An Introduction

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is working to become more sustainable in terms of buildings, carbon dioxide emissions and energy conservation. Effort from both the administration and students is helping to create green living on campus.

Johnson control project brings sustainability to UMass buildings

When students, faculty or staff walk into bathrooms on campus, they will notice the running water from both the toilets and sinks. However, what may not be apparent is how fast that water is flowing. Thanks to Johnson Controls, and the low flow toilets and faucets they installed in 2004, bathroom facilities at UMass became more energy efficient. And that's only one of the changes the project brought to campus.

In a ten-year energy performance contract with Johnson Controls, the university invested $43 million in an effort to make buildings around campus more sustainable. In the contract Johnson Controls guaranteed UMass annual savings of about $5 to $7 million dollars in areas such as water, electric, and steam. UMass is in the sixth year of its agreement, conserving both energy and money.

One of the greatest changes the contract allowed UMass officials to make was the renovation of the power plant. The new power plant, located behind the Mullins Center, was designed to reduce the amount of carbon UMass emits. UMass sustainability coordinator Josh Stoffel said that the adjustments from Johnson Controls and the new power plant have reduced the university’s overall emissions by 30 percent.

“Johnson Controls dropped our emissions by 24 percent, and the power plant itself dropped us by six percent,” he said.

Campus energy engineer at the physical plant utilities section Jason Burbank, who was involved in the initial stages of the Johnson Controls Project, said that unlike commercial generators, the new power plant operates as a “co-generation,” creating both heat and electricity. Heat is created through steam turbines, which generate steam at a high pressure and is then delivered throughout campus as low pressure steam. The turbines produce so much energy that not all is needed to create heat, allowing for some of it to be used for electricity.

One year ago, only 10 percent of the electricity used by the university was supplied by the power plant. Today the new plant provides 70 percent to the campus. It also uses 90 percent natural gas to create fuel compared to the old plant which burned 50 percent coal. Natural gas releases half the amount of carbon as coal.

“It's [new power plant] amazing,” Burbank said. “It costs no more than the old plant and is much better for the environment.”

Johnson Controls also replaced aging heating and cooling equipment. More efficient cooling towers and chillers, designed to cool water for air conditioning systems, were placed in buildings like the library to conserve energy.

Every building was given state-of-the-art flourescent lighting, and those that did not currently use it had it installed. In the past each tube of lighting used 40 to 45 watt bulbs, but today they are stocked with 32 watt ones.

Insulation, which slows down the loss of heat, was added to dorm attics, reducing the rate at which it is needed to be pumped into buildings. Electric monitors and computer controls that regulate temperature and ventilation, were also made more efficient.

Burbank said he believes Johnson Controls gave UMass a lot of important tools to help manage our energy, but there is always more we can do.

"We could certainly do a better job if we could put a little more time into it [energy conservation], but we have definitely reduced our energy consumption, and that must make us greener," he said.

UMass sustainability coordinator works to implement green practices on campus

Josh Stoffel, a 23-year-old graduate student, sits at his desk on the fourth floor of Hills North. He is occupied answering phone calls and making notes on his computer. It is a busy day for him. As the only sustainability coordinator on campus, Stoffel’s schedule consists of work in the office, classes, and then more work. The balancing act isn’t easy, but for him, it's all worth it.

“I’m extremely happy [with the position],” he said. But in terms of balancing school work and a job Stoffel says, “It’s very difficult to balance the two. I often have difficulty doing so, but it is definitely worth the effort.”

Within the Five College System, Smith and UMass are the only schools to have sustainability coordinators. Their job is to focus soley on environmental problems and fix them through green practices. Stoffel averages a 40 hour work week on top of taking classes to complete his masters degree in higher education. His salary is evenly split among four departments on campus. The Physical Plant, Facilities and Campus Planning, the College of Natural Sciences and the Administration and Finance Office all contribute to paying Stoffel’s tuition.

A former undergraduate majoring in Environmental Sciences at UMass, Stoffel knows the environmental challeneges the school faces. He's working on the University’s Climate Action Plan, a requirement of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment that President of UMass, Jack M. Wilson signed in 2007. The goal is for institutions to eventually become carbon neutral.

Stoffel says that UMass officials are developing a Climate Action Plan, but have yet to decide if carbon neutrality will be included.

“Administrators are hesitant to put it in the plan because it is such a lofty goal,” he said. “I plan to push to have it in the plan though. Having carbon neutrality is an important goal and something we need to do as an institution.”

The College of the Atlantic is the only school in the U.S. that has reached the goal of carbon neutrality. Stoffel realizes that the effort represents a huge undertaking, especially for a large institution like UMass.

“It will require new technology and innovative ideas,” he said.

On October 7 through the eighth, Johnson Controls held sustainability workshops for faculty, staff and students. The group found several environmental needs to focus on during the year, such as increasing the use of energy from renewable sources and maintaining healthy indoor air environments.

At the end of the workshop, Johnson Controls gathered feedback on possible solutions. Ideas like installing solar panels on buildings and natural ventilation in buildings were desicussed. The Environmental Performance Advisory Committee will use the information to work on the Climate Action Plan.

Stoffel said that he thought the day was a "huge success."

“Not only were we able to collect thoughts and perspectives from many stakeholders across campus, but they interacted as well,” he said. “That’s the key to sustainability. To be able to bring people in groups who have different goals and initiatives to work on the common goal of sustainability.”

SGA-EC begins work on environmental issues across campus

Chair of the Student Government Association Environmental Committee, Rachel Dutton, stood in front of members and newcomers on September 30, 2009 to address those at the committee's kick off event of the year. All in attendance gathered in a circle to discuss ways students can take the initiative to conserve energy and waste throughout campus. Members showed high hopes of implementing changes, like the removal of trays from the dining commons, which Dutton set in motion at the end of last year.

“At first I didn’t like the trayless option because of the convenience issue,” said UMass Junior Kevin DiMuzio. “It took a week or two to get used to, but now I think it’s a great idea to conserve. Plus, incoming freshmen don’t know what it’s like to have them. So after awhile it won’t be an issue.”

UMass Junior Jordan Huskins feels that no trays are better for the environment, but an annoyance when it comes to leaving the DC.

“I think the removal of trays in the DC’s has had its pros and cons. I think it definitely regulates how much food students take, but makes it a bit of a hassle when leaving, not to mention harder cleanup for the workers.”

UMass dining services provides over 40,000 meals daily, making it the third largest food operation in revenue in the country. In the 2008 spring semester alone, the Worcester DC wasted almost 60,000 pounds of food.

Efforts by Dutton have paid off, as the amount of waste in DC's has decreased since the removal of trays.

Executive director of dining and retail at UMass, Ken Toong, says that although it is too early to measure the amount of waste reduction, workers in the dish rooms have noticed that overall there has been a lot less food going into garbage bins.

“From 7:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Worcester DC students used to fill an entire garbage bucket, but today it doesn’t even reach 70 percent full,” said Toong.

At the meeting, SGA-EC members also discussed bringing a bike sharing program to campus.

The pilot program, which the SGA-EC and sustainability coordinator Josh Stoffel will work on, will team up with the Bike Co-Op. To encourage people to leave cars at home, 20 to 25 bikes will be brought to campus. The bikes will be available to sign out without charge for about two days.

Stoffel says that the program has been proven at other campuses to be highly effective for students and faculty using bikes on campus and close vicinities instead of cars. Although the program is one of the smaller goals of the committee, Stoffel believes it to be very important.

“To neglect the small programs is very short sighted,” he said. "It's often the smaller programs that have the biggest effect."

SGA-EC member Elena Hadley is researching green roofing to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. In her research proposal she states that one story of green roofing can cut cooling costs by 20 to 30 percent, absorb carbon dioxide to help reduce the University’s carbon footprint, and work as a sieve. A thousand feet of green roofing could remove up to 41 pounds of airborne particles per year, and act as a filter for heavy metals and pollutants from rain water.

She will work with students to research an effective model using other schools such as Harvard and MIT, who have green roofing in place. Foods grown will be sold or given to Earthfoods, Food Not Bombs, and the local Amherst Farmer's Market.

"It's a great way to give back to the community," said Hadley.