Greening Program

The Greening Our Science Centers Initiative derives its name from a fourteen-year effort at many college campuses across the country. The Initiative is a solutions-based program designed to track, quantify and improve  energy use and emissions output.  The program emphasizes facility assessments, energy planning, cost savings, sustainability, education and community involvement.  It is widely accepted as an effective approach to facility management for a thorough greening program engages all constituents in an organization – administration, staff, faculty, students, members and visitors.

The Greening Initiative is structured to: 1) develop self-directed green teams at each site; 2) identify specific improvements for reducing energy use and emissions; 3) utilize NESCC member expertise and peer-mentoring to guide the process; 4) identify resources to assist in greening efforts; and 5) inform and involve the public in energy efficiency and emission reduction efforts.

5 Steps in Greening Process
1) Getting Started
2) Site Visit
3) Plan
4) Implementation
5) Legacy

Background:
A true greening program takes a “whole system approach” that goes beyond evaluating energy use and construction materials to developing a green ethic among its leadership, employees, members and visitors.  In time, the program will calculate the cumulative emissions reductions and track greening efforts at all NESCC member institutions.

Some NESCC members have already calculated their greenhouse gas emissions and are developing significant greening efforts.  From this pool of expertise, the Initiative  recruited its steering committee..  This group represents six of NESCC’s 30 member organizations and included:  Peter Arnold, Chewonki Foundation; Sarah Hammond Creighton, Tufts Climate Initiative; Paul Leveille, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests; Joanne Morin, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; Jenn Schroeder, Clean Air-Cool Planet; and Kurt Teichert, Brown University.  Outside advisors to the project are:  Barbara Bernstein and Mark Toussaint of New Hampshire WasteCap and Norman Willard, EPA Region 1 – New England.

To launch this initiative, NESCC member Sarah Hammond Creighton, Director of the Tufts Climate Initiative and author of Greening the Ivory Tower , was asked to head-up a pilot project to engage NESCC members in an integrated facilities assessment process.  The second phase of the program was developed by NESCC member Paul Leveille of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

Based on the Waste Cap model of utilizing a network of resource conservation specialists to conduct free confidential site visits, the Greening Our Science Centers Initiative involves science center directors and facility managers in evaluating “next steps” for their facilities. With NESCC member organizations are in various stages of greening programs, we recruit the more advanced facilities to work with centers that have emerging energy efficiency (and/or carbon dioxide emission reduction) programs.  Teams of 3-5 specialists conduct site visits to tour the science center facility and to interviews staff.  A typical visiting team may include an NESCC member who has a well developed green facilities program, a WasteCap or utility representative, NESCC’s coordinator Mary Lou Krambeer and in some cases an outside expert to address a specific issue such as wastewater or HVAC upgrades.

The Greening Our Science Centers Initiative visits consist of gathering energy information for a greenhouse gas inventory, developing a needs assessment and identifying specific technical challenges. A report is written after the visit on proposed goals for the year and a one-year peer-mentorship is arranged to support the participating organization’s Green Team.

Step l:   Where to Start

  • Commitments to participate in the program from senior management at the center (agreement includes creating an internal green team, hosting a visiting committee, measuring energy use, quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, pursuing efficiencies and integrating efforts and results into education & outreach programs).
  • phone interview

-describe past efforts (utility audits, recent facility improvements...)

-current interests

-future interests

-determine focus of visit

-explain Greenhouse Gas Calculator

  • preparation for visit

-establish a Green Team

-complete Greenhouse Gas Calculator

-determine visiting team based on focus of visit

-appropriate expertise will be offered to each site (electric, water, construction...)

-set visit date

Step 2:  Site Visit

  • presentation

                  -establish link between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions

                  -emphasize reductions and cost savings

Step 3:  The Plan

Visiting team presents a plan with timeline & costs to include:

  • Facility challenges identified with recommended solutions.
  • Operational improvements focus on increased efficiencies and reduced energy use.
  • Each report includes baseline data on current energy use, estimated emissions and monthly operating costs.
  • Greenhouse Gas inventory
  • Correlate reduction strategies with cost savings
  • Commitment to annual measurement of energy use and emission reductions
  • Set targets for energy use, emission reductions and cost savings

Internal efforts:

  • integration of Greening into overall operation
  • building and facilities
  • tracking energy use & emissions
  • integrating process into communication & education pieces

External efforts:

  • Recommendations for integrating improved building management and energy choices into educational and outreach programs.
  • exhibits
  • activities
  • general outreach (facility tours, greening info on website and in print materials)...

Step 4:  Implementation

Implement plan.

Step 5:  Legacy

  • Peer Support: an effective mentoring program that assures on-going communication and results.
  • Annual tracking:  showing reductions in energy use, emission reduction and cost savings.
  • Future funding:  Identify Public Benefit Programs, utility programs, ESCO Performance Contracts opportunities or grants to upgrade facilities.

Case Studies

RI:  Save the Bay

VT: ECHO

NH: Christa McAuliffe Planetarium

MA: Tufts Climate Initiative

ME:  Chewonki Foundation

CT: