Energy Exchange

Get Your Green On!

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 20, 2011

By: Jen Weiss, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

 

Timing, they say, is everything.  And timing combined with knowledgeable and motivated people who want to make a difference?  That, my friends, is just plain ole’ lucky.

My EDF partner Eliza and I have been working at Shaw University, and so far we have found some terrific no-cost and low-cost projects with great payback periods and measurable energy savings. We are beginning to feel that our recommendations are ready to be wrapped up in a pretty green bow.  But, wait … what is this that we have just stumbled across?

An Unexpected and Untapped Treasure

Photo courtesy of Jen WeissThanks to a change in office space midway through our fellowship, we had a chance encounter with two of the most determined women we have ever met.  Please let me introduce you to Ms. Agnes Baxter and Ms. Juanda Holley, the energetic forces behind Shaw University’s newly formed Green Team.  Stand back staff and students of Shaw University, you are about to be hit by another tornado – A bright GREEN tornado!

It all started innocently enough – a casual chat with an office mate about what we were working on at Shaw.  Our discussion about upgrading lights and setting thermostats at reasonable settings turned into a heated brainstorming session about recycling, environmental education, solar, biodiesel, and most importantly – behavioral change at Shaw University.  It appears that we were not the first to think of energy efficiency solutions at Shaw.  And we most definitely will not be the last. Read More »

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Is This Vending Machine On?

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 15, 2011

By: Ifeoma Henry-Ajudua, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC; MBA/MIS candidate at North Carolina Central University

 

My EDF partner, Bridget Wilson, and I, the Team Bennett fellows, are off to a good start at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. Bennett College is a historically black, all-women’s college founded in 1873 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This presents a big challenge for us regarding energy efficiency because upgrades and changes must stay within strict building guidelines. We are working closely with students to create an energy savings plan that everyone can get excited about.

Bennett has been working on lighting upgrades, replacing dead T-12 bulbs and ballasts with energy efficient T-8 systems. Hearing about this initiative early on, our first project was determining if it was more cost and energy efficient to replace T-12 lights only when they stop working, or to replace them right away with T-8 lights. After analyzing the sizes of the buildings, lifespan of the old lighting, cost of the new bulbs and ballasts – and factoring in Duke Energy’s Super Saver Program – we saw that the best option was to immediately upgrade the lighting systems. In order to show Bennett the potential cost savings and promote upgraded lighting, we are running a pilot program in the Pfeiffer Science building. The data from this building will be used to create a campus wide feasibility and execution plan.

Photo courtesy of Ifeoma Henry-Ajudua

A second quick score for Team Bennett came when Coca-Cola in Greensboro agreed to de-lamp all of the machines on campus. We are also recommending installing “vending misers,” which work like a sleep setting for a vending machine when nobody is around. Vending machines normally run full-time for the entire year. Installing a miser reduces energy use by 1,640 kWh —more than $800 of savings per year. The energy saved also keeps 2,000 pounds of greenhouse gas pollution, 5 pounds of nitrous oxides, and 12 pounds of sulfur oxides out of the atmosphere. The payback period for the low-tech vending misers? Less than 3 years.

Team Bennett has more great projects in the works, including one in the dorms. We are starting work on heating, cooling, and water savings. More to follow as summer progresses!

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship.  The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities.  Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.

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Crab, You’re It!: Using Community-Based Social Marketing to Save Energy

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 13, 2011

By: Adam Hart, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Mecklenburg County, NC; MBA candidate at Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Meet the stars of the “Crab, You’re It!” project, a group of fiddler crabs helping North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County employees reduce energy consumption in a lasting way. The creative folks behind this idea are Mecklenburg County’s Land Use and Environmental Services Agency. They are using community-based social marketing in the form of the crab project to help employees become better environmental citizens.

Photo Courtesy of Adam Hart

Community-based social marketing is a behavior modification strategy developed by Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr, a Professor of Psychology at St. Thomas University. The basic idea is that once you identify the barriers and benefits to a sustainable behavior, you can use behavior change tools to create a new social norm.

Mecklenburg County launched a pilot project, “Crab, You’re It!,” to encourage 350 county employees to turn off lights after leaving workspaces during business hours. The behavior change was driven by attaching a stigma to leaving the lights on. Employees were encouraged to spot colleagues who forgot to switch their lights off, and give them a big plastic fiddler crab. They could only pass on the fiddler crab when they found another employee wasting energy. Read More »

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Energy Efficiency: It’s A Long-Term Commitment

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 11, 2011

Photo Courtesy of Matthew PeckBy: Matthew Peck, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Winston-Salem State University, NC; MBA candidate at the Babcock Graduate School of Management, Wake Forest University; United States Navy Veteran

Just two weeks into my summer fellowship at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), I learned one important lesson: energy efficiency is a long-term commitment. Before coming to WSSU’s campus, I expected to see buildings far below modern energy efficiency standards. I thought I would identify many “low hanging fruits” and quickly turn WSSU into a greener campus. After arriving at WSSU, I realized my job wouldn’t be that easy.

WSSU has a small and active sustainability team within the Facilities department. In the past few years, it has been pushing hard to increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of campus buildings. All of the buildings have either had lighting upgrades, or are scheduled to receive them. Other improvements that are under way include upgrades to HVAC systems and installation of water flow regulators in sinks and dormitory showers.

Due to the major strides in energy efficiency made at WSSU, I am pursuing options I had not previously considered to find even more savings and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. WSSU’s planned upgrades are only the tip of the energy efficiency iceberg. My ideas go further to involve employees and educate students:

  • Educating dormitory residents on the proper use of a thermostat and encouraging appropriate temperature settings. This may sound simple, but the reality is that many young people who live in the dormitories are living away from home for the first time and have never had to set a thermostat.
  • Reminders to power down office equipment, turn off lights, and moderate environmental controls in unoccupied rooms.
  • Create competitions among the campus dormitories to see which can conserve the most energy and water, and reduce the most waste. Read More »
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An Energy Auditor’s Toolbox

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 8, 2011

By: Carrie Gonnella, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC; MEM/MBA candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment/Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Two weeks into my EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) fellowship, I attended an energy assessment training put on by the State of North Carolina and hosted by the Center for the Environment at Catawba College.  This was a great opportunity to expand on what I learned at CCPS training. This three day training included a dozen energy topics, hands-on demos, and a practice energy assessment of a Catawba dormitory.

Dr. Joe Davis, who led the training, works in North Carolina’s Energy Office and has many years of experience in energy assessment.  I completed training with 40 representatives from colleges and municipalities. We were eager to develop our understanding of the tools and steps needed in a comprehensive energy assessment.  We covered lighting, HVAC, motors, compressed air, boilers, and chillers.  Dr. Davis showed us tools that were applicable to each situation.  By the end of the training I was able to develop a list of tools that would assist me in my own energy assessment of Catawba’s buildings. Catawba’s Center for the Environment purchased these tools, which will be useful to my work this summer, and can be used as teaching tools in the future.   Read More »

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My 1000 Piece Summer Jigsaw Puzzle

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 6, 2011

By: Maura Farver, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville, NC; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University; MBA Candidate at UNC Kenan-Flagler

Photo courtesy of Maura FarverMy summer fellowship with Climate Corps Public Sector brought me to First Presbyterian Church. In my search for energy efficiency, I have come to call the church my 1000 piece summer jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is a little different and must be closely examined. Fortunately, I love puzzles and am always up for a challenge.

The church’s main sanctuary was built in 1884, and over the years, there have been various building additions and technology upgrades. Developing an accurate tally of the lighting, HVAC, electronics, and building materials at the church was trickier than I anticipated.

The church is unique, and in understanding how energy is consumed here, I need to know:

  • What lighting and electronic equipment are in use in each room?
  • How is temperature regulated throughout the building?
  • What parts of the building are in use and how often? Read More »
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