When financial savings are critical to every institution, facility managers demand even more from their energy systems while looking to spend less. One way to achieve significant energy savings and healthy schools without making a substantial capital investment is through energy monitoring and chiller plant optimization. The greatest energy…

The growing field of energy assessment for buildings presents opportunities for teachers to engage students in topics related to current issues, science, technology, and communication skills. Students who find satisfaction in energy auditing can expand their interests into careers as the demand to stop wasteful practices in homes and businesses…

When one considers the necessary elements of a green cleaning program, it is tough to know where to begin. After all, green cleaning has evolved considerably from the days when a program simply involved using a couple of "green" chemicals. Over the last several years, successful green cleaning programs have grown in sophistication and are now…

Starting a renewable energy technology (RET) program can be as simple as shifting the teaching and learning focus of a traditional electricity program toward energy production and energy control systems. Redirecting curriculum content and delivery to address photovoltaic solar (PV solar) technology and small wind generation systems is a natural…

The University of Colorado at Boulder's student run Environmental Center leads the campus' sustainability efforts. The Center created the Energy and Climate Revolving Fund (ECRF) in 2007 to finance energy-efficiency upgrades. The ECRF functions as a source of funding for project loans and provides a method of financing projects that seeks to save…

The 2015 Thought Leaders symposium focused on the topic of "Facilities & Technology: The Transformation of 'Campus.'" Educational institutions that master new technologies will have an edge in the increasingly competitive higher education landscape. This report discusses the factors related to integrating technology and the campus…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of managing the major environmental costs from an accounting perspective. The current state of practices for managing the costs associated with the consumption of electricity, water and paper, as well as the generation of wastes within three universities in Taiwan, was investigated. The…

One of the fastest growing trends in school design is Net Zero Energy Schools. There are now at least a dozen or more schools completed or in construction that have achieved, or have committed to, this incredible level of energy efficiency. In this article, the author examines this trend and take a brief look at some of the exemplary projects that…

In today's high-pressure IT world, almost every opportunity comes hidden inside a problem. And when it comes to "greening" a data center, the problems can be especially daunting, given institutional inertia, budgetary concerns, politics, and more. For CIOs looking to notch up a win with a leaner, greener data center, the key to success often lies…

The construction industry is contributing to the sustainability agenda through numerous strategies to improve energy efficiency in the design, materials, and operating conditions of buildings. However, this is only one driver of change in the construction sector. This article, which takes Australia as a case study, shows that many other drivers…

The purpose of this research project was to explore what the core factors are that play a role in the development of the smart-grid. This research study examined The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 as it pertains to the smart-grid, the economic and security effects of the smart grid, and key factors for its success. The…

School districts in Canada are part of a growing international movement that puts strong emphasis on school design to serve the diverse needs and learning styles of students for the 21st century economy. Diverse, purposeful spaces for individual and group activities, "schools within schools," support for cross-disciplinary collaboration…

Reducing school district energy expenditures has become a universal goal. However, school board members, superintendents, and directors of buildings and grounds are often unaware of the many options available to conserve energy. School energy conservation used to be relatively simple: turn off the lights and turn down the heat in the winter and…

A 2008 study by the management-consulting firm McKinsey & Co. projected that the world's data centers would surpass the airline industry in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Certainly adding to those emissions are K-12 districts, whose data centers hold the equipment that serves as the backbone for an ever-growing number of computing initiatives.…

One would not expect Niles West High School to be a model of sustainability. Located in Skokie, Illinois, the facility is more than 50 years old and at 612,000 square feet, it stands among the nation's largest high schools. Last winter, Niles West became one of the first five schools in the United States to achieve certification from the U.S.…