| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.77 |
| Liaison | Susan Kaspari |
| Submission Date | July 16, 2022 |
Central Washington University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Susan
Kaspari Professor Geological Sciences |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
CWU worked with a consulting firm to investigate the feasibility of an open loop Ground Source Heat Pump system for the CWU Ellensburg Campus. The goal is to provide key information on how to reduce natural gas use at the central utility plant to achieve an energy efficient campus.
CWU Operations plans to move forward with an open loop geothermal system for the North Academic Complex, which is currently in design.
Key findings from the report include:
• The Ellensburg Aquifer is productive and can support several buildings for
heating and cooling demands
• With appropriate infrastructure, the aquifer could support most of the campus
• Cost is high for individual wells, so grouping buildings and sharing heat will
improve economics
• Carbon and energy savings are significant compared to the existing steam
heating system
• Many buildings on campus utilize steam and will need to be retrofitted to utilize
heat pump systems in the future with implications of Washington Clean Building
Performance Standard.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Buildings
Energy
Water
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
CWU's Sustainability Certificate requires students to take 6 courses: SUST301 Introduction to Sustainability, in which they learn the concepts and fundamentals of sustainability and write a sustainability project proposal; SUST309 Sustainability Civic Engagement Experience during which students execute their sustainability project by partnering with a stakeholder and receiving faculty mentorship. SUST487 is the Sustainability Certificate Capstone class. Additionally students take 3 electives rooted in the three pillars of sustainability (one in Economy, one in Environment, and one in Society). Recent student projects have focused on campus food waste, sustainability literacy among CWU students, recycling access in Ellensburg, green laboratory practices at CWU, and sustainable food offerings by CWU Dining Services.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Public Engagement
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Opening a new LEED Gold Health Sciences building that includes rooftop solar panels, extensive energy efficiency measures, sustainable materials, rooftop solar panels, and electric vehicle charging stations. We also committed to all future buildings meeting LEED Gold or higher.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Transportation
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.