Welcome

Best Practices in Sustainability

July 22, 2015

Agenda

● Welcome and Introductions● Sustainability History● Sustainability in the District● District Program Involvement● Break-10 Minutes● Guest Speaker-John Demarrais● Indoor Air Quality● Open Discussion

Sustainability History

● Post World War 2-Environmental Movement● 1962-”Silent Spring”● 1969-Environmental Policy Act-Creates EPA● 1970-First :Earth Day”● 1972-UN Conference on Environment● 1987-”Our Common Future”

Sustainability:

“The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

-Brundtland Commission Report to the United Nations,1987

What makes a school sustainable?

● Conserves energy and natural resources● Improves indoor air quality● Removes toxic materials from places where children

learn and play● Protects staff from hazardous & toxic materials● Improves environmental literacy and awareness in

students and staff and the community● Employs daylighting strategies and improves classroom

acoustics

What makes a school sustainable?

● Encourages waste management efforts to benefit the local community and region

● Conserves fresh drinking water and helps manage stormwater runoff

● Encourages recycling therefore reducing demands on local landfills

● Promotes habitat protection● Saves taxpayers money

History of Sustainability in Readington Township Schools

★ Strategic Plan includes specific language for sustainability;★ Program involvement with River-Friendly Schools, Eco-Schools,

Green Ribbon, and Sustainable Jersey Schools;★ District Green Committee with shared BOE, district, and township

involvement;★ Workshop presentations at state conferences on environmental

topics: NJSBA, Alliance for NJ Environmental Education.

District Energy Efficiency Program

Energy Conservation➢ Reduce energy use and increase energy efficiency➢ Behavior based changes➢ District Energy Policy (7460 ENERGY CONSERVATION)

Energy Education➢ Create a culture of conservation using activities to

educate students and staff

Our Energy Goals

❖ Reduce annual energy use by at least 10%

❖ Achieve national recognition through ENERGY

STAR® for building and district improvements

❖ Engage staff and students

Year 2 Energy Review

Q1(Dec ‘13-Feb ‘14)

Q2(Mar ‘14-May ‘14)

Q3(Jun ‘14-Aug ‘14)

Q4(Sep ‘14-Nov ‘14)

Year 2(Dec ’13-Nov ’14)

% Change Electric (10)% (21)% (11)% (16)% (14)%

% Change Electric Demand

9% (6)% (12)% (12)% (6)%

% Change Nat Gas 7% (8)% (4)% 2% 2%

% Change Total Energy 3% (13)% (9)% (6)% (4)%

Avoided Cost $1,470 $29,260 $14,450 $17,580 $62,760

Year 2 Energy Review by School RMS WHS TBS HBS Year 2

% Change Electric (16)% (16)% (16)% (11)% (14)%

% Change Electric Demand

(11)% (17)% (17)% 10% (6)%

% Change Nat Gas (16)% 1% 8% 12% 2%

% Change Total Energy (16)% (5)% 0% 3% (4)%

Avoided Cost $36,288 $13,693 $8,256 $4,526 $62,763

Program to Date Energy Review

Year 1(Dec ’12-Nov ’13)

Year 2(Dec ’13-Nov’14)

24 Mos. (Dec ’12-Dec ’14)

% Change Electric (12)% (14)% (13)%

% Change Electric Demand

(6)% (6)% (6)%

% Change Natural Gas (7)% 2% (2)%

% Change Total Energy (9)% (4)% (7)%

Avoided Cost $62,815 $62,760 $125, 575

Program to Date Energy Avoidance

Energy Pounds of CO2

Equivalent

24-Month Avoidance

1,125,783 kWh 1,711,415

11,386 therms 133,090

TOTAL 1,844,505

Energy Avoidance (Dec 2012 - Nov 2014)

Our total avoidance is 837 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

�This is equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 176 passenger vehicles or 11 tanker trucks’ worth of gasoline.

Student Involvement

● �SEE Squads operating in all schools �

● �Energy Club and Student Council at RMS

● �Student Voice at TBS and WHS

● �Environmental Club & Student Leadership Club at HBS

Special Guest Speaker: Rutgers Cooperative Extension Master Gardener of Hunterdon County

Mr. John DeMarrais and Associates will speak on Native Plants. Have your gardening and landscaping questions ready!

Indoor Air Quality

Perspective

“In the construction of buildings, whether for public purposes or as dwellings, care should be taken to provide good ventilation and plenty of sunlight….schoolrooms are often faulty in this respect. Neglect of proper ventilation is responsible for much of the drowsiness and dullness that….make teacher’s work toilsome and ineffective.”

Perspective

“In the construction of buildings, whether for public purposes or as dwellings, care should be taken to provide good ventilation and plenty of sunlight….schoolrooms are often faulty in this respect. Neglect of proper ventilation is responsible for much of the drowsiness and dullness that….make teacher’s work toilsome and ineffective.”

-Health Reformer, 1871

Did You Know……..

● Americans spend 90% of their day indoors-in classrooms, offices, and at home.

● 90% of schools in the U.S. were built before 1980, and 50% of those before 1960.

● Studies have indicated that indoor air often 5 to 10x dirtier and contain higher levels of contaminants than outdoor air.

Did You Know……..

● Nearly 60 million students, and staff attend/work in our nation’s schools, representing about 20% of the population.

● Recent data suggests that poor indoor air quality may directly reduce a person’s ability to perform specific tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory.

● Asthma-related illnesses among students and staff is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, accounting for 14 million missed school days per year.

What is Indoor Air Quality(IAQ)?

●IAQ refers to the characteristics of the air in indoor environments, such as levels of pollutants, humidity, temperature, etc., that impact the occupants’ health, comfort, and ability to perform.

What is the significance of Indoor Air Quality(IAQ)?

● 'A' is for air. 

● People breathe air--REGULARLY! 

● That alone makes IAQ a pretty important topic.

●  Most adults probably have a basic awareness that inhaling mold, mildew, asbestos, harsh chemicals, and other pollutants can have adverse health effects, especially for one's respiratory system.

What is the significance of Indoor Air Quality(IAQ)?

● Growing children with developing lungs are especially sensitive to toxic environmental pollutants.

● School-based exposure to poor IAQ can interfere with a student's ability to be present, ready, and able to learn.

● Asthma, headaches, lethargy, nausea, drowsiness, and dizziness can be distracting.

● Beyond producing acute symptoms and irritations, certain hazardous pollutants--referred to as 'air toxics'--are known or suspected to cause cancer over time.

Consequences of Poor IAQ?

○ Increased potential for short and long term health issues.

○ Decreased comfort, performance, and attendance.

○ Accelerated deterioration and reduced efficiency of buildings and equipment.

○ Increased potential for school closings/relocations.

○ Strained relationships-Administration, staff, and parents.

○ Negative publicity, decreased community trust, liabilities

When did poor IAQ become a noticeable problem?

● As a result of the energy crisis of the mid-1970s, IAQ complaints on the workplace dramatically increased for several reasons: ○ The tendency toward tighter building

envelopes and reduced ventilation to save energy.

○ The growing proliferation of chemical pollutants in consumer and commercial products.

○ Pressures to defer maintenance and other building services to reduce costs.

What Affects IAQ?

● IAQ is not necessarily an easily understood concept, with a constantly changing interaction of a complex set of factors.

● Problems occur in many types of buildings, and reflect both comfort and health related issues.

● Primary sources of IAQ problems include:○Poor ventilation○Contaminants generated indoors○ Infiltration of outdoor contaminants○Unidentified sources

What Affects IAQ?

● Ventilation Systems(HVAC) ■Designed to control indoor

temperatures by supplying heated and cooled air.

■Dilute and remove airborne contaminants by providing a continuous supply of filtered outdoor air.

■Systems are designed to maintain a slight positive pressure in the building.

What Affects IAQ?● Indoor Contaminant Sources:

○ Dust and Dirt○ CO2 (Primarily from Occupants)○ Perfumes, Colognes, Air-Fresheners○ Cleaning/Disinfecting Products*

■ *Green Cleaning Policy pending

○ Plants and Flowers○ Off gassing of new materials○ Mold (From intrusion of moisture)○ Science and Art Supplies○ Rodent and Insect Activity

What Affects IAQ?

● Outdoor Contaminant Sources:

○Exhaust vents located near make-up air intakes

○Vehicles idling near open windows and doors*

■*District anti-idling policy pending

○Pollen from outdoor plants

○Pollution from nearby facilities and construction

○ Infiltration of general outdoor contaminants

What is Acceptable IAQ?

● The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) defines Acceptable Indoor Air Quality as:

○ Air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by authorities and at which a substantial majority (80% or more) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction. 

Health Effects of Poor IAQ

○Varied and nonspecific

○Health and comfort related:

■Personal temperature/humidity level preference

■Sensitivities to chemical or biological contaminants

■Unrelated health issues or stress

○Air monitoring does not always support their existence

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) or Building-Related Illness (BRI):

Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms:

Headaches

Eye, nose, throat irritation

Dry or itchy skin

Fatigue

Dizziness

Nausea

Loss of concentration

Building-Related Illness Symptoms:

Eye, nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract irritation

Skin irritation or rashes

Chills, fever, cough, chest tightness, congestion, sneezing, runny nose

Muscle aches

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) or Building-Related Illness (BRI):

Sick Building Syndrome● Symptoms:

○ Do not fit the pattern of any particular illness

○ Difficult to trace to a specific source

○ Relief occurs upon leaving the building

Building-Related Illness● Symptoms:

○ Physical signs of exposure to chemical or biological substances

○ Relief from illness may not occur upon leaving the building

How is Indoor Air Quality Managed?

PEOSH IAQ StandardN.J.A.C. 12:100-13 et seq.

● PEOSH-Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health

● Enforced by NJDOHSS/NJDOL● Adopted in 1998, First IAQ

Standard in U.S.● Revised in 2007, PEOSH

AdvisoryBoard, IAQ Subcommittee○ Designated Person○ Written IAQ Program○ 48 Hrs to remove damp

materials

Open Discussion

Thank You