Best of UB "Green"

Best of UB Magazine articles and resources pertaining to College and University issues of Sustainability, Environmental Considerations, Energy Management, and "Green" Facilities, Architecture and campus planning.

To save a little printing, paper and energy, UB has made this special section available for instant reading in your web browser using Nxtbook digital magazine technology. Just click here.

The Energy Crunch

Rising energy prices are spurring university and college administrators to take steps to cut costs, ensure adequate power, and implement energy-saving initiatives in an increasingly technological-dependent campus environment.

These issues have recently become more relevant due to the impact of rising energy costs, coupled with such major events as the California energy crisis of 2000 and the Northeast blackout of 2003. Moreover, since oil and gas supplies--and prices--appear to be in a roller coaster mode due to unstable Middle East conditions and, in general, more global energy consumption, IHEs need to examine their power infrastructure to ensure a steady flow of power at a reasonable cost.

The upside is that IHEs can recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, by implementing a comprehensive energy management plan. In order to realize such savings, however, both energy production and consumption must be addressed. (click to continue...)

Green Expectations

In a cornfield within eyesight of Carleton College's (Minn.) campus stands a towering sleek, stark-white structure that looks like the Mercedes-Benz logo. But it's hardly an advertisement for the luxury car brand. Rather, it's a 240-foot-tall wind turbine designed to produce up to 1,650 kilowatts of energy--enough to meet the yearly electricity needs of 600 homes or 40 percent of the university.

Energy derived from wind is considered clean and "green" because its source is inexhaustible and nonpolluting. While the energy generated from the turbine is not directly used to power the college, it does flow directly into the electrical grid of Northfield, Minn., where the college is located. From there it is sold and used locally. (click to continue...)

"Going Green"

When it comes to green construction, few may have more intimate knowledge of the process than the planners, architects, and building-committee members who oversaw the recent construction of the nation's first "green" law school, the new University of Denver College of Law. Ironically, the construction initiative came about more by happenstance than by plan.

Includes:

• What is 'Sustainable' Construction?
• What Causes SBS?
• Thwarting SBS with Green Construction