COUNCIL FOR THE BUlL T ENVIRONMENT

Co-Chairs: Dr. Karan L. Watson, Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Jerry Strawser, Vice President for Finance and Administration

May 11,2015

MEMORANDUM

TO: Dr. Michael K. Young President

SUBJECT: CBE Recommendation: Pavagen Tiles

The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) received a request from lise Nava, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, through the Vice President for Finance and Administration, for the temporary display of Pavegen Tiles and, if successful , a possible long term installation. The purpose of this project is to harness naturally occurring campus energy and raise awareness about an innovative green initiative. The request and CBE Sub-Council ' s reports are attached.

Recommendations

Design Review Sub-Council (DRsc): The DRsc unanimously voted to recommend approval ofthe Pavegen Tile display, with the following caveats:

• Members are generally supportive of this request, but due to its temporary nature we suggest they work with the appropriate identified partners (Athletics, Transportation Services, etc.) for placement of the tiles. Tile displays should not impair ADA accessibility or create trip hazards or other safety concerns.

• Installation shall be coordinated with TAMU Temporary Outdoor Art Committee and comply with any processes and procedures applicable with this installation.

• Logo usage should be approved by TAMU Marketing & Communications. • Any requests for permanent application of the tiles should come back to the DRsc for

review.

Technical Review Sub-Council (TRsc): The TRsc supports the proposed renovation request for approval to display Pavegen tiles and recommends approval , provided the following issues/concerns are addressed and funded.

• Procurement: It appears the height of the tile is approximately 2.67 inches. The only concern would be if the tiles aren't installed flush with the surrounding surfaces, would we be creating an

Jack K Williams Admin1strat1on Build mg. Su1te 100 1248 TAMU College Stat1on TX 77843-1248 USA

Tel. +1 979.845.4016 Fax +1 979.845.6994 http//cbe.tamu edu/

May II , 2015 CBE Recommendation: Pavegen Tiles Page 2

unsafe surface. If that issue can be addressed, then Procurement is very supportive of the project.

Upon further discussion, it was revealed that the project would not be funded by Aggie Green Fund due to the temporary nature of the project and for ADA issues. Additional concerns of maintenance costs, safety, and cost savings were discussed, as well as the question of what is the project is attempting to accomplish.

Due to lack of funding and support by the CBE, the CBE voted to recommend the President not approve the request for the placement, temporary or permanent, of the Pavegen Tiles.

S"·tz -t; laran L. Watson Date Provost and Executive Vice President Co-Chair, Council for the Built Environment

v" Concur or not concur with CBE' s recommendation:

Mic~~~#~ President

Je y trawser Date Vice President for Finance and Administration Co-Chair, Council for the Built Environment

cc: Sub-Council Chairs, Council for the Built Environment

DATE: 27 January 20 I 5

MEMORANDUM

TO: Dr. Karan Watson

Provost and Executive Vice President

Co-Cha ir, Counc il on the Built Environment

Dr. Jerry Strawser

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Co-Chair, Council on the Built Environment

THROUGH' Vice President Strawser 9 J ~ FRO M: lise Nava

Ph.D. Candidate

i lsenava@gma i I. com

SUBJECT: Request for approval to display Pavegen tiles.

Statement on the nature of the request:

Brief explanation of tbe project: In the fall of 20 15, we hope to combine two great loves of Texas A&M: sc ient ific innovation and footba ll. Pavegen tiles will be installed either across a row in the student section of the footba ll stadium or the stadium entrance, depending on the approval of the Athletic Department, on three game days in October, and these tiles w ill be moved to the MSC a nd to the Wellborn tunnel in alternate weeks between the home games. Two additional units will be set up in the concessions area of the stadium for the exploration of non-students. The mechanica l energy produced by footfalls on the tiles w ill be converted to electrical energy used to charge cell phones and light displays. Each t ile is outfitted with w ireless technology that can interface with social media and commun icate energy output. The installation will fu nction as an audit of the typical foot traffic in the stadium compared to that of the MSC and Wellborn, providing background research for future long-term appl ications. Student groups such as the Energy C lub will be involved in the explanation, transportation, and ma intenance of the t iles, and a twitter handle will capture the reactions of partic ipating Aggies.

Overall purpose and goals of the project: This high-profile exhibition w ill engage campus visitors and residents with a visionary techno logy. Game attendees and those making use of the tu nnel and MSC will not only interact with this technology, but they wi ll directly partic ipate in the production of alternative energy. Made from recycled materials, Pavegen's piezoelectric tiles are durable - able to endure 40 mill ion steps - and waterproof. This project will both harness natura lly occurring campus energy and raise awareness about an innovative green

initiative. Kyle Field is already recognized as a leader in the college stadium techno logy space, and this installation will take the stadium's research and innovation to the next level. Past research involving solar panels in the stadium was featured on ESPN in 2013 ; the educational benefits of the project are potentially national. The Athletics Department is working to secure a thirty-second slot of airtime for the Pavegen project on game days.

Benefits of the project to campus and how these benefits will be measured: Pavegen represents a cutting edge alternative energy source. Today, it is used in bike paths and malls, soccer fie lds and dance clubs; tomorrow it may harness the wasted energy of natura l and artificial scenes from ocean shores to construction sites. Pavegen ti les only recently debuted on thi s side of the Atlantic. Texas A&M w ill ignite the curiosity and creativity of faculty, staff, and students with this innovative technology, and it wi ll bri ng Aggies together in the shared venture of producing cleaner energy. We wi ll measure increased awareness by analyzing soc ial media activ ity - we aim for 50,000 tweets on the subject by the c lose of the first game day. Tangible and measurable, the project w ill capture the imagination of Col lege Station and elevate Texas A&M in the eyes of the public as a forward-th inking institution. Both short and long term impact wi ll be fe lt. Pavegen technology w ill measure the energy generated w ith the added benefit of charging our cell phones. Each tile produces approximately 5 Joules of power per step; our study wi ll reveal the typical foot traffic in the three campus areas targeted.

Estimated project milestones: Notable milestones include game day insta llations of October 3, 17, and 3 1. Past exh ibitions of Pavegen have practically marketed themselves, drawing crowds eager to interact w ith the nove l technology. Engineering Ethics students w ill be recruited to plan optimal stadium placement of tiles, and to act as representatives on game days to explain the technology to curious staff, students, and visitors.

P · r r roJect 1me me

Task Estimated completion date

Marketing: Order and distributed embossed staple-free staplers. 9/ 1/2015

Outreach: Recruit Engineering Ethics volunteers to optimize tile placement and 9/ 1/201 5 educate the public.

Install temporary Pavegen tiles in stadium. I 0/1 /2015

Ana lyze socia l media reaction. 12/ 1/2015

Transport tiles to MSC. 10/4/ 15

Transport ti les to Well bom. I 0/18/15

Complete project report for the Aggie Green Fund. 1/20/20 16

Interest in the project and what we hope to learn and gain: We aspire to enhance our own understanding of green energy solutions and to share our enthusiasm for innovative design with the campus. We are hopeful about the prospect of a more biocentric community that prizes the values of Baird Callicott's reformulation of Aldo Leopold's Land Ethic.

Relevant experience with the topic of this project:

A Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. candidate, a Biological and Agricultura l Engineering Ph . D.

cand idate and Philosophy M.A. candidate, we have combined experience in research, marketing, project

management, education, and community organizing. We are well equ ipped with the technical and

interpersonal sk ills to see this project to completion. Dr. Balog has enthusiastically joined the project as

our expert energy, technology, and design consultant. Approvals have been sought from the Athletics department and the Memorial Student Center.

Notes:

Installation of the tiles does not require construction or damage underlying surfaces.

The tiles do not require any additional infrastructure.

The deadline for the Aggie Green Fund Proposal is February 9111 • Approval is necessary by that date.

Sketch of tiles: ,,, . --• • I ... ~

.. \ .. .., _,. t'tf ... , -....

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN REVIEW SUB-COUNCIL

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MEMORANDUM  TO:    Dr. Jerry Strawser     Co‐Chair, Council for the Built Environment   

Dr. Karan Watson     Co‐Chair, Council for the Built Environment      FROM:   Ms. Lilia Gonzales, AIA     University Architect and Chair, Design Review Sub‐Council    DATE:    March 3, 2015  RE:    Design Review Sub‐Council (DRsc) Report 

Pavegen Tiles  On February 25, 2015 the Design Review sub‐council (DRsc) reviewed a request for the temporary display of Pavegen Tiles. Pavegen is a London‐based green energy company that specializes in piezoelectric tiles. The purpose of this project is to harness naturally occurring campus energy and raise awareness about an innovative green initiative.   The mechanical energy produced by footfalls on these tiles will be converted to electrical energy to charge cell phones and light displays. Each tile is equipped with wireless technology that transmits data about the amount of energy produced and number of footfalls. The tiles are durable, waterproof, and mobile, with each tile weighing about 50 pounds. The power generated from the footfalls will be stored, which can then be utilized for a variety of applications including charging of mobile devices. The tiles would be located for a specified amount of time at various high traffic locations, including: Kyle Field, Memorial Student Center, Pickard Passageway, and other locations as requested for educational demonstrations. The intent is to partner with energy‐related student organizations for assistance with marketing, arrangement, and relocation of the tiles. Pending university approval and funding from the Aggie Green Fund, this project will rent twenty (20) tiles from Pavegen for six months. If successful, project requestors would like the university to consider a long‐term installation.   Action On February 25, 2015 the DRsc unanimously voted to recommend approval of the Pavegen Tile display, with the following caveats:  

‐ Members are generally supportive of this request, but due to its temporary nature we suggest you work with the appropriate identified partners (Athletics, Transportation Services, etc.) for placement of the tiles. Tile displays should not impair ADA accessibility or create trip hazards or other safety concerns.  

‐ Installation shall be coordinated with TAMU Temporary Outdoor Art Committee and comply with any processes and procedures applicable with this installation. 

‐ Logo usage should be approved by TAMU Marketing & Communications. ‐ Any requests for permanent application of the tiles should come back to the DRsc for review. 

 

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DESIGN REVIEW SUB-COUNCIL

2 

 

Selected images are attached. Please let me know if you need additional information.   cc:  DRsc Members   Bettyann Zito 

•Tiles are durable, waterproof, and made from recycled materials•Units are lightweight, mobile, and self-contained•Non-slip ramps included

•Tiles track energy production and communicate data through embedded wireless technology

•Energy stored internally

PurposeA&M would be the first public school or university to house a

demonstration of Pavegen tiles

Educational Raise awareness about the technology Generate critical thinking about its practical applications Plant the seeds for future innovation

Technical Audit foot traffic of three locations for potential future

installations Charge cell phones (~500,000 J produced per game day)

Sample mobile module

Alignment with campus initiatives Supplement educational outreach efforts at Engineering

Open House, Expanding Your Horizons Conference, Chemistry Open House, National Science Bowl, and Women in Engineering events

Bolster Kyle Field’s growing reputation as a member of the top 5 green stadiums in the nation

Motivate potential future Aggies to join the “25 by 25 initiative” to bring 25,000 students by 2025 to the Dwight College of Engineering

Partners MSC Management and Marketing

Athletics Management and Marketing

Transportation Services

Prof. Robert Balog

Student organizations: Energy Club, Engineering Ethics, Yell Leaders

Timeline Tiles are leased to us with full warranty and guarantee from

September 2015 – February 2016

Full project support from Pavegen

Place in stadium entrances, concessions areas, and/or student sections during the three October game days

Audit Pickard Pass foot traffic in September

Audit MSC foot traffic in November

Use for educational events December-February

Potential long-term sites

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs

MEMORANDUM

TO: Dr. Karan Watson

Co-chair, Council on the Built Environment

Dr. Jerry Strawser

Co-chair, Council on the Built Environment

FROM: ~-l .:P chal;CB;.;:tln;cal Review Sub·council

DATE: March 10,2015

SUBJECT: CBE TRsc Recommendation: Request for approval to display Pavegen tiles

On February 23, 2015 lise Nava, Ph.D. Candidate submitted a request for approval to display Pavegen tiles to

the CBE's Technical Review Sub·council. This request is for approval to install Pavegen tiles either across a row

in the student section of the football stadium or the stadium entrance on three game days in October. These

tiles will be moved to the MSC and to the Wellborn tunnel in alternate weeks between the home games.

The mechanical energy produced by footfalls on the tiles will be converted to energy used to charge cell

phones and light displays. The tiles are made from recycled materials and are waterproof and durable- able

to endure 40 million steps. This project will both harness naturally occurring campus energy and raises

awareness about an innovative green initiative.

Recommendation

The Technical Review Sub-council supports the proposed Request for approval to display Pavegen tiles

and recommends approval, provided the following issues/concerns are addressed and funded.

Procurement:

It appears the height of the tile is approximately 2.67 inches. The only concern would be if the tiles aren't

installed flush with the surrounding surfaces, would we be creating an unsafe surface. If that issue can be

addressed, then Procurement is very supportive of the project.

Capital Financial Planning, CIS, EHS and SASE. Facilities Services, FCOR/GIS, Telecommunications. Utility &

Energy Services. Transportation Services, University Police. Utilities. Student Affairs

No concerns.

Xc: CBE Technical Review Sub-council

CBE Support Staff 117 Koldus Student Services Building 1256TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1256

Tel. 979.845.4728 Fax. 979.845.3320 http://studentaff airs. tamu .e d u