EvCC Sustainability Update 3/15/13
· Electric Car Charging Station Project
Project was completed 2-25-13 and, as a result, EvCC has 6 EV charging stations, located on the South side of Pilchuck (Welding Building). Data from chargers will be available once regular usage is established. Security is in charge of both parking spots and funds collected from spaces to defer loss of permitted parking revenue. Sustainability will pay for restriping of the EV charging spots when weather permits.
EvCC paid nothing for the equipment, installation, engineering etc. Total estimated savings (grant received, managed and payments made directly from Ecotality to installer) $48,000 to $52,000.
· Shuksan Hall HVAC project
Completed 2-1-13. Shuksan Hall is now heated on its own boiler, no longer on campus boiler system. Data from savings is dependent on sub metering system TBD.
· Battery and Bulb Recycling
EvCC has diverted 2250 lbs. of batteries and twenty-seven (5 gallon) containers of CFL bulbs from the local landfill as of the date of this report. EVCC now has 6 locations to accommodate recycling of batteries and bulbs:
1. Whitehorse Hall 2nd floor entry
2. Shuksan Hall 2nd floor entry
3. Monte Cristo Hall 2nd floor outside office 213
4. Graywolf Hall first floor lounge
5. Olympus Hall 2nd floor copy room
6. Glacier Building inside mail box area (South Side Entrance)
· SEA Club
SEA Club membership has increased to 20 members with 6 regular “drop ins” since last report. Current SEA projects include Growing Groceries (a fund raising project where students use the campus greenhouse to grow vegetables to sell to defer club project costs); A campus recycling improvement survey; Assistance with 2013 Earth Week Events (see Earth Week update below for details); Public awareness support of new solar project (in process).
· Christmas Tree Recycling
The EvCC Grounds department chipped nearly 500 trees this year. The resulting mulch was used in many areas (generally for walkways through commonly tramped on places in flower beds) on campus, and signage was created and posted where the chips were used so that the campus community was aware of the project and the usage. Lots (and lots, and lots!) of positive impact this year; 4 different news agencies interviewed someone at EvCC about this project, and the dates and event was picked up by all 4 papers.
· Edmonds CC/EvCC Horticulture Project
This project was “kyboshed” by Fayla Schwartz.
· Earth Week 2013
Planned events (as of this report)
April 22nd (Earth Day) Sustainable Vendor Fair
April 23rd Movie: Who Killed the Electric Car
Coffee “giveaway” if you bring your own cup via Bargreen’s (not confirmed yet)
April 24th Ciscoe Morris Speaks – Sustainable Gardening
April 25th Earth-Art Competition (Art is on display entire week) Jeanne Leader/Art Department to judge and help with competition. Winning project to be displayed at EvCC for some time after Earth Week.
Plans are also in the works to have the EvCC Bookstore hand out reusable bags only during Earth Week.
· Junk Mail Reduction Project
EvCC Mail Room reports indicate junk mail at about 9 lbs. per day (down from 250-300 at program inception 2 years ago). The Sustainability department continues to use work study and volunteer and PTH employees to contact marketers and other companies to stop mailings per departmental request. We are currently processing between 3-10 pieces of junk mail per day. (This is down about 75% from last year).
· Liberty Hall Solar
A 19 kW solar array has been ordered for the roof of Liberty Hall. The project will include a kiosk in the lobby of the building that allows for both public viewing of the electricity produced live time, and downloading of the data for the purposes of public and curricular use. The energy from the array will be sold back to PUD, and the proceeds will go towards other sustainability projects.
This project may be covered by the Everett Herald.
· Farmer Frog Project (w/ Zsofia Pasture--EdCC)
EvCC is being considered as a Farmer Frog location. Since little or no support is forthcoming from EvCC Botony etc, it is unclear whether this project will continue.
· PUD/PSE Grants
Proposals for efficiency grants for Liberty Hall under both PUD and PSEs programs were submitted at the beginning of the Liberty construction period (at 100% construction / engineering documents phase). As of this report, there are no estimates of the grant amounts from either agency. Once the efficiency grants are confirmed, the funds will be deposited into EvCC Sustainability for other Sustainability projects. EvCC can expect to be successfully funded for both grants for efficiency on this building.
· Campus Efficiency Upgrades
All parking lot light levels have been measured. Campus pole lights are currently 400 watt metal halides. Steve is looking for appropriate replacement.
Parking lot lights being used at CCEC are not bright enough for safety. Steve Lyons is using increased wattage LEDs to ensure light levels are appropriate.
Parks colonnade was tested for LEDs to replace 250 and 1000 Watt Metal Halides pendant lights (on all the time). These are very expensive to run. LEDs were not an acceptable replacement. Steve will continue to look for options to these lights to decrease usage and cost.
Additionally, Steve Lyons is in process of re-lamping the Whitehorse Photo Lab resulting in a savings of 1934 watts.
Tom Gray found that Whitehorse paint booth fan was being left on 24/7. The installation of a $40.00 timer (approved by Sandra Lepper) will stop this large heat and energy loss from the building.
· Light Box Display
Steve Lyons has built a light box display for use at on and off campus Sustainability events. The display includes 6 sockets and a plug for LED rope lights and allows for comparison of bulbs, light levels, usage and cost. This is a terrific tool for teaching interested parties the latest and most efficient technology in lighting.
· “Paperless” class project
Molly Beeman, Alyson Indras and Elke Dinter and two other instructors (TBD by Elke and Alyson) have joined forces to investigate and document the best practices and savings data (both of resources and cost) for teaching paperless classes. The intended project outcome is a resource guide for other instructors at EvCC for paperless instruction. (Paperless instruction is not 100% paperless, but encourages limiting printing, textbooks and etc by both students and faculty to reduce paper use, textbook costs and etc.) Sandra Fowler Hill has given her blessing to this investigation and project.
· EvCC Sustainability Committee
Alyson Indras has agreed to become the instructor who will take Pam Pape Lindstrom’s place as the co-chair of the EvCC Sustainability Committee.
New committee members are being recruited. The committee will begin meeting once a month in April of 2013.
This year’s project for the committee will be the paperless class project mentioned earlier in this report.