Sustainability at MxCCWhere Are We and Where Are We Headed?

State of Connecticut PrioritiesGovernor’s Goal

Governor Dannel Malloy has established the goal:

“To make Connecticut the most energy-efficient state in the country.”

Connecticut is currently ranked number 8 behind California, Massachusetts, Oregon, New York, Vermont, Washington, and Rhode Island.

Source: Current Status of the Energy Efficiency Programs and Issues in the 2012 IRP

Jeff Schlegel, Energy Efficiency Board ConsultantDEEP IRP Stakeholder Meeting September 19, 2011

State of Connecticut PrioritiesLegislative Goals

Public Act 11-80 requires the Governor to reduce the rate of energy consumption in all buildings owned and operated by the state as follows:

10% by January 1, 201310% more by 2017

The Governor’s plan includes 25% from higher education buildings controlled by the Board of Regents.- DEEP Lead-By-Example Initiative

Source: www.ct.gov/deep

MxCC’s Strategic Plan Sustainability Priority

We will work to achieve more sustainable practices as an institution, encourage sustainable initiatives at the college and in the community, and provide increased opportunities in sustainability education while encouraging good citizenship and global awareness.

MxCC’s Strategic Plan Sustainability Priority – Action Steps

1. Educate students, staff, and the community in the importance of sustainable practices.

2. Seek ways to maximize the efficient use of resources, personnel, and facilities on campus to minimize waste and lower costs.

3. Improve recycling and seek ways to reduce use of natural resources.4. Work to reduce the college’s carbon footprint.5. Work with the community to promote improved transportation options.6. Evaluate and explore the college’s land use to achieve maximum

benefit for educational, environmental, and community use.7. Develop new courses, curricula, and training programs supporting

sustainable principles and incorporate ideas into existing offerings where possible.

8. Engage state and community groups to partner in developing sustainable initiatives to benefit local communities.

MxCC Resource FactsGarbage

We generate approximately 1200 cubic yards of garbage per year costing us about $9,000 annually.

(2) 5-yard dumpsters emptied twice a week (1) 3-yard dumpster emptied once a week

This equals 242,400 gallons Or approximately 100 tons of garbage Main garbage contractor is CWPM, based in Plainville, CT

Questions: What’s in our garbage? How many recyclables? What happens to our garbage? (trash-to-energy

plant?) Could we save by compacting? Inspecting?

MxCC Resource FactsRecycling

We currently recycle in separate limited containers:

Glass Bottles & Aluminum Cans Plastic containers Cardboard (special dumpster) Paper (All types) - in offices only

Most redeemable items picked-up by cleaning crewOther Items Picked-up by Special Request:

Office Furniture Computers Equipment

MxCC Resource FactsPaper Use

We used over a million and a half pieces of paper last year (303 cases). Costing $12,000; Equal to 15,150 pounds (or 7½ tons) of paper; Roughly equivalent to 130 trees; With 30% of paper content being recycled

(saving about 50 trees; otherwise it would have been 180).

We spent an additional $30,000 on printing & copying about 1.3 million sides of paper (on leased copiers).

Questions: Can we reduce overall paper use? How?

Increase double-sided printing/copying? Increase use of electronic resources, like Blackboard?

Can we increase recycled content of paper to 50% or more?

MxCC Energy UseFacility Sources

Electricity – CL&P Based on state contract through system office Includes energy from 25% renewable sources Hot Water from separate electric water heaters, set at 120°

Heat – Heating Oil – East River Oil Co. Individually contracted by MxCC Combined boiler/radiator/chiller system for three older

buildings; separate Chapman system, original from 1992 Older system updated in 1999 Meriden heat included in rent

Propane Gas - Science labs Bunsen burnersGasoline & Diesel – for college vehicles & power equipment

MxCC Energy Use2010-11 Quantities &

CostsSource Quantity Cost

Electricity 689,000 KWH $366,000Heating Oil 33,475 gallons $94,000Propane 3,634 gallons $11,000Gas & Diesel 1156 gallons $4,000TOTAL $475,000

2011-2012 Budget

$500,000 (approx.)

MxCC Energy UseEnergy & College

BudgetTotal 2011-12 College Budget: $21 million

Total Labor & Fringe: $12 million Total Financial Aid: $4.3 million Total Other Expenses: $4 million (non-capital)

Energy is about 2.4% of the total college budget

But it is 12.5% of our “Other Expenses” budget

(Excluding Capital, Personnel, & Financial Aid costs)

Energy is the single largest other college expense

Top College Expenses for 2010-2011

Item CostCombined Energy $475,000Computers & Servers $295,000Security $217,000Cleaning $210,000Marketing & Advertising (incl. schedule)

$203,000

Meriden Rent $189,000Middlesex Hospital (Rad Tech) $185,000AV Installs & Service $148,000HVAC Service $58,000Credit Card Service Fees $51,000

Excluding Personnel, Financial Aid, & Capital Infrastructure

MxCC Energy UseHeating & Cooling

The Heating & Cooling system is regulated by a central computer located in Steve Chester’s office, which allows individualized room temperature settings.Average Temperature Settings: (most rooms)

Unoccupied mode = 60° (all rooms)Occupied Winter Heating = 71°Occupied Summer Cooling = 68°

Question: How much can we adjust average temperature settings?? Potential savings could be substantial.

Connecticut Regulations About Temperature

Frequently Asked Questions Q: Are there any regulations regarding temperatures in buildings? A: The only temperature regulations are CT General Statute (CGS)

Sec. 19a-109, which states that “When any building or part thereof is occupied as a home or place of residence or as an office or a place of business..., a temperature of less than sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit in such building or part thereof shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed injurious to the health of the occupants...”.

There are no regulations pertaining to elevated building temperatures.

Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health Indoor Environment Quality Unit (web site)

Basic Common Sense Heating & Cooling Principle

It should never be the case that we are too hot in the winter or too cold in the summer.

MxCC Energy UseTransportation - CommutingTotal Estimated Annual Commuter Miles:

6 million (give or take a couple million)= 267,000 gallons of gasoline (@22.5 mpg national average)= 1 million dollars (@ $3.75 per gallon 2011 CT average)

Based on: 116 full-time employees 137 part-time employees (including student workers) 225 part-time lecturers (credit & non-credit) 1500 FTE credit students 1500 part-time non-credit students 700 parking spots 20 mile average round-trip commuting distance 250 working days f/t employees 160 days of regular classes

MxCC’s Carbon Footprint

A Very Rough Estimate3,300 - 3,730 tons of CO2 annually

= 27 per 1000 sq. ft.

BASED ON: 845 tons for facility energy use (pretty accurate)

= 23% 2,885 for commuting 6 million miles (pretty rough)

= 77% building square footage /number of employees

Excludes several factors in more sophisticated systems like Clean Air – Cool Planet, which we plan on using.

Sources: The Carbon Neutral Company Carbon CalculatorCool Climate Network Carbon Calculator

MxCC Carbon FootprintComparison

Colleges & UniversitiesAverage Gross Emissions by Carnegie

Class

Source: American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

MxCC - 27

Colleges & UniversitiesAverage Gross Emissions Per FTE’s

Energy Efficiency Steps We’ve Already Taken

Upgraded Heating Cooling System – 1999 Installed Efficient Fluorescent Lighting – 2008 Installed Auto Light Dimmers/Motion Sensors –

2008 Installed More Efficient Parking Lot Lighting but . . . haven’t measured potential savings. Initiated process of having an Energy Audit –

2012(Sustainability Team)

MxCC’s Energy Audit

First Step:Free basic evaluation by

William Leahy, Executive DirectorInstitute for Sustainable Energy, ECSU

And his grad students

Mark Busa

MxCC Energy & Sustainability Benchmarking & Action Plan

Benchmarking allows us to see exactly where we are and determine where we want to go.

Benchmarking also allows us to measure what we accomplish.

Which is why we don’t want to take any action yet!

We plan to use the Clean Air - Cool Planet program as a primary benchmarking tool.

It’s the most widely used tool in higher education.

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

647 current signatories nationally Including the following Connecticut Institutions:

Manchester Community College Norwalk Community College CCSU ECSU SCSU WCSU University of Connecticut Wesleyan University Connecticut College Trinity College Fairfield University

Text of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

We, the undersigned presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities, are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. We recognize the scientific consensus that global warming is real and is largely being caused by humans. We further recognize the need to reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by mid-century at the latest, in order to avert the worst impacts of global warming and to reestablish the more stable climatic conditions that have made human progress over the last 10,000 years possible . . .

First Steps Of ACUPCC Commitment

1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible.

a. Within two months of signing this document, create institutional structures to guide the development and implementation of the plan.

b. Within one year of signing this document, complete a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions (including emissions from electricity, heating, commuting, and air travel) and update the inventory every other year thereafter.

c. Within two years of signing this document, develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral, which will include:

I. A target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible.II. Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to

climate neutrality.III. Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the

curriculum and other educational experience for all students.IV. Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve

climate neutrality.V. Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions.

The Sustainability TeamChristine Witkowski, Chair & Co-Champion

John Shafer, Co-Champion

Pam Frost Joy HansenYvonne Rubin Mark BusaBetty Riedinger Dic WheelerAngelo Glaviano Yvonne PageLisa Civitello Justin GoodMichael Amazou Stephanie FisherReid Smalley Sadia YounasRick Eriksen Matt WeberStacey Chase Judith FeltonRebecca Lowe Stacey ReynoldsAnna Wasescha (honorary)

Sustainability TeamA Few Activities and

Initiatives Developed sustainability priority for Strategic Plan Proposed new course in Sustainable Living Successfully advocated for hiring fulltime faculty

member in Environmental Science. Advocated for improved recycling – new single-

stream, classroom bins & cleaning contract to begin next year.

Implemented (3) sustainable landscape projects, including a community garden.

Organized annual Earth Week activities, including teaching-across-the-curriculum events.

Partnered with community groups such as Jonah Center for Earth & Art, Moving Planet, Rockwell Foundation.

Arranged One World House visit & Moving Planet events.

Organized today’s Professional Day.

And . . . Sustainable Energy Resource Guide

A new “Sustainable Energy Resource Guide” has been developed and added to the Library’s Web Site:

http://mxcc.commnet.libguides.com/energy

Joy Hansen

Sustainability and Collective Commitment

We’re all in this together.

And now, your turn …

Though we’ve got a lot more ideas we’re thinking about and working on, we’d like to hear from you.Please discuss the three questions at each table.Thank you.