Bulls for a Better Future

8/23/2019 Bulls for a Better Future

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Going GreenUSF Saint PetersburgUSF Tampa BayProfessional WritingDr. Francis TobienneMarch 28, 2013

Bulls for a Better Future

Jennifer AriasSuzanne PiercyRobert ErwinJodi HarrisJoshua Wykell



ge | 6 Executive Summary....................................................................................3

Introduction.................................................................................................4

Science and Technology Building and LEED ..........................................5

What is LEED.......................................................................................5

The purpose of LEED certified buildings..............................................6

Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF).......................................................6

USFSP’ Gardening Club...........................................................................7

College Sustainability Report Card 2011.................................................7

Conservation Policies................................................................................ 8-9

Conclusion..................................................................................................10

Glossary of Terms......................................................................................11

Annotated Bibliography ...........................................................................12

Works Cited................................................................................................13

Table of Contents



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Purpose of This Report

Environmental conservatism has become a growing part of the American culture in the past fewyears. The University of South Florida has been undergoing major and minor changes to make itscampuses greener and more environmentally friendly. The purpose of this report is to examine theways in which USF has successfully made changes to a more environmentally sustainable campus.

Research and Analysis

This report is based on the extensive review of past literature, mainly including local news pieces,on the subject of USF’s green movement.

Key Findings

USF has made environmentally greener progress by undergoing million-dollar projects, such as theLEED Certified building on campus, as well as by incorporating simpler projects around campusthat contribute towards sustainability, like the community gardens and investing in solar energy.They have gained recognition by the community through their efforts.

Conclusion

USF has made major stride in becoming more sustainable, increasing its sustainability grade froma “D” to a “B+”. The large and small projects being taken on by students, faculty and staff have allcontributed to its success.

Executive Summary



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The overall objective of this white paper is to discuss how the University of South Florida’s St.Petersburg campus is becoming greener and more energy efficient. Some topics we will bediscussing are the relatively new Science and Technology building, a new program that allowsstudents to rent an energy efficient car, and other ways that USFSP is going green, including smallattempts solar energy. This paper will touch on what USF has been doing and what the university plans to do for a more sustainable future for the campus and surrounding areas.

Introduction



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Science and Technology Building

and LEEDAccording to The Crow’s Nest (2012), The University of South Florida (USF)

President, Judy Genshaft, made a commitment for an environmentally green

campus in 2008. In 2010, USF built the Science and Technology Building at

the USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) campus and is USF’s first LEED-certified

building.

But what is LEED?LEED is a building certification process created by the U. S Green Building Council (USGBC)and refers to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The USGBC hasdeveloped the LEED certification process so that architects and building contractors can beenvironmentally conscious to design and build energy-efficient and water-conserving buildingswith sustainable or green resources and materials.

The LEED certification process employs different rating systems to determine the environmentalmerits of a building. Depending on the number of points that a project has earned, the project can

be classified as Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.

LEVEL POINTS

Platinum 52-69

Gold 39-51

Silver 33-38

Certified 26-32



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In Addition to the USF’s first LEED-certified building, the cover costs of the Science and

Technology building was $12 million. Building materials and energy usage was kept in mind while building this structure and keeps this outstanding building energy efficient and green. Because of its planning, construction materials and design, the building earned enough credits for Gold LEEDcertification. Also, the LEED certification building brings to USF a positive image. The Universityof South Florida is adamant about its green movement.

The U.S Green Building Council describes a LEED-certified building as one designed and built tolower operating costs and increase land value, cut down on waste that is sent to landfills, conserve

water and energy, and be safer and healthier for occupants. Due to its design, building materialsand high efficiency, the Science and Technology building met all of these requirements and earnedthe Gold LEED Certification.The new, 35,000 square foot building not only has made an impact on the environment,community and school, it has also allowed for the facilitation of research and learning. TheCollege of Marine Science utilizes the building for classrooms and laboratories, and also hoststheir summer’s oceanography camp for young girls, ensuring the future of the green movement andthe local environment.



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The purpose of LEED certified

buildings:

• Lower operating costs and increase asset value

• Reduce waste sent to landfills

• Conserve energy and water

• Be healthier and safer for tenants and occupants

• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions

Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF)

USF has participated in the Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) which is a statewide campaign led by students that promotes the use of green energy. This fund has came up with the money to provide the USFSP campus with new technology focusing on a green lifestyle such as solar panelcharging stations for students to charge their cell phones and tablets and vehicle electric chargingstations in order for students to charge their cars on campus.

A few years ago, Goswami came to the conclusion that solar power would have to becomean important role in our energy needs. Creating power 24hours a day is the goal that Goswami and his team weretrying to reach, "even when the sun is not available"(Mooren). In order to reach this goal, they have come upwith a plant which uses curved mirrors that follow thesun from east to west, this collects the heat which produces power for longer periods of time; thesedevices are known as parabolic trough collectors(PTCs). The phase change materials (PCMs) storeenergy when they are heated and release energy whenthey are cooled with an outside shell that does not meltwhere it encapsulates the energy and helps the plant run 24hours a day. The U.S. Department of Energy gave Goswami and his team a $3.9 million grants for the storage system that they have created. "According to enVision Magazine, produced by theCollege of Engineering, the amount of power produced from the plant will be 'enough to power about 10-20 homes'" (Mooren). This plant is not only a major step towards USF becomingecologically friendly, but the USF community also has an effect from the plant.



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USFSP Gardening ClubThe USF St. Petersburg Gardening Club isalso taking hold of some energy efficientways to grow plants. They are partnered withSodexo, the university’s food services provider, to collect used coffee grinds andother biodegradable foods and items to use asgardening materials. The club, for now, isonly able to grow enough food to sustain theclub’s members, but they are looking into thefuture to be able to supply enough food for

the Reef, a local bar and restaurant.

College SustainabilityReport Card 2011According to USF’s own Digital Bullpen, theUniversity of South Florida has been hard atwork over the past five years to become moreefficient and has been active in the “green”movement. In 2008, USF was scored at a D+ by the College Sustainability Report Card

website, a site that rates colleges on howsustainable they are. After making changes,USF was rated at a B+ in 2011. TheCollege Sustainability Report Card notes onits most recent rating of USF that theuniversity has installed water meteringtechnology, light sensors, and LED lighting,which uses less electricity than normal bulbs.

In addition, USF’s President has signed theAmerican College and University President’sClimate Commitment (ACUPCC). Toconserve water, USF has also installed low-flow shower heads and dual-flush toilets in

some of its buildings. Another way that USFis going promoting the green initiative is bygiving parking priority to low emissionvehicles around campus. There are dedicated parking spots around campus for thesevehicles.



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USF St. Petersburg Campus hasspecifically addressed conservation in their campus master plan. The USFSP Master Planhighlights seven conservation objectives withspecific policies for each objective. Theseobjectives and policies are centered aroundthe USFSP campus location along BayboroHarbor. Bayboro Harbor is a manatee habitat,and has been designated an OutstandingFlorida Water. This creates certain specificregulations for the campus. The overridinggoal of the conservation objectives and policies in the University of South Florida St.Petersburg Master Plan is, “ to be a model for conservation policies to improve theenvironment and improve air, water and openspace quality in the vicinity of the campusincluding Bayboro Harbor.” (13,1).

In an effort to achieve that overallgoal the University has made it an objectiveto mitigate air pollution from automobiles,construction, and buildings. To due thisUSFSP has put in place policies to reducedependence on personal vehicles andencourage the use of alternative forms of transportation including bicycling, walking,and public transportation. The University has

policies in place mandating the University’s participation in local transportationmanagement associations. The air quality policies also include instructions to minimizethe storage of hazardous air pollutants, aswell as appropriate filters for campus building ventilation systems. There are alsoguidelines in place to measure indoor and

outdoor air quality to insure that there is noaccidental or unknown air pollutionoccurring on campus. USFSP also provides policy for alternative energy on campusvehicles. When the school builds new

parking policy is to design such parking for quick egress so that vehicles are not idlingand degrading air quality.

In order to maintain the quality andquantity of potable water on or near thecampus USFSP maintains daily and monthly potable water testing, as well as provisions to prevent contamination. There is also policy toadhere to storm water run off regulations so

that the University does not contaminate potable water through storm runoff. Thisincludes monitoring what chemicals theuniversity uses in its on campus maintenance.These chemical policies tie in to the USFSP’s policies concerning Bayboro Harbor as well.Since the Harbor is a manatee habitat theUSF has many policies in place to ensure theviability of the Harbor as a manatee habitat.These policies include the handling of stormwater runoff by way of the chemicals USFSP

uses as well as the environmentally soundconstruction of new runoff facilities, whichwill treat the runoff before it enters theBayboro Harbor, and will be designed withBioretention Landscape and Structures inmind. Due to the University’s position inrelation to the Harbor any new or replacement structures must be reviewed for



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their impact on the manatee habitat,especially in terms of creosote, copper,chromium and arsenate.The University has energy conservation as agoal. To this end the school has as policy to

consider the layout of new structures inrelation to the surrounding environment. Newstructures are to be designed with courtyardsand plant shade, as well as airflow to helpreduce energy costs. It is university policy touse solar energy whenever possible. New buildings are to use energy efficient air-condition, light fixtures, motion sensors, andtimers, which ties in to LEEDS certification.Low flow toilettes, xerescaping, andsprinkler timer’s are to be used to reduce

water usage.USFSP makes commitments to nativevegetation in its master plan as well. Theschool pledges to use only native or non-invasive plants in it’s landscaping. USFSP plans to remove any invasive non-native plants from its campus, and has a policy to doa joint study of campus plants with theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Service. It is also policy to amend the campus master plan based on the joint study. Any new structuresmust be planned in consideration with localvegetation. In fact it is also an objective toidentify lands on campus that need protection based on the Endangered Species of FloridaFlora and Fauna list, and any new structuremust have a census of the flora and faunalocated on its purposed site.

The last objective of the University of South Florida Master Plan 2010 is to

essentially continue to look for ways toensure that USF classes and activities do notnegatively impact the environment. Thisincludes policies that emphasize continuingevaluation of current policies based on

improved research and technology.



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ConclusionThe National Renewable Energy Laboratory website has reported that 85 percent of the energy that

we use here in the United States are non-renewable resources (fossil fuels) which means that by

some point in the future these fossil fuels "will be too rare, expensive or too damaging to retrieve"

(Mooren).

Our entire country is filled with universities who are making a difference by creating energy-

sustainable campuses. USF is one of the many universities to make such a huge difference. Not

only has the USFSP science and technology building become LEED certified, but "In attempts to

replace dwindling fossil fuels with the Sunshine State's namesake resource, USF professor D. Yogi

Goswami and his team are building a solar plant” (Mooren).

Smaller projects, such as USFSP’s Gardening Club and an organization called Student Green

Energy Fund have also contributed to USF’s success of increasing its sustainability report card.With projects like these being supported by the community, efforts of environmental conservatism

will be increasingly seen around USF.



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Glossary of TermsCollege Sustainability Report Card: The GreenReportCard.org is the first website to provide in-

depth sustainability profiles for more than 300 colleges in all 50 U.S. states and eight Canadian

provinces.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)- Refers to the certification process

created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGCB). This certification process guides architects

and building contractors in being environmentally conscious to design and build energy-efficient

and water-conserving buildings with sustainable green resources and materials.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory website: The National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) focus on creative answers to today's energy challenges. From fundamentalscience and energy analysis to validating new products for the commercial market, NRELresearchers are dedicated to transforming the way the world uses energy.

Phase Change Materials (PCMs): store energy when they are heated and release energywhen they are cooled with an outside shell that does not melt where it encapsulates the energy andhelps a solar plant run 24 hours a day.

Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTCs): curved mirrors that follow the sun from east to west

which collects the heat and produces power for longer periods of time.

St. Petersburg Gardening Club: Their mission is to form a unified force to move USF ST.

Petersburg campus towards sustainability. The Coalition works hand in hand with the SustainaBullAlliance to achieve tangible outcomes related to campus sustainability.

Student Green Energy Fund: At the USF ST. Petersburg, the Student Green Energy is

financed through a nominal student fee of $1.00 per credit hour. The fund is used to assist theuniversity in reducing energy costs through conservation, promoting power generation using clean,renewable energy technologies, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGCB): is made up of tens of thousands of member

organizations, chapters and student and community volunteers that are moving the buildingindustry forward to a more ecologically friendly future.

Annotated Bibliography



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Booth, Julie. "USF St. Petersburg: Changing the future by becoming LEED now." Tampa BayGreen Living Examiner. (2010): n. page. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. http://www.examiner.com/article/usf-

st-petersburg-changing-the-future-by-becoming-leed-now.

This article is about the LEED-Certified Science and Technological building that was built at theUniversity Of South Florida St. Petersburg in 2010.

Cash, Jacqui. “USF One of Nation’s Top Green Colleges.” news.usf.edu/article/templates/. 5May 2010: USF News. Web. 18 March 2013.

There is a significant amount of evidence throughout this piece regarding the USF Greenmovement. The author includes a list of the going green accomplishments made by USF.

Gadsden, Sandra J. “A True College Campus Emerges”. St. Petersburg Times 24 January 2010: Neighborhood Times. Web. 18 March 2013.

This article discusses how the new science and technology building has changed USFSP’scampus and how it will affect students. It will be used to supplement information available fromUSFSP regarding the STG building.

Lorena, Rabago. "USF St. Pete introduces car-sharing program. St. Petersburg." Ten News [St.Petersburg] February 13 2013, n. pag. Web. 19 March 2013.http://saintpetersburg.wtsp.com/news/news/166631-usf-st-pete-introduces-car-sharing-program

This article is about the installation of two electric charging stations and the introduction of thecar-sharing program for its students and faculty at the University Of South Florida St. Petersburgin 2012 and 2013.

“Solar battery project unveiled in St. Petersburg.” WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio 07 May2008. Radio. 18 Mar 2013

This article was provided on WMNF’s site in the forms of print and a broadcast segment. It provides information on the SEEDS project, the Sustainable Electric Energy Delivery System,and delves into the solar projects being taken on at USF St. Pete.

U.S. Green Building Council Family of Sites. usgbc.org 2013. Web. 18 March 2013.

The U.S. Green Building Council monitors and awards leeds certification. This site includes thestandards for leeds certification and background on how these standards are formed.

http://www.examiner.com/article/usf-st-petersburg-changing-the-future-by-becoming-leed-now


http://saintpetersburg.wtsp.com/news/news/166631-usf-st-pete-introduces-car-sharing-program

http://saintpetersburg.wtsp.com/news/news/166631-usf-st-pete-introduces-car-sharing-program





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Works Cited

Division of Financial and Administrative Services University of South Florida St.Petersburg.

USFSP Master Plan 2010 (Updated November 2011). Web. 26 March 2013.

http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/projects.htm.

"Green Initiatives." University of South Florida St. Petersburg. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.usfsp.edu/undergrad/green/

Lallanilla, Marc. "What is LEED?." Green Living. About.com. Web.

<http://greenliving.about.com/od/architecturedesign/g/What-Is-LEED-Green-Building-

Certification.htm>.

Mooren, Heather. "Solar power coming to USF." The Oracle: USF Student Newspaper . 26 Jan

2011. Web. 25 Mar 2013. <http://www.usforacle.com/solar-power- coming-to-usf-1.24477

88#.UVHZi3DC4UU>.

Parrish, Courtney. "Gardening club looks to the future." The Crow's Nest. Crow's Nest Staff, 03

Dec 2012. Web. <http://crowsneststpete.com/2012/12/03/gardening-club-looks-to-the-future/>.

Radeka, Haley. "Office of Sustainability: USF is going green." The Digital Bullpen. The

onlinenews service of the USF School of Mass Communications, 09 Dec 2011. Web.

<http://digitalbullpen.com/2011/12/09/office-of-sustainability-usf-is-going-green/>.

Sheehan, Keely. “Seeds Sown in Bayboro Garden.” The Crows Nest. 24 January 2011. Web.

http://crowsneststpete.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/CN10-1-24-2011.pdf .

"University of South Florida." The College Sustainability Report Card. N.p., n.d.

Web.<http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/university-of-south-florida>

http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/projects.htm

http://www.usfsp.edu/undergrad/green/

http://greenliving.about.com/od/architecturedesign/g/What-Is-LEED-Green-Building-Certification.htm


http://www.usforacle.com/solar-power-

http://crowsneststpete.com/2012/12/03/gardening-club-looks-to-the-future/

http://crowsneststpete.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/CN10-1-24-2011.pdf

http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/projects.htm

http://www.usfsp.edu/undergrad/green/



http://www.usforacle.com/solar-power-

http://crowsneststpete.com/2012/12/03/gardening-club-looks-to-the-future/

http://crowsneststpete.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/CN10-1-24-2011.pdf

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Bulls for a Better Future