KSU SUSTAINABILITY 2014
Dec 26, 2015
KSU SUSTAINABILITY2014
• In 2013 Kennesaw State University was among seven Georgia Colleges & Universities named in the “Green Colleges List” issued by the Princeton Review in partnership with the U. S. Green Building Council.
Facilities
• Prillaman Hall received the Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, at the Gold level,
• KSU’s Social Sciences Building is Silver LEED certified and the Commons is Gold certified.
• The Science Laboratory Building is currently being reviewed for LEED certification as well.
Prillaman Hall
Science Lab Addition
Social Sciences & the “Spaceship Earth” Sculpture
The Commons Dining Hall
What is LEED?
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third party certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000.
• The nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
• LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to.
LEED Certification
• Building projects earn LEED certification and points for satisfying prerequisites within each of the LEED categories:
• Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
• The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives: – Certified: 40–49 points– Silver: 50–59 points– Gold: 60–79 points– Platinum: 80 points and above
• The KSU Commons Dining Hall is a nationally acclaimed model of sustainability
• It has energy and water-conserving features, all food wastes are composted, and oil waste is sold as a biodiesel source
KSU’s Farm-to-Campus ProgramAcres of organic farmland
On-Campus Herb Garden
KSU’s Farmers’ Market on the Campus Green
American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
KSU has carried out 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) audits – for fiscal years 2008, 2010, & 2012:
http://www.kennesaw.edu/sustainability
The audits point to commuting as our largest GHG producer
KSU grew by 8% from 2010 – 2012; GHGs decreased by > 5%
per student GHG emissions dropped by 12%
Energy-Saving Measures
• Combining Christmas & New Years campus shut-downs
• Adding Energy-efficient LEED buildings
• Setting thermostats @ 680 (winter) & 780 (summer)
• Motion-detector light controls
• Federal Stimulus funding awarded in 2010 have been used to increase energy efficiency in older buildings
“BOB” Shuttle Routes began in Spring, 2011
• routes to remote parking lots & campus buildings
• routes connecting nearby apartments
Zimride carpool system
• Select potential carpool participants using the social-network Zimride system:
https://web.kennesaw.edu/auxiliaryservices/content/student-carpooling
• Shuttles reduce traffic congestion & pollution caused by prolonged vehicle idling times
• KSU instituted a “No Idle” Policy in 2010
• The KSU campus is rapidly losing its natural areas, including a small forest that houses pink ladyslippers, a rare native orchid
• Nearby off-campus sites for outdoor lab and field experiences have been identified; this will reduce the impact of these classes on KSU’s forested areas
Outdoor Gathering Places
Students are designing a Bioswale to capture pollutants in campus storm water runoff
Recycling
• KSU uses a “single source” (materials can be mixed) recycling system
• KSU accepts paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass drink bottles, batteries, and plastics #s 1 - 7
Residence Halls
• The newer buildings on the North side of campus have energy and water conserving features
• Resident Assistants plan Sustainability Events (such as an “Earth Hour” celebration) on a regular basis
KSU Athletics
• Under the leadership of our Athletic Director, Vaughn Williams, KSU is introducing measures and events to promote sustainability in our athletics programs