Student Sustainability Advisory
Council
Fall 2014 Recommendations
Agenda
1. Past Recommendations
2. Subcommittees:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Technology
Production
Consumption
Education
Past Recommendations
1. “Sustainability” link on psu.edu homepage
2. Council of Sustainable Leaders
3. Berkey Creamery renovations
● Recycling indoors and out
● Signage for sustainability components
● Include creamery employees on Food Science Green Team
4. Findlay renovations
● Trayless dining
● Educational tabletops
● Serving style research
Technology
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Mission
Past recommendations
Fall 2014 recommendations
What the University can do
Key stakeholders contacted
Summary
Our Mission
To offer achievable, efficient,
sustainable, and informational solutions
and alternatives to needed technological,
energy, and transportation related areas
at Penn State.
Past Recommendations
● EV Charging Stations
o Proposed EV Charging Station Policy
o Continued support from administration
● Policy
o Support for extended payback period for
sustainable projects
o Lighting Upgrade Project

LED outdoor and roadway lighting
“Green Zone” Football Parking
● Green Zone would be a tailgating area that
would be sustainability-oriented
o Sustainability demonstrations, Sustainable
Tailgate Contest (STC), Electric vehicle parking
spaces, MorningStar solar home open house
● Trial run: Blue and White game
○ Zero cost for athletics- simply need approval
and widespread support
○ Long run goals- Green Zone at all games
Compressed Air Lines
● Maintenance
on lines from
Mechanical
room to end
use
Compressed Air
● 10 gal/min = 1.34CFM = 0.34hp
0.34 hp = 0.22 kW
0.22kW * $0.08kW/hr * 8760 hr
● $154/yr
● 100’s-1000’s of leaks
Flushless Urinals
● $289 initial cost, 10,000 uses, $39
1 gal
standard
⅛ gallon
flushless
36,500 gal/yr
4563 gal/yr
20 gal/yr (cleaning)
147 lbs*CO2/yr
19 lbs*CO2/yr
??
Flushless Urinals
● Currently exist at Medlar Field
● Recommended in highly populated
areas
o HUB
o Beaver Stadium
o BJC
● Could introduce slowly
o 1 flushless for every 3 that flush
IT Services
1. Computer Building
2. Data Center
3. Campus Wide (Administrative)
Computer Building
1. Utilizing the Colocation Space
o Encourage more IT service to locate within the
Computer building
o Saves on cooling and maintenance of servers
and switches
2. Switch more servers into Virtual Machines
o Saves on electricity cost and initial purchasing
on servers.
Data Center
● Choose the Munters Unit
o More sustainable and works better for
changing conditions
Campus Wide
● Printer Sharing
o Faculty and Administration have excess
printers
o Share local laser jets, saves on ink prices
and hopefully reduces paper use.
o Secure Printing can be utilized for those
afraid of people seeing secure
documents
Key Stakeholders Contacted
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Steve Maruszewski, Assistant Vice President, OPP
Jason Moore, Energy Program Engineer, OPP
Rob DeMayo, Director, Transportation Services
Jason Thomas, Special Projects Coordinator,
Transportation Services
● Judd Michael, Sustainable Business Management
● Mark Saussure, Director of Data Centers
● Mack Messner, Facilities Engineer of Data Centers
Technology Summary
● Continue to support past
recommendations
● Green Zone Tailgate
● Compressed Air Maintenance
● Flushless Urinals
● IT Services
Production
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Mission
Past recommendations
Fall 2014 recommendations
What the University can do
Key stakeholders contacted
Summary
Our Mission
To figure out policies to minimize production
waste, find alternative uses for waste streams,
and increase food security throughout Penn
State’s campus.
Recommendation Outline:
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Student Farm
White Building Renovations
Digester Project
BJC
Past Recommendation
Student Farm
● Goals
o Enhance education, create community,
grow good food access
● Sustainability Institute fully committed
o
o
o
o
Fall 2014- “Visioning” process
Spring 2015- Business plan proposal
Fall 2015- Begin implementation
Spring 2016- First production and minor course
● Resource needs
o Funding models, SI reinvention fund, capital,
long term operations, institutional home
White Building Renovation
● Current policy:
○ LEED Certified required for building projects
over $2 million
● Minimal Effort Needed:
○ Water Use Reduction of 35%
○ Building Reuse (55-95%)
○ Materials Reuse
● Significant Effort Required:
○ On-Site Renewable Energy
White Building:
Equipment Research
● ReRev
○ Texas State: $19,750 for 30 machines
○ UNT, Oregon State, U of Oregon, California
State (SB), U.S. Air Force Bases
○ Education
○ Student involvement
● SportsArt Fitness ECO-POWR Line
○ Upright cycle, Recumbent cycle, Elliptical
○ Integrated micro-converters
● Rewards System
White Building: Materials Research
● Rain Collection/
Green Roof
● Solar panels/
harvesting
● Motion sensor sinks/
lights
● Green Materials
○ Reclaimed building
materials (from
White building)
○ Recycled content
○ Energy efficient
windows
○ FSI or FSC certified
wood
White Building: Miscellaneous Research
● Eliminate selling of plastic water
bottles
● Energy floors
● Informational posters about
sustainable efforts (equipment and
building)
White Building: Action Steps
● Require and enforce higher standards
for the building of a new gym
o
o
o
o
Higher LEED Certification
Sustainable materials
Energy efficiency
Education
Anaerobic Digester
● SSAC supports
Digester
Committee
for AD at
dairy barns
Anaerobic Digester
● Encourage finding ways to incorporate
post consumer food waste
● Met with Jeff Spackman, OPP Project
Manager
Anaerobic Digester:
Action Steps
● Keep funding for AD a priority and
avoid postponing construction
o Estimated $6.5M - $8M
Future Recommendation:
Bryce Jordan Center
● Set up meeting with Rick James, Manager
of Operations
● Review overarching policies in place
related to sustainability
● Improving waste reduction
● 15,261 seat arena
● Waste diversion will be measured at 3
events before the end of 2014
Other University Arenas
● Cristler Center, The University of Michigan
○ 13,751 seat arena
○ LEED Gold Certified
● All State Arena, De Paul University
○ 18,500 seat arena
○ 350 tons of waste diverted
● Carver Hawkeye Arena, The University of Iowa
○ 15,400 seat arena
○ It has gone from 38% waste diversion in 2007
to 90% percent in 2011
Key Stakeholders Contacted
● Marv Bevan, Project Leader for IM Building
Renovations
● Leslie Pillen, Sustainable Student Farm Design
Coordinator
● Rick James, Manager of Operations at the BJC
● John Holzerman, Hospitality Manager at the BJC
● Jeff Spackman, OPP
Production Summary
Consumption
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Mission
Fall 2014 recommendations
What the University can do
Key stakeholders contacted
Summary
Our Mission
To reduce consumption and use more
sustainable materials in order to lessen
waste at Penn State.
Goals of Penn State
● Reach 85% diversion of waste by 2017
○ We are currently at 60%
● Efforts up to this point:
○ National Recycling Award
○ Everyone loves miscellaneous plastics option
○ Mobius 1st place
Barriers to Success
● Confusion of recycling
● Inconsistency of materials
○ Hot coffee cups (It’s not clear if these are
compostable or should go to landfill)
● Education
○ Without clear instructions and rules from food
services, it’s hard to educate the public in a
quick and easy manner
What can the University do?
● Standardize materials throughout all
food vendors on campus
○ Cups would be a good starting point
● Vendor Contracts
● Work towards using one type of cup at
most vendors (especially Starbucks)
Financial Benefit
● Tonnage of waste diverted from landfill
will ultimately equal savings
○ Landfill
■ $67/ton
■ 73 miles away
■ Gas milage on truck: 5mpg
Pre-Recommendation
● Fossil Fuel Divestment
o Next step in Penn State’s sustainability
journey
o Illustrate Penn State’s commitment on a
larger scale
o Support from President Barron
o Provide information needed to make
future recommendations
Key Stakeholders Contacted
● Lydia Vandenbergh, Sustainability
Institute
● David Quinn, campus food and dining
services
● Al Matyasovsky, director of Penn State
Recycling
Consumption Summary
● Education on Recycling
● Consistency of Materials
● Fossil Fuel Divestment
Education
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Mission
Fall 2014 recommendations
What the University can do
Key stakeholders contacted
Summary
Our Mission
To develop innovative ideas that advance
sustainability curriculum and public outreach efforts
with the intention of raising awareness and promoting
sustainable behavior within the Penn State
community.
Visibility is key
Recommendations:
● New Student Orientation
● Sustainability in Public Places
New Student Orientation
Backround
● Informed students will make sustainable choices,
actively improve PSU
Sustainability is the simultaneous
Goals
pursuit of human health and
happiness, environmental quality,
● Define sustainability
● Showcase Penn State’s and economic well-being for
current and future generations.
sustainability efforts
o Energy and greenhouse gas reductions
o LEED certifications
● Demonstrate what students can do
New Student Orientation
Action Steps
● Sustainability training for NSO leaders
● Penn State Reads: The Boom by Russell Gold
● Incorporate throughout orientation
a. Dining
-food waste
-composting
b. Dorm Life
-energy efficiency
-water
conservation
-Mobius
c.
Daily Life
-sustainability
umbrella
Prioritize changes for NSO 2015
Sustainability in Public Spaces
Museum
● Dedicated to University’s efforts
● Based on model of EMS museum
● Works for outreach, education
Action Steps
1. Sustainability in EMS museum
o
o
Recruit faculty liaison
Develop guidelines for continued sustainability exhibit
2. Strongly consider STEM museum project
o
o
Ensure potential museum’s sustainability
Promote sustainability exhibit as prominent section
Sustainability in Public Spaces
Workspace
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Display of PSU sustainability
Visible; Centrally located
Space for collaboration
Appealing to those of all disciplines
Action Steps
1. Identify potential locations
o New or renovated space
2. Create interdisciplinary action team
3. Establish working timeline
Sustainability in Public Spaces
Solar Array Class Gift
● Visibility in central campus
● Access for classes
● Additional funding to increase size
o Possible Clean Energy Rebates
o Request funding from
Development
Action Steps
1. Create action team
2. Ensure central location for educational purposes
3. Campaign for supplemental funding
Key Stakeholders Contacted
New Student Orientation
● Dan Murphy - Director of Student Orientation and
Transition Programs
● Chuck Wakefield - Assistant Director of Findlay Commons
Sustainability in Public Spaces
● Russ Graham - EMS Museum Director
● Steve Maruszewski - Assistant Vice President, OPP
● Geoff Hallett - Senior Class Gift Advisor, Assistant Director
of Annual Giving
● Peter Buckland - Reinvention Fund
● Alex Scott - Senior Class Gift
Education Summary
Need for increased sustainability visibility
● Sustainability in New Student Orientation - by NSO 2015
● Sustainability in public campus spaces
o
o
o
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Museum exhibit - within the next year
Support for larger museum project - next 10 years
Sustainability-focused workspace - next 5 years
Use of solar array - as plans develop
Preliminary Recommendations
● General Education Revisions
● Stone Valley Recreation Enhancements
● Sustainability Curriculum
SSAC Fall 2014 Closing
● Past Recommendations
o “Sustainability” link on psu.edu homepage
o Council of Sustainable Leaders
o Berkey Creamery renovations
o Findlay renovations
SSAC Fall 2014 Closing
● Technology
o
o
o
o
o
o
EV Charging Policy
Payback Period
Compressed airlines
Flushless urinals
“Green Zone” tailgating
IT Services
● Production
o Student Farm
o White Building
renovations
o Anaerobic Digester
● Consumption
o Education and consistency with
recycling
o Fossil Fuel Divestment
● Education
o New Student Orientation
o Sustainability in Public Spaces