Posts tagged: energy efficiency
When we talk about decarbonizing buildings, the primary goal is clear: eliminate operational carbon by transitioning away from fossil fuels in favor of high-efficiency electric systems powered by renewables. Less frequently highlighted are the co-benefits of building decarbonization.
More
Educational campuses have long relied on fossil-fuel-burning central heating plants. Now they are transitioning to low-carbon, high-efficiency energy systems, such as district geothermal.
More
Vibrant. Exhilarating. Complicated. Messy.
We're not talking about your love life. We’re talking about working in an institutional setting, where getting things done is no simple task. If you’re looking at launching a major initiative, an interdepartmental project, or moving forward with your climate action goals, you need to draw from a different toolkit than your job description outlines—you need to be persuasive.
More
Rob Durning, the GreenerU CEO, talks about how climate change mitigation, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and construction project management all boil down to a simple formula: helping people.
More
Isabella Stewart Gardner was famously precise in her vision and oversight of her museum’s creation. GreenerU is helping this masterpiece of an institution in meeting its sustainability goals—in making museum-quality efficiency upgrades, working toward climate neutrality, operating the museum in perpetuity.
More
In Brookline, on the edge of Boston, the Dexter Park apartments are ideally situated for students, museum-goers, movie-lovers, and classical music aficionados. They are also an example of forward-thinking energy efficiency measures.
More
The GreenerMass deadline for the expenditure of remaining funds has been extended. This program offers capital for energy-efficiency projects requiring no up-front costs to institutions.
More
Understanding the ins and outs of financing energy projects is not everyone's strength. But getting more familiar with the different, sometimes creative ways you can help your institution figure out how to pay for efficiency and renewables could make a difference. This presentation was designed to help you develop more familiarity with the terms, the pros, the cons, and the contingencies to make conversations with your institution's CFO go more smoothly.
More
As institutional campuses are exploring ways to draw down greenhouse gas emissions, one of the largest sources of ongoing emissions is heat via fossil fuels. Many campuses use steam, a century-old technology that relies on coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy to heat water into steam that is piped through buildings through radiators. But technology has greatly advanced to the point of requiring nearly ambient-temperature water to heat our buildings. Moving toward climate neutrality means moving away from these old technologies and towards approaches like strategic electrification that can be fueled by renewable sources.
More
From college presidents to the U.S. President, there is a growing drumbeat from leadership nationwide to address the climate crisis. The general consensus is that the path to mitigating climate change is clear: achieving climate neutrality. This article is a look at the current state of climate neutrality on college campuses, zeroing in on efforts, challenges, and solutions.
More
As any sustainability professional is aware, navigating the steps to climate neutrality is like putting together a 7,500-piece jigsaw puzzle with no edge pieces. Technical solutions abound, but the roadblocks are many: financing, technical feasibility, political will, staffing and bandwidth, and stakeholder support are just a few. On April 14, 2021, GreenerU hosted a webinar on navigating the steps to climate neutrality with representatives from independent schools, public and private colleges, and nonprofits.
More
“We are now doing capital planning more intentionally than ever, and sustainability has become a default factor in those projects.” —Mary Fischer, manager of sustainability programs
More
As the coronavirus shutdown has threatened nonprofits’ funding, opportunities to find cost savings are more important than ever. Simultaneously, Boston-based nonprofit institutions are striving to meet the City’s carbon neutrality goals. But installing energy-saving measures can require investments that many nonprofit institutions are unable to make.
More
Whether through turnkey energy solutions or owner’s project management, GreenerU’s eye for detail, customer-first service, and communication style keeps the trains running on time.
More
On Tuesday, October 13, 2020, GreenerU's David Adamian and EcoMotion's Ted Flanigan and Mark Hopkinson teamed up to present this new financing mechanism. Learn more in the video below.
More
Here’s how one university has joined their reputation for excellence in dining with an efficient sustainable food metric tracking system through community-distributed responsibility—and won awards for both.
More
GreenerMass contract with Williams James College will allow GreenerU to replace an obsolete energy management system for the Newton-based private school for undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology with no upfront cost. Program funds are still available for Massachusetts nonprofit institutions.
More
Colleges and independent schools in the Northeast met on April 9, 2020, for a facilitated discussion on managing facilities during a pandemic.
More
Thanks to help from GreenerU, the MSPCA’s Angell Medical Center in Jamaica Plain is set to receive the first alternative energy certificates from Massachusett's APS program 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.
More
Over more than 200 years, one Ivy League medical school has launched some of the most important discoveries in history. Now it’s investigating ways to make its campus buildings perform better and use less energy through deep-energy retrofits...much like the squirrels they study.
More
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 is sustainability at K12 schools being addressed?
More
In 2014, GreenerU worked with MassDevelopment to develop an energy services agreement program called Mass College Green, in which up-front financing was provided to pay for energy conservation measures. With no upfront capital investment, the college pays only for delivered energy savings over a five-year financing period and sees a net positive cash flow, resulting from energy cost savings. After the five-year payback period, the college will enjoy even greater cost benefits, realizing the entirety of the energy cost savings.
More
Massachusetts may enact the first state-wide legislation requiring compliance with minimum building performance standards. Find out if your institution's buildings are affected.
More
In 2016, in partnership with Consigli Construction Co., Brooks School began planning its brand-new Center for the Arts and right from the beginning involved GreenerU in all mechanical and electrical aspects of the design, including an enabling project that included a steam system relocation and a chilled water plant for the new Arts Center. The result of GreenerU's value management approach is a beautiful new arts space that delights students and facility managers alike.
More
AICUM and GreenerU launch GreenerMass, a finance program for schools, health centers, and other nonprofits to kickstart energy 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.
More
Dartmouth College, "The Big Green," envisions its campus as a place where operations are reimagined to prioritize human and environmental well-being, piloting the best solutions. GreenerU went behind the scenes to help connect this historic campus with building efficiency.
More
80,000 Screaming Eagles sold per year. 714 calories per sandwich. 14,300 students on campus. $63,445 in utility incentives. And $121,000 in annual energy savings, thanks to cutting carbon through ventilation improvements at one of Boston College’s busiest dining halls.
More
With the right design perspective, planning, and project experience, any existing building can strive toward optimal efficiency. What’s your greatest energy-savings opportunity?
More
As we continue to march through the 21st century, schools are increasingly turning an eye on being greener and saving green. One way to do this is by investing in lighting.
More