Energy Exchange

The Great Energy Efficiency Treasure Hunt: Finding Savings In Everyday Places

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 5, 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

When I was a kid, I used to love Easter morning. Actually, I still do. Surprisingly, it has little to do with the chocolate bunnies, the jellybeans, and the colorful peeps. What I love is the thrill of the hunt – where are all the treasures hiding and can I find them all?

This is the feeling I get every day here at Shaw University. There are so many energy efficiency treasures hiding in these historic walls just waiting to be found.

Treasure, Treasure Everywhere!

At this point, it would be really easy for me to say something cliché like, “sometimes the no-cost or low-cost solutions are the easiest to implement.” But these energy efficiency mantras don’t get my message across, which is that I’m enjoying the thrill of the hunt and finding energy efficiency treasures:

Let there be light. About 80% of Shaw’s indoor lighting has already been upgraded to more efficient fluorescent bulbs (T-8s for us environmental geeks) or CFLs (those squiggly lights for you non-environmental geeks). Together with my treasure seeking EDF partner, Eliza Davis, we found some buildings that had not upgraded their lighting. Also, when touring the residence halls, we found that each of the student desks – over 800 of them – had lights that could be upgraded to more efficient and cost effective lighting solutions. Voila! Treasure #1.
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A Green Roof And Greenhouse: Signs Of An Ambitious Green Campus

By EDF Blogs / Published: July 1, 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

This summer I am lucky to have a fellowship at Catawba College‘s Center for the Environment. I was fortunate to start just in time to learn about two initiatives the Center is pursuing: a green roof for the science building and a new high efficiency greenhouse.

I learned all about green roofs from Chuck Friedrich of Stalite Co. Stalite makes a green roof growing medium that is durable, lightweight, and easy to apply. There are many important steps involved in creating a luscious, healthy, and sustainable living roof, and Chuck gave us many things to consider, including:

There are two green roof options: extensive or intensive. An extensive roof has 2-4 inches of growing material, supporting sedum and other low-lying foliage. Intensive is 6 inches or more, and can support a greater range of plants, including trees.
Why remain flat? Subtle rolling hills can be created on green roofs based on the location of roof ballasts. They can support a thicker growing medium.
A green roof can extend the life of your roof by threefold!

The New GTL: Green Thinking and Living!

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 29, 2011

By: Emily Martin, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at the Township of Ocean, NJ; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University; LEED Green Associate

Immediately following Climate Corps Public Sector training in Durham, NC, I headed to the Jersey Shore for the first time, not quite sure what to expect. After all, my previous exposure was limited to media coverage, and any news of the state’s sustainability efforts have been overshadowed by the antics of certain shore residents.

After arriving in Ocean Township, however, I gained a new perspective on New Jersey when I met the township’s manager and members of the “Green Team.” I was introduced to “Sustainable Jersey,” a certification program for municipalities in New Jersey that want to go green, control costs and save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. So far, over 70 New Jersey municipalities are certified under this program. Ocean Township is currently working toward its certification.

One action that will help Ocean receive a Sustainable Jersey certification is the creation of a rain garden at the municipal library. Rain gardens allow 30% more water to absorb into the ground, which decreases storm water runoff and reduces pollution in streams, rivers, and lakes. They can even count as credit toward LEED certification for the library. Read More »

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Tagged Middletown Township - 2011 | Comments are closed

Reducing The Footprint Of An 11,000 Year Old Nation

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 27, 2011

By: Daniel Brookshire, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina; Master of City and Regional Planning candidate at UNC Chapel Hill, specializing in Land Use and Environmental Planning

(“Hello” in Cherokee)

Erin, my EDF partner, and I are spending our summer fellowship at the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). We really lucked out in getting to work in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina.

EBCI demonstrates its impressive commitment to energy efficiency with its strategic energy plan for the tribe. They have conducted 40 energy assessments of tribally owned buildings and secured grant funding for efficiency upgrades. Also, most of the street lights have been converted to highly efficient LED bulbs, and our office is a certified LEED Gold building! Read More »

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Tagged Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians - 2011 | Read 1 Response

A Little Competition Never Hurt Anyone

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 24, 2011

By: Anna Chavis, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at the City of Wilmington, NC, Department of Public Services; MEM/MBA candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment/Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

How do you get firemen to reduce their energy consumption? Just do what the City of Wilmington, NC, did – make it into a competition. Back in 2006, the City of Wilmington’s Department of Public Services pitted its 11 fire stations against one another in an energy savings competition. It was a first for Wilmington, known more for its beaches and night life than its environmental initiatives. The goal was for each fire station to develop a plan that reduced the most energy over a six-month period and to carry it out. The reward? A pizza party.

Lights were turned off, energy police went out on patrol, and competitive banter was heard among station staff. All this for a drop in the energy bill each station anxiously downloaded at the end of each month. As Vince Lombardi once said, “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” Sheer bragging rights and the incentive of a pizza party created the perfect game, while the reduction of kilowatt hours provided the perfect scorecard. And a little friendly competition can go a long way: some fire stations in Wilmington reduced their energy use by 15%, with a total of 348,000 KWh—over $4,000—saved. Read More »

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Read 1 Response

Finding The Silver (Or Green) Lining After Disaster Strikes

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 22, 2011

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

Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) helps universities, governments and houses of worship identify ways to improve energy efficiency and save money.

My mother always told me that when adversity strikes, look for the silver lining.

The staff and students at Shaw University (Shaw) in downtown Raleigh have learned this lesson the hard way. Six weeks ago, Shaw was hit by a tornado. Classes were cancelled and students were sent home as Shaw administrators surveyed the damage to the historical buildings that date back to 1865.

Thanks to the dedication of its students, staff and the Raleigh community, the university cleared the debris, assessed the damage and started over in a remarkably short time frame. Today, summer classes are in session and despite the boarded up windows, blue-tarped rooftops, and damaged trees, Shaw University is definitely back in business!

But, wait … the story can’t end here – where is the silver lining? Read More »

Posted in EDF Climate Corps, General / Tagged Shaw University - 2011 | Comments are closed