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Sunday, April, 08, 2012

'Sustainability' the Theme for 'Facilities Manager' in March–April 2012

"Deep energy conservation in existing facilities is a necessity."
The March–April issue of APPA’s Facilities Manager magazine is themed “Environmental Sustainability” and includes a number of potentially useful articles and columns. As usual, it's filled with useful content. APPA members can log in and download individual articles, and a couple of articles are open to all. Content includes but is not limited to:
  • Cool Campuses? (PDF) by Walter Simpson (downloadable)
  • The benefits of Guided Facility Self-Assessments by Keith O’Leary (if not APPA member, must read interactive PDF)
  • A Study of State Tax Appropriations for Capital Needs in U.S. Public Higher Education (if not APPA member, must read interactive PDF)
  • Can We Make a Difference in Campus Sustainability by Steve Glazner (if not APPA member, must read interactive PDF)
  • The Facilities Stewardship Oversight Role of Governing Boards (PDF) by Lander E. Medlin (downloadable)

From Simpson’s piece, one important point: Deep energy conservation in existing facilities is a necessity

The cleanest BTU or kWh is the one we don’t consume. Thus, deep energy conservation should be the top priority in campusclimate action plans. However, most plans project modest conventional retrofits of existing buildings paired with larger-than-necessary purchases of renewable energy credits (RECs) and carbon offsets to eventually mop up the remaining energy waste. Paying someone else somewhere else to reduce emissions for you—as is the case with carbon offsets—does not model a strategy consistent with the task at hand, essentially quitting fossil fuels within a few short decades. That goal can only be achieved if energy users are successful at sharply curtailing and eliminating to whatever extent possible fossil fuel use on-site. 

Many tools and strategies are needed to achieve this objective, including submetering of buildings and even of individual building energy systems, so that the real effectiveness of conservation measures is accurately assessed and understood. The cost of submetering can be made up many times by the additional savings it allows facilities managers to achieve

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