Articles
Sustainability and facilities professionals are uniquely positioned to lead campus efforts to encourage safe behaviors among campus occupants during this pandemic. What is your plan to keep students, staff, and faculty engaged in prolonged physical distancing and other measures to prevent coronavirus surges?
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The coronavirus pandemic is the largest global health crisis of the past century. The American death toll hit a terrifying 100,000 milestone on May 27, 2020. While the curve is gradually flattening and businesses are reopening, history shows that resurgences can create new waves of outbreaks, leading to more periods of shutdown and delayed economic recovery. What can schools do to prevent the spread of coronavirus via HVAC maintenance and behavior change initiatives?
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Strategic plans do a great job of helping organizations gain alignment and focus on common outcomes. But one of the trickiest parts about developing a plan is actually implementing it. Here at GreenerU, we put ourselves to the test. This is Part II of a two-part article.
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GreenerU to replace an obsolete energy management system for the Newton-based private school for undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology
Program funds still available for Massachusetts nonprofit institutions
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Coronavirus has left buildings on campus vacant in places that were designed to be operating 24/7. When spring turns to summer and heat and humidity kick in, do you have a transition plan to prevent maintenance issues on campus? Are you staying ahead of potential health hazards associated with stagnant water?
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Social distancing in the wake of COVID-19 does not mean we can’t still connect. Here are the best ways to make use of remote conferencing.
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Strategic plans do a great job of helping organizations gain alignment and focus on common outcomes. But one of the trickiest parts about developing a plan is actually implementing it. Here at GreenerU, we put ourselves to the test. This is Part I of a two-part article.
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Thanks to help from GreenerU, the MSPCA’s Angell Medical Center in Jamaica Plain is set to receive the first alternative energy certificates for a large air-source heat pump system—one of several ways energy-efficient technologies are sound financial investments. Maybe now is a good time for your school to make the switch.
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Whether you have skin in the game or able to play a neutral role, as facilitator, you are there to help guide the room from Point A to Points B, C, and D. You are in charge of keeping the momentum going, ensuring you have created an inclusive agenda, and helping your group meet their goals. So, what do you, as facilitator, do to ensure your meetings are productive?
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Nearly 4 million people participated in worldwide climate strikes last September, in solidarity with 17-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who made the trek to New York City across the Atlantic by boat. It’s no coincidence that teenagers are some of the most engaged climate activists today. How are their schools rising to the challenge?
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Campus operators know when a heating system is inefficient. But what happens when we humans are inefficient? Here are four ways to address productivity challenges in the workplace.
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Massachusetts may enact the first state-wide legislation requiring that buildings comply with minimum energy performance standards. Find out if your institution's buildings are affected.
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The much-anticipated new version of STARS—Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System—has launched, and there are some new opportunities for points by reviewing the data before submitting to AASHE. A panel discussion at the AASHE conference in Spokane that GreenerU moderated helped participants figure out how to tackle one of the most important tools available for measuring sustainability on college campuses.
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AICUM and GreenerU launch GreenerMass, a finance program for schools, health centers, and other nonprofits to kickstart savings from energy-efficiency measures requiring no upfront capital costs. Past program participants are saving upwards of $100,000 annually on energy costs following payback period. Here's how to find out if your institution is eligible.
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Many campus sustainability offices are challenged with the urgency of climate change against the pace of academia. So why are so many sustainability efforts still trapped in meetings that resemble the undead?
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Large-scale sustainability action doesn’t happen by accident. It takes collective action and organized effort to make an impact.
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Rebates for energy-efficiency projects can be just the financial boost schools need to take them on. But discerning which ones will yield the greatest savings—not to mention which projects will have the best return on your investment—can be time-consuming, confusing, and downright frustrating.
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Great ideas fail because they lack the strong foundation of diverse perspectives, troubleshooting, and idea testing that only conflict can unearth.
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What’s your greatest energy-savings opportunity?
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The program offers $60 million by way of a 30% cost-share incentive to support building energy analysis and control, using software that draws data from building automation systems and programmable to a building’s custom settings.
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This article is a summary of a discussion by AASHE community members who collaborated to host an extended session on advancement at the 2018 AASHE Conference in Pittsburgh (Advancement & Sustainability: Partnering for Fundraising and Alumni Engagement).
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Right now is a particularly exciting time in the lighting industry—one that is about as revolutionary as when Dorothy stepped outside her door to the Land of Oz into brilliant Technicolor.
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Truly serious efforts to get to zero recognize that the obligation starts with lowering demand. Buildings alone use 42% of the nation’s energy. Without tackling excessive building energy use, campuses are only going to glance around the target.
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As we continue to march through the 21st century, schools are increasingly turning an eye on being greener and saving green.
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STARS reporting is a bit like filing joint taxes in your first year as a newly married homeowner…with a business…and a baby. Sure, you could probably figure it out. But you could also hand it over to someone who knows how to maximize your refund.
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