Boyken advocates building sustainability, or green building, in designing, building, renovating, operating, and reusing resources in an ecologically efficient manner. It is especially important in Higher Education and University buildings whose useful life is designed for decades, if not centuries. This design meets certain objectives such as protecting occupant health, improving employee productivity, incorporating efficient resource usage and reducing the overall impact to the environment. Even though a green building may cost more initially, it is designed to lower operating costs over the life of the building.

 

This quarter we are interviewing one of our clients, Chad Binette, from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida about the university’s “green” policies with regard to their construction projects.

 

The following examples demonstrate how the University of Central Florida is leading the way in environmentally friendly research, day-to-day operations and education.

 

 

One of the major components that we are addressing on every building is the roof system. UCF became the first university in the state to install a green roof in 2005. On top of a Student Union expansion, the 1,600-square-foot roof includes Florida-native plants that help to conserve energy and reduce stormwater runoff. UCF has helped many other communities, including Sarasota and Sanford, adopt green roofs, and the Stormwater Management Academy continues to research how to lower the cost of building green roofs and protecting them during high winds.

 

 

In an effort to track its carbon footprint and lower future emissions, UCF’s Center for Energy and Sustainability released its first Greenhouse Gas Report in September. The report tracked which sources accounted for the most campus carbon-dioxide emissions. By 2010, UCF wants to reduce its energy consumption up to 20 percent in all education and general buildings on campus.

 

 

Because the university has a significant fleet of vehicles that operate on campus, UCF became the first university in the state last fall to convert one of its fleet vehicles to a plug-in hybrid for limited all-electric driving. The 2007 Toyota Prius plug-in teaches the community about energy-saving transportation and produces about 30 percent less emissions per mile compared to its gas-guzzling counterparts. For UCF’s other fleet vehicles, biodiesel fuel has replaced diesel fuel. We are continuing the efforts and the with price of gasoline rising as it is, we are definitely seeing the payoff.

 

 

Yes, the U.S. Department of Energy recently named UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) as one of the two sites nationwide that will share a multi-million dollar grant to accelerate the advancement of energy-efficient building codes, standards and zero-energy buildings around the Southeast. Gossamer Wind Series Ceiling Fans, which consume about half of the energy as conventional ceiling fans and save users about $10 million annually, were developed by FSEC scientist Danny Parker.

 

Absolutely! UCF is constructing all new buildings — including the College of Medicine at Lake Nona — to at least the silver standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) standards. The university is working on providing solar hot water in one of its newest residence halls.

 

 

There are several initiatives by theuniversity with students. UCF’shousing and energy offices hostedan eco-friendly competition amongresidence halls in February 2008 forthe second straight year. The hallsthat reduced their consumption themost compared to last year won giftcertificates, free food andscholarships.