Save and Conserve

As an alumnus of the University of Vermont (aka UVM), I am thrilled & proud to see that the new student center (Davis Center building, pictured at right) is the first such building in the nation to be awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold designation.

Here's what it takes to get the LEED Gold label:

Energy efficient design. The Davis Center is expected to use 52 percent less energy than a conventional building of the Davis Center's size. Key energy-reducing design elements include sensors that regulate electric lighting based on the amount of daylight entering the space and air conditioning, heating, and ventilation regulated by occupancy sensors. The building also has a high performance "envelope" of exterior walls and insulating systems; a heat recovery system that uses exhaust air to either pre-heat or pre-cool the fresh air entering the building; and mechanical systems that are designed to fit the precise needs of the space they serve.

Reduced water use. Waterless urinals in the building reduce water use by 41 percent. In addition, the project's landscape design on the exterior of the building and on its storm-water-absorbing green roof feature native plantings, which do not require a permanent irrigation system.

Widespread use of locally harvested and manufactured construction materials. Sixty-three percent of the material used in the Davis Center construction was manufactured or sourced within 500 miles of the site, including the center's 280,000 bricks, which came from the Vermont Brick Company in Highgate, and the 62,000 slate shingles on its roof, which came from Camara Slate in Fair Haven. When there was a choice to purchase from a local manufacturer or distributor or one from outside the northeast region, the university chose to purchase locally, even when costs were slightly higher.

The Davis Center also received four "Innovation in Design" credits for design features and programs over and above those on the application checklist. Those credits include:

A natural smoke evacuation system. The Davis Center's atrium/natural chimney functions as follows: A row of windows on the top floor of the atrium and louvers on the second level open automatically when the fire alarm senses smoke and establish negative pressure that draws the smoke up and out of the space. The system is an example of the university investing in cutting edge design and technology that also saves energy.

An education-oriented building monitoring and display system. Imbedded in the Davis Center are 175 sensors placed in strategic locations to provide data on energy used for heating and cooling, electricity, water usage, and soil moisture, content, and temperature on the building's green roof. Beginning in late February, the data will be displayed on the Web and on a kiosk located in the corridor under Main Street. The monitoring system is designed to educate students and the larger community about the amount of natural resources the Davis Center and its occupants are consuming on a real-time basis. All the data will be logged and will be able to be viewed in several time scales, consumption equivalents, and quantitative comparisons.

Other features that earned the Davis Center LEED credits include interior spaces that maximize daylight, offer exterior views, and eliminate air contaminants; a green landscaped roof to reduce storm water runoff; extensive use of products with recycled content; and recycling of over 92 percent of construction waste by weight, including deconstruction rubble from an existing building on the Davis Center site, which was used as the base under an adjacent roadway and parking lots. The project also earned points for promoting alternative transportation via its pedestrian/transit accessible location, which reduces automobile trips to the facility, the free alternative fuel shuttle bus service serving it, and its encouragement of bicycle use and carpooling.

It's obvious that UVM has put the time, energy & resources behind a truly innovative & highly energy-efficient building. These are important first steps that provide other institutions with the guidance & confidence that they can do the same things. That type of leadership should not be diminished. Then again, coming from a school with an environmentally-conscious student body, faculty & administration, this is just UVM being UVM.

Posted by tom c. at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What happens to the Southwestern part of the US if Lake Mead continues to water out?

First, the Hoover Dam (pictured at right) would not be producing power. That would mean 1.3 million people living in California, Arizona & Nevada would be without their electricity.

Second, roughly 8 million people would no longer have access to water.

The Lake Mead/Lake Powell/Colorado River system is currently at about 50% capacity. Based on current water use & projected future demand, the system is on an unsustainable death spiral. Things are so bad that there is a 10% chance Lake Mead could be dry by 2014. That should be alarming for residents of the southwest, to say the least.

This is one of many problems that require quick action by state & local government & lifestyle changes by people. Without that action & those changes, the southwest is heading for a "major societal disruption".

Posted by tom c. at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)