University of California, San Diego 2008 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award Application

Category

Four-year and Graduate Institutions over 7,500 FTE

imageGeisel Library at UC San Diego
Photographer:

Contact

Margaret Souder
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
University of California, San Diego
San Diego , CA
(858) 822-7840
msouder@ucsd.edu

Governance & Administration

UC San Diego actively practices and promotes sustainability across the campus. The university takes significant strides to incorporate sustainability into its mission, policies, operations and educational programs.

UC San Diego sustainability initiatives are led by the Climate Solutions Work Group, a high-level forum of senior faculty, administrators and operational staff, the group possesses the influence and resources to implement a broad range of sustainability initiatives. The group oversees UC San Diego's 7.4 megawatt sustainable energy program, one of the largest programs in the nation on a university campus. The Work Group also advises on sustainability-related curricula, and is overseeing a campus Climate Action Plan that will establish goals and deadlines for achieving climate neutrality.

UC San Diego is one of only eight universities nationwide to demonstrate their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by joining the Chicago Climate Exchange; the CCX provides an environment in which UC San Diego can better understand the complexities of our climate impact as we strive toward climate neutrality. As a member of The Green Grid, a global information technology consortium working to improve energy efficiency at data centers, UC San Diego researchers and administrators at The San Diego Supercomputer Center are helping to test new methods for green cyberinfrastructure.

In September 2007, UC San Diego hired a Campus Sustainability Coordinator to facilitate our sustainability efforts and create a culture of sustainability among students, faculty and staff. The Sustainability Coordinator serves to establish UC San Diego as a leader in the field of sustainability at the state, regional, national and international level by increasing awareness of the university's environmental successes and accomplishments. This year, Housing & Dining Services has added a sustainability professional to its staff to meet the unique sustainability needs in the campus student housing environment. 

UC San Diego has become a living laboratory for environmental sustainability and climate change solutions through research, education and service. Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, one of the world's leading climate change institutes, which provided the first clear evidence that carbon dioxide was accumulating in the atmosphere, today makes discoveries on Asian brown cloud pollution, how climate change threatens water supply and other advancements in climate change science. Researchers in Biological Sciences and Engineering are developing advanced biofuels from algae and other biomass. Campus planners, housing and dining and facilities management advances sustainable practices in buildings, transportation and student housing and dining. Student groups across the campus are very active in promoting energy efficiency, composting, recycling and biofuels projects. 

In 2007, the UC San Diego Advisory Committee on Sustainability created the Principles of Sustainability (http://sustain.ucsd.edu/). The Principles establish sustainability as a core value, recognizing the importance of the human relationship with the environment; the social, economic and cultural interactions; and the opportunity for UC San Diego to contribute to sustainable solutions through research, academics and collaboration.

Operations

UC San Diego implements sustainable practices in all operational areas. Facilities design and maintenance staff ensures that U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines and UC Policy on Green Building Design and Clean Energy Standards are met in all new campus construction projects. UC San Diego has committed to achieving a Silver LEED rating or higher. UC San Diego employs an energy strategy that includes cogeneration, energy efficiency and renewable power generated locally. This year, UC San Diego launched one of the largest sustainable energy programs on a university campus in the nation. The 7.4 megawatt program consists of solar photovoltaic, biogas fuel cells and a unique wind energy project in which the university buys power from California wind farms and uses it to replace fossil fuel-created energy. The 30-megawatt Central Utilities Plant generates power to meet 80% of campus electrical needs through high-efficiency, low-emission gas turbine technology.

UC San Diego continually advances sustainable automotive technology for all aspects of vehicle use. The university reduces its reliance on conventional, petroleum-powered vehicles and capitalizes on new technology by replacing older vehicles with hybrid and electric models. UC San Diego operates San Diego County's third largest transit system, transporting over 4 million passengers annually on buses fueled by 20% biodiesel or compressed natural gas.

Identified by the U.S. EPA as one of the "Best Workplaces for Commuters," UC San Diego provides sustainable transportation options that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and regional traffic congestion. The university's extensive outreach efforts and financial incentives have resulted in more than half of commuters to UC San Diego taking alternative forms of transportation. Through an agreement with local public transit providers, UC San Diego spends over $1 million annually to subsidize unlimited free transit service for faculty, staff and students on city bus routes serving the campus and medical centers. Free Bus Zone expansion in 2007 more than doubled ridership to 1.1 million passenger trips annually. In 2007, the campus reduced greenhouse gas emissions from single-occupant vehicles by 23,380 metric tons.

With its goal of becoming a zero waste campus by 2020, UC San Diego manages a comprehensive waste diversion and recycling program. Facilities Management supports a single-bin recycling program that allows all designated recyclable materials to be placed in any campus recycling container. The university purchased and installed campus wide:  45% recycled content roll paper towels, 100% recycled folded paper towels and 100% recycled toilet paper. In 2007, the university diverted 3,234 tons of waste from local landfills.

San Diego depends primarily on imported water for domestic and industrial uses. UC San Diego measurably reduces regional use of scarce potable water resources by using reclaimed water for a significant portion of campus irrigation. In 2007, Facilities Management implemented the environmentally friendly 3M SMART floor cleaning system with reusable microfiber pads and premixed Green Seal cleaning solution to provide cleaner floors and save over 800,000 gallons of water annually.

Curriculum & Research

Research and education related to environmental sustainability permeate the UC San Diego campus. Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, one of the world's foremost climate change institutes, established the human impact on climate change with the development of the Keeling Curve. Today, Scripps is at the leading edge of research into the global, national and local impacts on climate change. Researchers in Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, San Diego Supercomputer Center and other units lead the world in research on algae and cellulosic biofuels, aerosol pollution, sea level rise and many other areas.

UC San Diego's educational mission includes instilling knowledge about the natural environment and the impact of human activity on the planet. Cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate research and programs prepare students for 21st century careers. The largest undergraduate environmental major is the interdisciplinary Environmental Systems (ESYS), a rapidly expanding program that prepares environmental sciences students to address real-world sustainability issues. The university also offers hundreds of courses on environmental sustainability across the curricula, as well as symposiums, internships and service learning opportunities.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography encompasses research and education in climate and atmospheric sciences, physical, chemical, biological, geological, and geophysical studies of the earth and its oceans. Biological Sciences has academic sections and research in cellular biology related to renewable energy and ecology, including impacts of climate change and human activity on ecosystem function. Engineering includes integrating energy generation into structural materials, designing efficient biomass-based energy systems, energy efficient buildings and non-toxic electronic components. The Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies has research and programs in sustainable development, international energy policy and international environmental policy. Physical Sciences research and programs include environmental chemistry, atmospheric sciences, long-range transport of particulate pollution, and the impact of aerosols on the air-sea interface. Students at the Rady School of Management apply marketing and organizational decision-making expertise to sustainable business practices and clean-tech innovation. Social Sciences include research and courses on social, economic, and political processes that affect sustainability, such as energy, climate, transportation, urban studies and environmental justice. Arts and Humanities offer study in environmental history, philosophy of science, environmental ethics and the influences of environment in the arts.

Students are leading the way in a project to establish a 100 percent biofuels bus line. The Greenline will be both a service and research project, as students work with Fleet Services to build and operate the bus while also studying the economic, environmental and health impacts of using biofuels. Greenline begins operation in the summer 2008.

Students also take an expansive role in DEMROES, Decision Making using Real-time Observations for Environmental Sustainability, a project that uses a wireless sensor network to monitor air quality and meteorological conditions throughout the campus; it's the largest such microclimate system in the world. Students, faculty and operations staff use the data to better understand how sea breezes and other climatic conditions can be used to reduce energy use on campus, primarily by cutting down on air conditioning and irrigation.

Campus Culture

As a renowned leader in climate change research, UC San Diego joined over 1,000 universities by participating in the first annual Focus the Nation event to engage college faculty and students in discussions about climate change solutions. UC San Diego received national media attention with a student interactive performance piece featuring a polar bear in a mock electric chair. Other events included panel discussions between faculty and local business and political leaders on sustainability-related careers, local climate change concerns, sustainable art exhibition and green concert. During the second annual Earth Week celebration, students, faculty and staff collaborated to host a variety of events, including Regional Clean Cities Coalition meeting, clean car show, high-visibility garbage sort, live performances and visual art exhibits and organic dinners in dining halls. These green events demonstrate how climate change affects the entire campus - from the classroom to the power plant, research to campus operations -and help to increase awareness and influence behavior.

UC San Diego's chapter of Net Impact, an international nonprofit organization committed to solving pressing world problems and driving social change through business innovation, is collaborating with academic and business affairs departments to create a Sustainability Walk on the UC San Diego campus. The Sustainability Walk will highlight specific buildings and features that make UC San Diego a green campus.

Students active in UC San Diego's environmental organizations are creating a campus Sustainability Resource Center to support the university's educational mission by providing information on environmental issues to students, faculty, staff and the community. Centrally located in the campus' hub, the Sustainability Resource Center will provide information on energy conservation, recycling and alternative transportation options and green events.

The Alliance to Save Energy and UC San Diego's Facilities Management department partner to fund interns in the student-led Green Campus Program. The program consists of five paid interns and numerous student club members who collaborate with staff and administration to integrate sustainability into course curricula and implement projects, targeting energy use and operational change. Green Campus Program interns promote facility energy efficiency, green building practices and water conservation on campus and in the community by increasing awareness about energy-related issues.

During the 2006/07 academic year, interns exchanged over 1,800 Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) for incandescent bulbs. In the 2007 winter and spring quarters, Green Campus conducted energy competitions between residence halls, resulting in a 20% reduction in energy use. Students performed energy assessments in offices and a dining facility to measure energy use for lighting, office equipment and appliances. In their written reports, students provided building occupants with detailed recommendations for reducing energy consumption. The Green Campus Program also plays a key role in promoting campus green building and "green facility operations" programs, as well other campus-wide sustainability initiatives.

Community Service and Outreach

UC San Diego demonstrates its commitment to stewardship by donating resources and academic expertise to benefit the local and global community. Campus advisory groups and committees unite faculty, staff, students and prominent community and business leaders to address sustainability-related issues. These action groups facilitate collaboration across disciplines and build partnerships with those outside the university to educate, influence behavior and shape public policy.

UC San Diego partners with local utilities to provide energy solutions for the San Diego region. The campus operates a high-efficiency, ultra-low emissions 27MW combined cycle power plant that provides the campus' base load energy needs and imports grid electricity to meet its 40MW peak power needs. In October 2007, the San Diego region experienced an energy crisis due to wildfires. UCSD received a request from San Diego Gas & Electric to reduce grid power. The campus immediately transformed its energy system through a series of demand and supply response measures to first reduce its reliance on grid-supplied power to zero and then to export over 3MW of power when the SDG&E regional grid was in serious peril.

Since early 2006, senior environmental engineering students have been regularly advising Jack-in-the-Box on how to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption while maximizing profits. From dishwashers to building insulation, students evaluated every item in a JIB store then input them into a building energy model to assess energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The recommendations generated from this assessment provided the baseline for ongoing JIB's implementation of store operational changes, renovation and new building commissioning.

The university helps develop sustainable solutions through educational outreach. UC San Diego's Environment and Sustainability Initiative (ESI) identifies opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and builds partnerships with external entities to educate, shape policy and develop solutions to environmental problems. In addition to interdisciplinary research and applications, the initiative promotes sustainability concepts in the curriculum through public forums, workshops, courses and student service learning experiences.

ESI, in conjunction with Scripps Foundation for Science and the Environment and the NextEarth Foundation, conducted the Greenovation Forums to showcase solutions-based sustainable research and facilitate discussions between private and public sector professionals about the opportunities and obstacles to implementing new technologies. The initiative also supports the Regional Ecology Network and Environmental Workbench for Sustainable Development (RENEW-SD) project, which partners UCSD's Superfund Basic Research Program, Urban Studies and Planning Program, and public and private sector professionals to ultimately improve water quality in San Diego's Pueblo watershed.

Through community involvement and outreach, the university dedicates resources to developing climate change solutions.