage 2007-2009
Interpretation of Data and Action Plan
While NCC has made some progress in conserving purchased electricity over the past three years, our
use of high temperature hot water and chilled water from the county’s central utility plant has not
decreased. We are generally very consistent on a year-to-year basis as to how much HTHW and CHW
we use, however, we are not capable of regulating that water usage based upon climatic conditions. We
use the same amount of heating and cooling water regardless of the ambient temperatures. Therefore,
we need to concentrate our efforts on putting in place systems that can control the amount of heating
and cooling water we use depending upon weather conditions. We have geared our future efforts to
ensure that that control will be possible.
New Construction and Major Renovations
NCC has committed to a policy of LEED certified construction for all future new construction and major
renovation projects. We have just broken ground on a new Life Sciences Building which will meet LEED
Silver certification as a minimum and possibly LEED Gold. This building will have a lower carbon
footprint and thereby reduce our overall campus average greenhouse gas emissions per square foot.
Two LEED points will be earned by achieving a 14% improvement over ASHRAE 90.1 standards. We are
also in the planning phase of a major renovation of our 100,000 square foot library which we believe will
provide us with an opportunity to lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas production via much
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improved heating and cooling system efficiency. Additionally, NCC is embarking on a major program to
improve our roads and parking areas which will include installation of new LED lighting to replace
existing mercury vapor and metal halide lights which consume significantly more energy than LED’s. A
pilot project with LED lighting will be completed this summer. We expect this project to set the standard
for future outdoor lighting systems on the campus.
Existing Buildings Retrofits
Our existing buildings total almost 1,500,000 sf and we believe that we can achieve a 10- 30% reduction
in greenhouse gasses by upgrading and expanding our automated energy management system to
control our electricity, high temperature hot water, and chilled water use. Pursuant to this goal, NCC has
just signed a formal Energy Savings Performance contract with Johnson Controls, International for
$6,000,000 as a first phase. The primary effort in this first phase is the upgrade of the existing energy
management system and the addition of more points so that we can remotely control the majority of
our HVAC systems throughout the campus. Once complete, the updated system will give us far better
control over HTHW and CHW usage. As can be deduced from the charts above, NCC has been consistent
in our use of HTHW and CHW, but cannot adjust the use of heating and cooling water based upon need
from year to year. We expect an average 10% reduction of HTHW and CHW due to the completion of
the new Energy Management system. This first phase will also include installation of new, highly
efficient boilers and chiller units where needed. Boilers will be duel fueled allowing us to take advantage
of local utility rebate programs and create an expandable system of boilers based on natural gas
consumption. Table 1 below summarizes the expected milestones and schedules for these retrofits.
Table 1 – NCC Energy Performance Contract Schedule
Milestone
Status
Date
ESCO Selection Process
complete
2006
ESCO Final Selection
complete
2006
Energy Audit
Complete
2007
Campus Energy Savings Project Proposal
Complete
2007
Approval to Proceed by Board of Trustees
Complete
2009
Energy Savings Contract Approval by County
Complete
March, 2010
Energy Saving Contract Implementation
In progress
Mar 2010 – Sept 2011
Energy Reduction Monitoring Process
15 year period
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Ongoing activities
NCC has already installed numerous occupancy sensors around the campus which allow for lights to be
turned off during hours of low facility usage. We will increase the numbers of sensors on a continual
basis. We have also just signed a contract with a new Recycling contractor which will increase the
amount of waste that NCC recycles. The previous contract did not include as many varieties of paper or
cans and bottle, while the new one does. This recycling contract is at no cost to NCC.
Renewable Energy Production
NCC is committed to initiating a renewable energy program. Working with our regional natural gas
provided, National Grid, NCC developed a plan for a 50 kW solar array to be constructed on the roof of
our Physical Education Building. NCC applied for an ARRA grant for this project, but was not successful.
Continued attempts to secure funding for such project will be made.
Setting Targets and Measuring Progress
Emissions Targets
Based on a study of our current emissions sources and trends, NCC believes that we will realize the
greatest return on investment by targeting purchased electricity, high temperature hot water, and
chilled water for reductions in our carbon footprint. We believe that a reduction of 20% in all of these
areas by 2020 is reasonable and within our financial ability to achieve. We will also encourage reduced
commuting to campus wherever possible.
Measuring Progress
NCC receives itemized energy consumption reports from our suppliers of electricity (LIPA), and heating
and cooling water (central utility plant owned by Nassau County). We can track our usage of energy on
a monthly basis and follow trends through the year and over several years. Additionally, as part of the
Energy Savings Performance Contract with Johnson Controls, we are installing numerous sub-meters
down to the building level so that we will know where on the campus our usage is the highest. We will
tailor future efforts to address these locations.
Implementing the Campus Climate Action Plan
Through generous support by Nassau County and the State University of New York, NCC has embarked
on a first phase Energy Savings Performance Contract with Johnson Controls, International. This first
phase is funded at $6M which will allow us to renew and expand our outdated energy management
system as well as replace obsolescent chillers and boilers. NCC plans to continue its energy conservation
projects through funding by Nassau County and New York State with capital construction funds over the
next several years. Nassau County has just approved an addition $3M in funding which will be matched
by New York State resulting on our being able to fund a second $6M phase of energy reduction
initiatives. We will use our contract with Johnson controls to develop additional energy savings projects
including further energy management system expansion, lighting retrofits, and replacement of major
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heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Additionally, NCC will explore opportunities for
alternative energy projects such as wind and solar which can be executed by a number of agencies with
which NCC does business – National Grid, our local natural gas provider, LIPA, our electricity provider,
and NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency.
Conclusion
NCC has embarked on an ambitious and exciting process of reducing its carbon footprint significantly
over the next decade despite our increased enrollment and addition of new space. With critical support
from Nassau County and New York State, NCC is well-positioned to realize our goal of a 20% reduction
below 2008 levels in purchased electricity, and purchased high temperature hot water and chilled water
before 2020. We are already taking the first step in this process by establishing an Energy Savings
Performance Contract with Johnson Controls International, a world-wide leader in this field. Extensive
energy conservation measures have already been proposed by JCI and a project kick-off meeting
occurred in April 2010. Over the next few years, a large number of projects will be started on the
campus with the goal of upgrading and expanding our energy management system and replacing aging
boilers and chillers. JCI will propose additional measures as work progresses.
This plan is supported by a $6M capital construction project funded equally by Nassau County and New
York State. An additional $3M has been approved by Nassau County which, we anticipate will be
matched by the State in the near future. Given this substantial funding level, and the support of the
campus community for sustainability efforts, NCC feels confident that we will see considerable progress
in a short period of time, not only reducing our carbon footprint, but saving us precious operating funds
at the same time.
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