MNHS Sustainability Project Overview

8/8/2019 MNHS Sustainability Project Overview

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Shengyin Xu

I N S T I T U T I O N A L S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

AT T H E M H S

Introduction

Project Components

Schedule

Product

Case Studies

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Institutional Sustainabil ity at the MHS



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I N T R O D U C T I O N

What is institutional sustainability?

What is a sustainability audit?

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Definitions

Sustainability

“…meet*ing] the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their ownneeds.” (UN Brundtland Commission)

Institution

“…an established organization, especially of

a public character.” (Merriam Webster)

These definitions do not help us

operationalize sustainability.



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Quantify sustainability using an established

and robust method.

Helps to prioritize sustainability goals and

strategies.

Weigh relative impacts of each to other

considerations like cost and time.

Communication tool to help convey to various

audiences the current situation and future

plans for sustainability.

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Sustainability Assessment



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+ Assessment / Audit

+ Green Strategies

+ Communications

+ Implementation+ Costs

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Project Components



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P R O J E C T C O M P O N E N T S

Assessment / Audit

Means for quantifying current level of sustainability.

Important to establish a baseline.

Can also use it as a reference point whenimprovements are made.

Initial phase of assessment will utilize utilitybills and documentation.

Secondary phase will focus on several key

areas and utilize direct measurements.

Results presented in terms of utility units ANDCO2 equivalents.

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Green Strategies

Utilize the initial phase of assessment to

establish a few key goals or targets.

Select most impactful strategies.

The most potential for reduction of

environmental impact, for the least capital

cost.

Can continue using the method for

assessment as a means to measureprogress.

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Communications

Internal communications to raise awareness

and interest in the Society.

Blog, internal events, expanding the GreenTeam.

External communications to promote the

Society in the community.

Blog, external campaigns, publications,media, social networking.

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Implementation

Select most impactful strategies.

Recommendations for each site, which takes

into consideration the context.Recommendations for the institution as a

whole.

Life cycle cost analysis for each strategy.

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S C H E D U L E

What is the time frame of the project?

What are the milestones?

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S C H E D U L E

3 Main Parts – Audit, Communications, Funding

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S C H E D U L E

Oct – Nov 2010

Preliminary Audit

Dec –

Jan 2011

Scope Narrows, Detailed

Audit

Feb – Apr 2011

Brainstorm Green

Strategies, Goals

Developed, Life Cycle Costs

May - Jun 2011

Reports and

Recommendations

gathered in various reports

for different audiences

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S C H E D U L E

Throughout project, other

components include

communications and

recommendations forfunding the green strategies.

Key Dates

(exact dates to be scheduled)

+ Nov 29 Prelim Audit

complete

+ Dec 20 Scope Defined

+ Jan 10 Professional

Services RFPs

+ Apr 25 Green Strategies

+ May 30 Report

Components Gathered

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How do you use a sustainability audit?

P R O D U C T



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P R O D U C T

Technical Report

Contains all information from

audit and recommendations

History / Origins

ProcessCalculations

Data tables or sources

Analysis

Conclusions

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P R O D U C T

Summary Report

Key findings

Key recommendations

Summary charts and data

Less than 10 pages

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P R O D U C T

Tool

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Establish a process, system, or tool that can

continue to be used.

+ Checklist of indicators+ Simpler version of the GHG / CO2

Accounting

Help to continue tracking progress towards

sustainability goals.



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P R O D U C T

Site Recommendations

Sets of recommendations for each site, in

addition to the institution as a whole.

Life-cycle cost analysis on a few keyrecommendations.

RETscreen can be used to supplement and

continue the recommendations.

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P R O G R E S S

+ Utility bills recorded for FY 09-11

+ Sites visited (SRL, NWC, CAL, JPG, MHC,

MCM)

+ Still deciding on Management Agreementsites

+ Processing data

+ RETscreen

+ Blog and internal communications started

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Current Completed



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C A S E S T U D I E S

Who else has done this before?

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+ New-building oriented program

+ Green Heart of Pittsburgh project

+ LEED certified building in 2005

+ Green roofs

+ Geothermal for heating and cooling

+ Restorative landscape

+ Photovoltaics

+ Most energy efficient conservatory in the

world, includes a Tropical Forest area

+ Ties their Botany research to a public

outreach site for general sustainability tips

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Phipps Conservatory



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+ Awareness and campaign oriented program

+ CO2 Analysis

+ Tracked Energy Usage and Waste

+

Created their own indicator system to trackprogress with Natural Step (N/A, Brone,Gold)

+ Created production criteria to help everyonemake everyday decisions

+ Bioswale in the parking lot

+ Recycling program

+ Educational elements in exhibits

+ Internal communications among employees

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Oregon Museum of Science andIndustry



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+ Process-oriented program

+ 37,000 pounds of waste from zoo animals

+ Partner with Duke Energy to use biomass

energy

+ Bio-diesel fleet

+ LEED NC building

+ LED lighting and new HVAC controls

+ Geothermal heating and cooling

+ Limited online communications

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Cincinnati Zoo



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+ Grassroots and government-

led efforts

+ CO2 analysis, Eco-footprint

analysis+ Community developed

indicator system

+ Subsidized energy audits for

residents

+ Encouraged improvements to

transportation, industrial,commercial and residential

buildings.

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City of Seattle



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+ Jamais Cascio, Worldchanging and Open

the Future

+ Carbon footprint of a cheeseburger

+ On average, we eat 3 burgers / week

+ Factor in energy use for feed, livestock,

farms, transportation, processing energy

+ Concluded that annual American burger

consumption is equivalent to 195,750,000

annual metric tons of CO2 equivalent

+ Compares to about 6.5 – 19.6 million

SUVs emissions over a year

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Burger Study



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+ Uniqueness of the MHS project

+ Combines historical preservation and

sustainability

+ Combines a broad range of functions –

archival storage, office, retail, education,

museum, historic sites

+ Scale of the project differs from most

museum greening projects, and is quite

similar to city-scale efforts

MHS



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F O L L O W U S O N O U R B L O G

http://blogs.mnhs.org/sustainability


MNHS Sustainability Project Overview

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