KSU SUSTAINABILITY2013

• In 2012 Kennesaw State University was among seven Georgia Colleges & Universities named in the “Green Colleges List” issued by the Princeton Review in partnership with the U. S. Green Building Council.

Facilities

• Prillaman Hall received the Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, at the Gold level,

• KSU’s Social Sciences Building is Silver LEED certified and the Commons is Gold certified.

• The Science Laboratory Building is currently being reviewed for LEED certification as well.

Prillaman Hall

Science Lab Addition

Social Sciences & the “Spaceship Earth” Sculpture

The Commons Dining Hall

What is LEED?

• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third party certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000.

• The nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

• LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to.

LEED Certification

• Building projects earn LEED certification and points for satisfying prerequisites within each of the LEED categories:

• Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

• The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives: – Certified: 40–49 points– Silver: 50–59 points– Gold: 60–79 points– Platinum: 80 points and above

• The KSU Commons Dining Hall is a nationally acclaimed model of sustainability

• It has energy and water-conserving features, all food wastes are composted, and oil waste is sold as a biodiesel source

KSU’s Farm-to-Campus ProgramAcres of organic farmland

On-Campus Herb Garden

KSU’s Farmers’ Market on the Campus Green

American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

KSU has carried out 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) audits – for fiscal years 2008 & 2010:

http://www.kennesaw.edu/sustainability

The audits point to commuting as our largest GHG producer

KSU grew by 8% from 2008 – 2010; GHGs increased by 1%

per student GHG emissions dropped by 9%

Energy-Saving Measures

• Combining Christmas & New Years campus shut-downs

• Adding Energy-efficient LEED buildings

• Setting thermostats @ 680 (winter) & 780 (summer)

• Motion-detector light controls

• Federal Stimulus funding awarded in 2010 have been used to increase energy efficiency in older buildings

“BOB” Shuttle Routes began in Spring, 2011

• routes to remote parking lots & campus buildings

• routes connecting nearby apartments

Zimride carpool system

• Select potential carpool participants using the social-network Zimride system:

https://web.kennesaw.edu/auxiliaryservices/content/student-carpooling

• Shuttles reduce traffic congestion & pollution caused by prolonged vehicle idling times

• KSU instituted a “No Idle” Policy in 2010

• The KSU campus is rapidly losing its natural areas, including a small forest that houses pink ladyslippers, a rare native orchid

• Nearby off-campus sites for outdoor lab and field experiences have been identified; this will reduce the impact of these classes on KSU’s forested areas

Outdoor Gathering Places

Students are designing a Bioswale to capture pollutants in campus storm water runoff

Recycling

• KSU uses a “single source” (materials can be mixed) recycling system

• KSU accepts paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass drink bottles, batteries, and plastics #s 1 - 7

Residence Halls

• The newer buildings on the North side of campus have energy and water conserving features

• Resident Assistants plan Sustainability Events (such as an “Earth Hour” celebration) on a regular basis

KSU Athletics

• Under the leadership of our Athletic Director, Vaughn Williams, KSU is introducing measures and events to promote sustainability in our athletics programs