Project Green Research paper (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

Provide a paper planning and implementing sustainable green solutions on a University campus. You research project should consider but not be limited to the following:
1) Identifying problems: what are some of the problems/issues you are noticing on campus that are related to sustainable business; is this industry known for being sustainable?; what are some of the current green solutions on campus; what green initiatives should be added or replaced; what are some of the things its direct and indirect competitors are doing? what are institutions stakeholders expecting to see from the university in regards to sustainability?
2) Establishing goals to address the problems identified; what are some of the immediate and secondary goals in regards to sustainability; what things are needed and would be easy to implement? what things are needed but would be difficult to implement and why?
3) Would an adoption of a new vision/values be needed; should vision reflect and clarify the direction in which the university needs to or should move toward.
4) What research would need to be conducted to validate problems you consider pressing; what internal or external research should be utilized (surveys, outside data, etc. )?
5) what will your action plan look like to integrate your ideas; what initiatives come first? why?
6) how will you monitor and evaluate progress of any initiatives you implemented; once things are implemented, how will you ensure things are working?
7) Do your research and see what other colleges/universities are doing, especially if you have never stepped foot on campus.
8) Infographics are welcome to accompany your research paper

ANSWER

Project Green

Unsustainable energy consumption is one of the biggest environmental problems in the world today. Some experts attribute these challenges to the current electricity consumption in the country (Getu & Attia, 2016). The more electricity we consume, the higher our carbon footprint. Over the years, universities have taken the initiative to audit and monitor their energy consumption to help reduce the global carbon footprint. Some institutions now use solar panels and smart grids to create a more sustainable environment, but these efforts have proven insufficient. Button (2012) claims that large universities today produce GHG emissions equivalent to small cities, underscoring the importance of reducing our energy consumption. Reducing campuses’ electricity consumption will reduce our electric utility costs and campus carbon footprint, which, in turn, will contribute to a sustainable and green environment.

The dominant energy consumer on our campus are buildings, i.e., classrooms, faculty & administrative offices, labs, computer labs, etc. These buildings consist of light fixtures, air conditioners (ACs), lab equipment, heating, cooling, & lighting subsystems, motors, and IT and computer network systems, which are major energy consumers. Some buildings and outdoor spaces are fitted with energy-inefficient fluorescent lamps, old ACs, and LCD monitors. The heating equipment lack thermoregulation and most are old-type convectors. The buildings’ walls are made of limestone, which provide very little thermal protection. Samira and Nurmammad (2018) estimate that the heat transfer coefficient of these kinds of wall emits is 1.2 W/(m2 ‧ 0 C), almost three times higher than walls with standard thermal protection.

Figure 1: Energy Distribution in the Classroom Block

Behavioral issues are also part of the problem. It is not uncommon to walk into empty rooms with lights switched on, especially the administration block, classrooms, and bathrooms/washrooms. Some buildings have broken window panes, and the ACs are sometimes used without the curtains, leading to significant energy losses. Staff and students also leave computers in active mode for long periods. These poor practices increase the campus’ energy consumption.

Goals to Address the Identified Problems

Immediate Goals

To reduce the current energy consumption by 30% within five years.
To increase the number of onsite renewable energy sources and energy-saving equipment
To raise staff and students’ awareness of energy-saving behaviors

Long-Term Goals

Reduce the campus’s carbon footprint by 40-60% in ten years.

Resources

The project will require funds for policy development, resource assessment consultations, educational activities, human capital, and establishing and maintaining the Energy Advisory Council. The resources that will be easy to implement include energy-saving equipment such as LED bulbs and monitors, motion sensors in washrooms, and training and educational materials. Infrastructural resources, e.g., solar power and solar water heaters, will be the most difficult to implement because they require technical capacity and compliance with regulatory bodies.

New Vision/Values

The campus will need a new vision/values that clarify the institution’s strategic direction. The current vision statement does not reflect the campus’s sustainability goals; hence, I recommend changing it. Instead of the current one, the campus can adopt this vision: “To become the leading institution in environmental sustainability by conservation energy, developing operational & system efficiencies, and integrating sustainability best practices into our institutional culture. The values may include but are not limited to service for sustainability, inclusiveness, corporate social responsibility, etc.

Data to Justify Identified Problems

All change initiatives need to be supported by relevant, high-quality evidence. The campus would need to conduct energy auditing to validate the proposed problems. Energy audits typically examine an institution’s energy consumption. The energy audits can focus on energy consumption per building, e.g., analyzing each building’s systems, schedules, operations, and maintenance procedures to determine their energy consumption. Alternatively, they can focus on specific systems, such as ACs, lighting, heating or cooling systems, etc., across campus. These audit reports will provide the institution with evidence-based data on electricity consumption levels.

The project manager might also need outside data to strengthen their case. Universities and colleges publish their energy audit reports online (Getu & Attia, 2016). The project managers might need to benchmark their audit data against other green campuses to convince stakeholders that change is required. Internal benchmarking is also vital. As mentioned, energy audits sometimes take a building-focused approach. The project managers can benchmark similar buildings against each other. For example, they can compare the energy consumption of buildings installed with LED lights and those with fluorescent lights to demonstrate that the latter is energy-inefficient. This data will validate the importance of identified problems.

Strategic Action Plan

The following flow-chart illustrates a step-by-step process of implementing project ideas:

Action Plan

Strategic Goal	Activities
To increase the number of onsite renewable energy sources and energy-saving equipment	· Create an Energy Advisory Panel and charge it with addressing all energy-related issues, including energy auditing and management: · Create renewable energy diversification priorities depending on environmental considerations, cost, and efficiency. · Increase solar systems in the institution by 10% and promote their use through information. · Promote the installation of solar water heaters
To reduce the current energy consumption by 30% within five years	· Implement a replacement program for all energy-inefficient equipment. Phase out all inefficient lighting systems and air conditioners and replace them with the latest and more energy-saving units. · Implement appropriate programs to monitor the campus’s energy uses · Install ACs that can adjust temperature settings based on weather conditions to save energy during peak hours. · Install an automatic light intensity controller system to prevent unnecessary power wastage, e.g., motion sensors in toilets, corridors, and desired locations. · Implement minimum energy efficiecy standards for all equipment with high energy consumption potential (e.g., refrigeration and other cooling equipment). For example, create policies that mandate all computer systems to hibernate after a specific time to prevent them from being in active mode for long periods. · Develop and implement mandatory measures for the procurement of energy-saving equipment and materials. Implement policies to ensure the institution only procures equipment that meets the minimum energy efficiency standards.
Education and Awareness	· Create and implement an education and awareness program on energy efficiency.

Project prioritization

The initiative that will come first is replacing all energy-inefficient equipment with energy-saving units. Project managers must prioritize the initiative most important to the organization’s lean and sustainability vision. This project aims to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint by reducing our energy consumption. Implementing energy-saving techniques (e.g., replacing the fluorescent lights) will directly reduce our annual energy consumption and, ultimately, the carbon footprint.

Although awareness can change people’s negligent behaviors, it takes considerable time to reap these benefits. Also, if a project is aimed at instigating behavioral changes, the educational program must be continuous until desired behaviors become part of the school culture. It might take months or even years of informational campaigns to create the desired culture. Hence, these initiatives will come second after the energy-saving initiatives.

Diversifying energy sources is a costly process requiring complex technical expertise and heavy financial investments. The campus might need to collaborate with state and federal regulatory bodies, energy consultants, and other stakeholders to implement the project successfully. Given the project’s scope and complexity, its implementation will be significantly slower than the other two initiatives. Therefore, diversifying our energy sources will be the last initiative on the priority list.

Monitoring

Key performance indicators (KPIs) often help managers track progress toward attaining their project objectives and sustainability targets. This project’s KPIs include the following:

The percentage reduction in energy consumption. Energy consumption is measured in kWh/m2 per floor space.
Electricity utility cost
The number of newly-installed LED bulbs and monitors
The number of newly installed solar heaters and solar panels
The number of newly-installed motion sensors
The number of people attending the education program
The capital cost reflects the economic feasibility of newly-installed systems.

These metrics measure the campuses’ GHG emissions, but Faria et al. (2021) also recommend measuring the project’s economic viability. The project’s financial viability KPIs include replacement, operation, maintenance, and capital costs. Measuring capital costs will help us choose systems with the lowest costs, ensuring project feasibility. Replacement costs reflect the value of all replacement costs incurred during the project’s lifecycle, while maintenance costs reflect the estimated maintenance cost at a specified time. These KPIs will help us determine the project’s economic sustainability/feasibility.

The above KPIs can also be used in the continuous monitoring of the project. The metrics will be used to communicate issues & project progress and to drive continuous improvement activities. Collecting data on selected KPIs will ensure the project remains on track until it’s phased out.

References

Button, C. E. (2009). Towards carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability at CCSU. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 10(3), 279-286. https://www.academia.edu/download/49312502/Towards_carbon_neutrality_and_environmen20161003-12101-1vxy4wn.pdf

Faria, P., Lezama, F., Vale, Z., & Khorram, M. (2021). A methodology for energy key performance indicators analysis. Energy Informatics, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42162-021-0014

Getu, B. N., & Attia, H. A. (2016). Electricity audit and reduction of consumption: campus case study. IJAER, 11(6), 4423-4427. https://aurak.ac.ae/publications/Electricity-Audit-and-Reduction-of%20Consumption-Campus-Case-Study.pdf

Samira, A., & Nurmammad, M. (2018). Multi-disciplinary energy auditing of educational buildings in Azerbaijan: case study at a university campus. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 51(30), 311-315.