Buildings
Introduction
Buildings are generally the largest user of energy and the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions on campuses. Buildings also use significant amounts of potable water. Institutions can design, build, and maintain buildings in ways that provide a safe and healthy indoor environment for inhabitants while simultaneously mitigating the building’s impact on the outdoor environment.
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Deep Energy Retrofits at Humber College's Building N
- Humber College (ON)
In 2015, the College developed an Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP) with impressive goals to greatly reduce energy and water use by 2034. Specifically, Humber’s IEMP sets the following targets: …
- Posted May 21, 2018
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Chesapeake College - "A Living Lab."
- Chesapeake College (MD)
Chesapeake College, founded in 1965 as Maryland’s first regional community college, serves five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 20 percent of the state’s land, 3 percent of its population, and …
- Posted May 18, 2018
- Case Studies
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Partnership Development of Sustainable Learning
- Triton College (IL)
From a partnership of labor and industry and a community college grew an educational program geared toward meeting industry needs while highlighting facility sustainability and environmental awareness.
- Posted May 18, 2018
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Northwestern University Comprehensive Building Energy Data Audit
- Northwestern University (IL)
Northwestern University is committed to fostering environmental and ethical stewardship. The University’s Strategic Sustainability Plan establishes a vision for reducing environmental impacts. In terms of the University’s built environment, the …
- Posted May 17, 2018
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Michigan Tech Sustainability Demonstration House
- Michigan Technological University (MI)
The goal of Sustainability Demonstration House (SDH) project is to retrofit the former University President’s residence, built in 1953, titled the Kettle-Gundlach Building into a sustainability demonstration house. The SDH …
- Posted May 11, 2018
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Enable by House by Northwestern - a 2017 U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon Team
- Northwestern University (IL)
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon showcases innovative solar powered houses that are designed, built, and operated by collegiate teams. It is a collegiate competition of 10 contests that …
- Posted May 10, 2018
- Case Studies
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Fashion Institute of Technology Energy Master Plan
- Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)
- NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability (NY)
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a leading art and design school in New York City, has made impressive strides to reduce its energy and carbon footprints. By implementing an …
- Posted May 8, 2018
- Case Studies
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Avoided Costs from Shared Laboratory Equipment and Space at CU Boulder
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
CU Green Labs at the University of Colorado Boulder has spent the last year writing a case study to highlight the benefits of our Biochemistry Cell Culture Facility to our …
- Posted May 4, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Green Your Room
- Princeton University (NJ)
This is an educational video created by James Tralie, Princeton University student, to inform students about how to be sustainable in dorm rooms. He describes ways to conserve energy including …
- Posted April 23, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Reducing Electricity Use in Campus Residence Halls
- Radford University (VA)
- AASHE (MA)
Our quasi-experimental design exposed first-year students in four matched residence halls to three different interventions designed to encourage energy conservation, specifically electricity conservation. We employed active and passive programming and …
- Posted April 20, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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AASHE Webinar: Retrofitting Existing Buildings for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response
- Western Michigan University (MI)
- AASHE (MA)
- Cypress Envirosystems (CA)
This is an educational webinar presented by AASHE Business Leader Cypress Envirosystems.
Compared with new facilities, existing buildings and plants often have legacy equipment which waste energy, require more maintenance, …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Green Building Certificate Program
- Colorado State University (CO)
IBE specializes facilitating the integrated design, construction and operations processes to help teams realize their green building and sustainability goals.
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable Built Environments (BS)
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture is pleased to offer an extraordinary degree opportunity for students interested in entering the new green economy. The Bachelor of Science in …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Concentration & Certificate in Sustainable Design
- University of Florida (FL)
G|SoA is one of the first accredited architecture programs in the US to formalize this initiative in the form a Concentration and Certificate in Sustainable Architecture. This program runs parallel …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Architectural Conservation & Sustainability Engineering (BEng)
- Carleton University (ON)
Carleton’s program in Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering teaches students to approach the design and retrofit of new and existing buildings with sustainability as the primary objective, which includes considering …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable Construction Minor
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)
The objective of the minor is to provide a fundamental understanding of the concepts and methods used to take a design into the field and build a quality sustainable structure …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Building Science & Energy Management (AS)
- Western Technical College (WI)
This program facilitates students to make decisions incorporating the importance of sustainability in an area representing one of our country’s biggest energy consumers. Students examine the built environment and how …
- Posted April 12, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Daylighting and Occupant Density: an indoor environmental quality analysis of Appalachian State University classrooms
- Appalachian State University (NC)
This study examined a variety of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) attributes in classrooms across the Appalachian State University campus. The study focused on daylighting (the ability for natural light to …
- Posted April 11, 2018
- Publications
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Innovative Solutions for Reducing Waste at Skidmore College: Analyzing the Carbon Footprint & Economics of Paper Towels vs. Electric Hand Dryers
- Skidmore College (NY)
The purpose of this capstone project is to create the most culminating analysis of all of the available hand drying methodologies, and utilize this research in order to integrate the …
- Posted April 6, 2018
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The Importance of Incentives and Grants for Green Buildings
- Virginia Tech (VA)
The aim of this manuscript is to reconsider the building lifecycle cost of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings certified within the higher education sector. It adds to …
- Posted March 29, 2018
- Publications
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Green Gigawatt Partnership: Ramping Up Renewables in Higher Education
- Cornell University (NY)
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Edison Energy (CA)
The Green Gigawatt Partnership seeks to catalyze one gigawatt of green power development by 2020 by recognizing colleges and universities who have signed long term contracts to purchase green power …
- Posted March 27, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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1.7 kW Powerhouse Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
- Colorado State University (CO)
The Colorado State University Powerhouse Energy Campus is located near the heart of downtown Fort Collins. The 100,000 square-foot Powerhouse Energy Campus consists of two parts; the CSU Engines and …
- Posted March 20, 2018
- Green Power Projects
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Lab Building Benchmarking - Boston and Beyond
- Harvard University (MA)
- AASHE (MA)
- Boston Green Ribbon Commission (MA)
This webinar will present an important new benchmarking study of academic laboratory buildings from the Boston area, conducted by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission’s Higher Education Working Group. Lab buildings …
- Posted March 15, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Boston Area Lab Energy Benchmarking Study: Year 1 & Year 2
- Boston Green Ribbon Commission (MA)
Year 1 Report: Lab facilities are often the source of the greatest energy use at large research institutions, disproportionate to the square footage they occupy, so they are a key …
- Posted March 15, 2018
- Publications
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How do Green Buildings Communicate Green Design to Building Users? A Survey Study of a LEED-Certified Building
- Michigan State University (MI)
Studies investigating the benefits of green buildings can be approached by the affordance theory—the perceived properties of a thing that determine how it could possibly be used. This study focuses …
- Posted March 12, 2018
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How old is our Campus? – measure the environmental benefit of adaptive reuse of existing building
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
This project will generate three renovation and adaptive-reuse strategies for one worst performed building, environmental impact reduction benefit of adaptive reuse will be quantified and the used as a benchmark …
- Posted March 5, 2018
- Publications
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Energy Engineering for Non-Engineers: Sweetened and Condensed
- AASHE (MA)
- GreenerU (MA)
- Babson College (MA)
As a sustainability change agent, you may not have a background in engineering, but developing a basic fluency in energy engineering terms and concepts can empower you to participate in …
- Posted March 1, 2018
- Videos & Webinars
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Flame Retardant Chemicals in College Dormitories: Flammability Standards Influence Dust Concentrations
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Silent Spring Institute (MA)
- University of Antwerp
Furniture flammability standards are typically met with chemical flame retardants (FRs). FRs can migrate out of products into dust and are linked to cancer, neurological impairment, and endocrine disruption. We …
- Posted Feb. 28, 2018
- Publications
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Energy use characteristics and benchmarking for higher education buildings
- Griffith University (Queensland)
Higher education buildings serve complex functions by providing spaces for various activities and disciplines. This study aims to understand energy use characteristics of different types of buildings in higher education …
- Posted Feb. 20, 2018
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The Biochemistry Cell Culture Facility at CU Boulder: Avoided costs and other benefits resulting from shared equipment in collaborative research space
- University of Colorado Boulder (CO)
With scientists experiencing intense competition for federal biomedical research funding, efficiency and cost-saving measures are powerful tools to maximize the impact of those research dollars. The large environmental footprint of …
- Posted Feb. 15, 2018
- Publications
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Methodology of energy efficient building refurbishment: Application on two university campus-building case studies in Italy with engineering students
- Polytechnic University of Milan
Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) has launched since 2011 the project “Città Studi Sustainable Campus” to improve the university’s sustainability performances within three main principles: building refurbishment, sustainable campus development and …
- Posted Dec. 22, 2017
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Energy planning of university campus building complex: Energy usage and coincidental analysis of individual buildings with a case study
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Zhejiang University
- Nanjing University of Science & Technology
As the demonstration of eco-communities, energy planning becomes more and more important for university campus. However, insufficient energy use data accumulation has been a significant barrier against fully understanding of …
- Posted Dec. 22, 2017
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Visualization of energy and water consumption and GHG emissions: A case study of a Canadian University Campus
- Carleton University (ON)
Campuses, communities, and other building clusters are major users of energy and water and thus can have a significant environmental impact. Frequently, their buildings’ resource consumption is metered to various …
- Posted Dec. 22, 2017
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Understanding the energy consumption and occupancy of a multi-purpose academic building
- Heriot-Watt University
Building energy use associated with non-domestic buildings accounts for approximately 19% of the total UK CO2 emissions. Energy consumption in a non-domestic building is a complex issue due to a …
- Posted Dec. 13, 2017
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Research on the suitability improvement of the standard of green campus in China based on STARS
- Zhejiang University
Under the tide of green building, many countries introduce actively evaluation standards of green campus and develop the construction of green campus. China introduced the Green Campus Evaluation Standards (CSUS …
- Posted Dec. 13, 2017
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Energy use assessment of educational buildings: Toward a campus-wide sustainable energy policy
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- University of Florida (FL)
- Queensland University of Technology
The purpose of this article is to assess the viability of blanket sustainability policies, such as Building Rating Systems in achieving energy efficiency in university campus buildings. We analyzed the …
- Posted Dec. 12, 2017
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A post-occupancy evaluation of a green rated and conventional on-campus residence hall
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Green buildings increasingly attract attention in the real estate sector, and the United States is no exception. Studies indicate that green rated buildings may bring higher rents and sales prices. …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2017
- Publications
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On-Site Energy Management by Integrating Campus Buildings and Optimizing Local Energy Systems, Case Study of the Campus in Finland
- Aalto University
This research describes the potential study on the impact of energy improvements of existing campus buildings by on-site energy management and operational strategies. The focus buildings in the campus were …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2017
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Building Energy Performance in LEED 2009 vs. LEED v4
- System WorCx (NC)
As of November 2016, newly registered LEED projects must use LEED v4. One of the key changes between LEED v4 and LEED 2009 is that option 1 under the Optimize …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Evalutation of TETFUND contributions for the management of universities for sustainable development in southeast Nigeria
- Imo State University
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) was established as an Intervention Agency under the Education Tax Act No. 7 in 1993 as Education Trust Fund. As an aspect of community participation …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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The Internet of Things (IoT) and the Student Experience: Sustainability by Design
- The Sextant Group (PA)
Every day we hear of a new technology that is Internet-connected, enabled, enhanced! If they can afford it, college students are eager first adopters of these gadgets and their applications. …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Literally Breaking Down Walls (Roofs and Floors too). Owner and Consultant Insight to Obtaining Sustainable Building Enclosures.
- dbHMS (IL)
Sustainable buildings require complex analysis from various participants in a project team, which is especially true for developments in the MUSH market (Municipal, University, Schools K-12, and Hospitals). In a …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Smart Buildings - Integrating PoE with the IoT
- Cree (NC)
The purpose of this presentation is to provide a better understanding of how the Internet of Things (IoT) and Power over Ethernet (PoE) have and will continue to change our …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Materials Health and Transparency: The Social, Physical, and Environmental Impacts
- Bruner/Cott Architects (MA)
Material health and transparency are not only issues of sustainable building, but also social justice and public health. Building construction has both upstream and downstream consequences to people and communities. …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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By Impacting Hearts and Minds, Emergent Leadership Transforms Brick and Mortar Projects Into Much More
- The EMERGE Leadership Project (WA)
If conventional leadership was all that was needed to create a truly sustainable built environment - one that generates choices equitably -- we would be there already. This presentation offers …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Creating a culture of operational visibility: the data-driven future of campus operations
- Atrius (CA)
Vladi will explain how, by implementing cost-effective energy-efficiency measures, many colleges and universities have the potential to cut their energy bills by 30 percent or more. Yet campus sustainability practitioners …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Sub-Metering and Energy Dashboard Networking
- Macalester College (MN)
This networking session will allow individuals already engaged in a collaborative discussion about dashboards and energy metering to touch base. Any individuals wishing to learn more and become involved or …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Using Internet of Things to Track and Curb Energy Use in Dorms at Harvard University
- Harvard University (MA)
How can we use data to inform and accelerate energy savings in undergraduate dorms? A Harvard student-led project called Networked Energy-saving Temperature Sensors (NETS) sought to answer this question by …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Readdressing Environmental Thinking in Residence Hall Design
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
This presentation will examine the role of architectural design in promoting an ecological citizenship. By comparing traditional residence hall designs with contemporary residence halls as well as a LEED certified …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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Green Lab and Green Office Programs at the University of Washington
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
The Green Office and Green Lab programs at the University of Washington are an integral part of reaching our campus sustainability goals. These posters showcase offices and labs environmental impact …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2017
- Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 3: Building Design & Construction
- Percent of building space certified for green building construction and renovation
- A list of green building new construction and major renovation projects
- An inventory of green building new construction and major renovation projects
- Website URL - Green building design and construction program
OP 4: Building Design & Construction
- Percent of building space certified for operations and maintenance
- Description of sustainable operations and maintenance policies and/or programs
- Website URL - Existing building operations and maintenance
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.