Goin' Green
Some of Moseley Architects' exciting collegiate projects that are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification include:
  • Blue Ridge Community College, Information Technology Center, Weyers Cave, Virginia


  • College of William and Mary, Mason School of Business, Williamsburg, Virginia


  • James Madison University, CISAT Campus Dining Hall, Harrisonburg, Virginia


  • Virginia Commonwealth University, Fitness Center Marketplace, Richmond, Virginia


  • Virginia Commonwealth University, MCV Student Recreation Center Addition/Renovation, Richmond, Virginia


  • Virginia Tech, Henderson Hall Renovation & Black Box Addition, Blacksburg, Virginia

AASHE Releases Draft of Campus Sustainability Rating System
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) announced the release of the next draft of its rating system for sustainability in higher education, called STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System).

Given the rapid growth of sustainability initiatives at institutions of higher education in North America, measuring and assessing progress toward sustainability goals has become increasingly important. STARS is designed to:
  • Help gauge the progress of colleges and universities toward sustainability in all sectors, from governance and operations to academics and community engagement.
  • Enable meaningful comparisons across institutions as well as benchmarking within institutions.
  • Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
  • Facilitate information sharing about sustainability practices and performance in higher education.
  • Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.While many institutions have undertaken sustainability assessments and while a variety of assessment tools are available, there is currently no system that translates a wide range of sustainability indicators into a single metric that enables both institutional benchmarking and easy comparison across a large number of campuses in terms of overall level of achievement.
Over 90 colleges and universities, including UT Austin, are pilot testing STARS. They will provide feedback to AASHE throughout 2008 and inform the development of STARS version 1.0, planned for release in spring 2009.

Using STARS, campuses may earn credits in three categories – 1) Education and Research, 2) Operations, and 3) Administration and Finance. Within each category are sections of credits, ranging from “purchasing” and “buildings” in Operations to “investment” and “planning” in Administration and Finance.

For information about STARS, including a copy of the new version (v.0.5) please visit www.aashe.org/stars.
Renewable Energy Earns Longwood LEED Gold
In our Fall 2007 issue of Green Concepts, we reported that the new Health and Fitness Center on the campus of Longwood University was on target to receive a LEED Silver certification. With the help of a last-minute renewable energy discovery, the facility surpassed the project team’s and the university’s expectations to earn a Gold rating according to the LEED Green Building Rating System.
The project was in the midst of the LEED application review process when the project team learned that Longwood’s central steam plant, which burns sawdust, could contribute to renewable energy points. Sawdust is considered biomass, a renewable organic material, which would otherwise go to waste if it wasn’t used to produce energy.
Energy calculations showed that, on a cost basis, over 11 percent of the energy used to operate the Health and Fitness Center is supplied by the burning of sawdust. Looking at energy use alone, the sawdust contributes to over 22 percent of the energy used by the facility.
The facility earned two LEED Energy & Atmosphere credit 2 Renewable Energy points, which resulted in a total of 39 points.
Other green features that contributed to the facility’s LEED Gold certification include:
  • a modeled 43 percent reduction in energy use, which is the result of incorporating energy-saving strategies such as thicker insulation and energy recovery;
  • carbon dioxide sensors for the purpose of adjusting ventilation depending on occupancy in order to help provide adequate ventilation and reduce energy use;
  • low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets, and composite wood materials;
  • indoor air quality management during construction, which included protecting absorbent materials from moisture to prevent the growth of mold and covering ductwork to prevent contamination;
  • indoor air quality testing prior to occupancy;
  • recycling over 98 percent of the waste generated during demolition of the existing parking lot and construction of the facility;
  • regionally manufactured materials, which constitute over 54 percent of the total materials used to construct the facility;
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified wood doors, sports flooring, and casework; and
  • waterless urinals, low-flow showers, and ultra low-flow lavatories, which contribute to a 40 percent reduction in water use.
For more information regarding Longwood University's Health & Fitness Center, please contact George Nasis at 757.368.2800.
Green Tips
As gas prices continue to edge closer to $5.00 a gallon and concerns surrounding CO2 emissions grow, its important to pay attention to what and how we drive these days. Whether you want to get more out of the vehicle you're currently driving or are ready to buy something new, here are a few things you can do to increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency and reduce the environmental impact you and your vehicle make.

  • Watch Your Speed - Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution.
  • Open Your Windows - Before turning on your vehicle's air conditioning, open your windows and/or vents to cool off first. You might be surprised at how well it works and it reduces your vehicle's gas consumption and emissions.
  • Don't Put the Pedal to the Metal - Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates. One second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as 30 minutes of "normal" driving.
  • Check Your Tire Pressure - Tires that are not kept at their proper pressure not only increase tire wear and gas consumption, but they cause poor handling.
  • Keep Up With Maintenance Issues - Be sure to change your vehicle's oil and get regular tune-ups, which can increase your fuel economy and hopefully extend the life of your vehicle.
  • Be a Green Consumer - If you are buying new, consider a hybrid or one of the other fuel-efficient vehicles currently on the market. For more information on what makes and models are available, visit www.greenercars.org.
  • Take the Bus - If home and work are along a convenient bus route, consider riding the bus. Instead of driving, you can read, send text messages, knit, or whatever suits your fancy. You won't be contributing to traffic congestion, and you'll be supporting public transportation.
  • Get Some Exercise - Walking or riding your bike to work is not only green, it's great exercise. If this is something you've wanted to try, but haven't because your office doesn't have changing or showering facilities, determine what options may be available, poll your co-workers to see how many of them would do the same, then take the facts to your boss for consideration.
  • Make Use of Today's Technology - A growing number of companies are giving their employees the option of working from home and telecommuting, which eliminates the need for travel altogether. If you have this option, take advantage of it. If not and it makes sense for the work you do, see if you can bring such a program to your workplace.
  • Look Into Commuting Alternatives - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation are teaming up with businesses and others to set up Commuter Choice Programs (www.commuterchoice.com). Companies and communities that make use of Commuter Choice benefits often save money. Alternatives include Commuter Choice tax incentives, transit pass programs, guaranteed ride home programs, vanpool/carpool programs, flextime, staggered work hours, compressed work schedules, and incentives for living where you work.
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