Sustainability Committee Meeting Update

Well the Sustainability Committee meeting was intriguing and informative. Facilities Services are doing so much good work, I want their efforts to become more prevalent to the students!

Our photovoltaics on top of the PE building have potential to be supplemented by even more solar panels on top of the College of Education, the Recreation Center, and eventually some land on the outskirts of campus. Facilities Services Communication "News & Views" from July 2009 mentions that between the CSUSB main campus and Palm Desert campus, another 1.5 MW of solar energy will be added!

In other energy savings measures, the campus community should also be made aware of the LED light bulbs that were installed in the theatre and recital hall. According to "News & Views,"

$18.000/annum in energy bills [will be saved]. This will also save $13,000 in maintenance costs because LED's last 50,000 hours.

CSUSB is also looking to get approval from Public Utilities Commission for a 1MW Fuel Cell on our campus. All of these retrofits and additions are so exciting, especially coming out of a school that doesn't have the kind of science based research abilities that other campus' may offer. This means that our Facilities Services are taking the lead on these projects!

There is more: talks of a Smart Grid, consolidation of server rooms, as well as composting, water conservation projects, and more work with Verdiem were all discussed. Of course all of these discussions do not mean immediate change. Change takes a lot of time, planning, and a lot of people to work hard to make this campus more sustainable and energy efficient. The goal is to reduce energy use by 15% by the end of 2009/2010, as compared to the baseline data from 2003/2004. This goal is absolutely attainable!

Needless to say, the meeting got me all pumped up to work on such a growing campus with a very welcoming and energetic group of people who are concerned with sustainability.

Meanwhile, the Green Campus Program at CSUSB will be beginning the training of their new intern Annalicia Hernandez, as well as working toward the transitioning of roles as Squid (that me!) leaves the program. The Fall Quarter looks very promising as far as projects and collaborations are concerned. We are also happy to have a lot of attention coming from housing and residential life recently.

Please, if you want to work with us, or have us plan an event with your department, organization, or club, do not hesitate to contact us. We are more than eager to share what we have with everyone!

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Squid

The Green Campus Program

5500 University Parkway

EH&S 108

San Bernardino, Ca 92407

909.537.3133