Turning College Campuses Green

Interest in sustainable development in higher education comes from many sources and for many reasons, including the interest of students, faculty, administration and the wider community in moderating or reversing climate change. A recent survey of college presidents and executive officers identified some of the reasons for developing sustainability programs on campus: fitting in with the culture and values of the campus, good public relations, cost-effectiveness and helping to recruit students.

Buildings consume 40 percent of all U.S. energy — a major opportunity for improvement. On a typical campus, 70 to 90 percent of direct greenhouse gas emissions are due to buildings. While interest in sustainable development is strong, justifying expenditures for sustainable development in a difficult economy can be challenging.

In recent years, the quest to shave dollars from first costs has come at the expense of long-term building energy efficiency and maintainability. The reality is that the overwhelming expense for the building’s life cycle is not the construction cost, but the maintenance and operation. It’s important to think about not only the green elements that go into the design of the building, but how those components will eventually save energy and money.