| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 28.04 |
| Liaison | Jodi Kennedy |
| Submission Date | July 5, 2022 |
Georgia Southern University
OP-5: Building Energy Efficiency
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.63 / 6.00 |
Christopher
Randle Environmental & Sustainability Specialist Facilities |
Electricity use, performance year (report kilowatt-hours):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 119,644,423 Kilowatt-hours | 408,226.77 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 16,802 Kilowatt-hours | 57.33 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, performance year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 149,100 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, performance year:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 687,814 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 20,074 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 132,115 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Degree days, performance year:
| Degree days | |
| Heating degree days | 1,481 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 2,643 Degree-Days (°F) |
Total degree days, performance year:
Start and end dates of the performance year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Performance period | July 1, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
Total site energy consumption per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
Electricity use, baseline year (report kWh):
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity | 140,665,314 Kilowatt-hours | 479,950.05 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, non-combustion facilities/devices (e.g., renewable energy systems) | 102,200 Kilowatt-hours | 348.71 MMBtu |
Stationary fuels and thermal energy, baseline year (report MMBtu):
| MMBtu | |
| Stationary fuels used on-site to generate electricity and/or thermal energy | 175,943 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water | 0 MMBtu |
Total site energy consumption, baseline year:
Gross floor area of building space, baseline year:
Start and end dates of the baseline year (or 3-year period):
| Start date | End date | |
| Baseline period | July 1, 2018 | June 30, 2019 |
A brief description of when and why the energy consumption baseline was adopted:
FY2019 is used because it was the most recent year before the COVID-19 pandemic. FY2020 and FY2021 show a decline in energy emissions due to campuses being temporarily shut down.
Source-site ratio for imported electricity:
Total energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Site energy | Source energy | |
| Performance year | 0.07 MMBtu per square foot | 0.18 MMBtu per square foot |
| Baseline year | 0.09 MMBtu per square foot | 0.22 MMBtu per square foot |
Percentage reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline:
Documentation to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency:
Georgia Southern continues to create and build programs that will inform the campus about environmental sustainability and climate impact awareness, as well as inspire the students, faculty, and staff. In Fall 2020, the College of Science and Mathematics developed a proposal for a Major in Sustainability Science, a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and PhD in Environmental Science. The BS in Sustainability is awaiting approval at the Department of Education, while the others are still at the BOR level. In addition, a minor in Environmental Studies is in the process of being revised into a minor in Environmental Sustainability. Sustainability criteria and objectives have been added to new specific curricula and integrated into existing curricula and advanced research initiatives. Sustainability is included prominently in new student orientation as a component of campus tours. Georgia Southern students can take a 1000-level non-majors Environmental Science (lecture and lab), and sustainability is taught within this course. This course emphasizes interdisciplinary learning to solve sustainability problems. For students who want more, Georgia Southern offers an Interdisciplinary Concentration in Environmental Sustainability for undergraduates of any major. The concentration is increasing in both enrollment and course offerings every year. Students in any major can complete the 18 credit concentration overseen by the CfS and are required to complete a capstone Sustainability Practicum that integrates their learning into a culminating real-world sustainability project. Moreover, Georgia Southern faculty and staff are networking with local industry and governmental agencies, such as the USEPA/Coastal Regional Commission, Gulfstream, and Savannah Oceans Exchange, to identify potential sustainability internship opportunities for students. The University has created a Sustainability Study Abroad Program, with courses in four countries (Ecuador, Botswana, Malawi, and Italy). Our Environmental Community Cinema series brings in 2-3 environmentally focused films each semester, often in partnership with the Library. Additionally, Sustainability Programs hosts No Impact Week each spring – an intensive week-long campus focus on sustainability with more than 50 events/exhibits and thousands of participants each year--which was canceled Sp 2020 due to COVID-19, as well as our annual Seminar Speaker Series.
The institution is expanding community outreach efforts toward the achievement of reduced greenhouse gas emissions by offering one major outreach event every October (GreenFest) in downtown Statesboro, for which we close down the main street and attract 1500 people and 50 green vendors. This educational event features green community resources, and make and take stations where people can create and take home sustainable solutions. During 2021, Sustain Southern (formerly Center for Sustainability) provided community outreach and education through partnership with the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority and the City of Statesboro. All speakers and films are open to the public in both Statesboro and Savannah. We have also expanded our community outreach by expanding ownership of community events to the city of Statesboro and the Parks and Recreation Department.
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution:
When designing New and Renovated Building Design :
Design with Energy usage/cost of operation in mind
Facility operations and use of building space:
Thanksgiving and Christmas and Spring Break Campus shutdowns
Energy Management System/Controls in Buildings
38 Buildings – 10000 + points controlled or monitored
Efficient Use of Building Space/Building scheduling
Purchase of Energy and Cost Avoidance:
Selecting the best power rate purchase for campus
Use of electricity or natural gas for an energy source
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
NA
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
GSU utilizes solar panels throughout campus, specifically on the roof of the Biological Sciences Building. The Biological Sciences building is also equipped with thermal panels.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution:
NA
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment, and systems with high efficiency alternatives:
at Georgia Southern we believe in green building practices and adaptive reuse to help reduce energy use, CO2 emission, water use, and solid waste. The University accepts and recognizes LEED green building standards and in 2006 built its’ first LEED accredited building. This building addition is a 135,000-square-foot, $31-million addition to the student Recreation Activity Center (RAC), nearly doubling the original facility, adding 10 new indoor multipurpose courts and five new racquetball courts, a 23,000-square-foot, fitness center, weight/fitness rooms, and indoor 11-lane competition pool and diving well. New outdoor venues not included in the building’s square footage total added 20 acres of lighted sport fields, two lighted basketball and two lighted sand volleyball courts, as well as a one-mile walking trail, multipurpose outdoor pavilion, band shell and leisure pool.
Georgia Southern has received national coverage for this initiative and many requests to help other institutions to develop this program.
Gaining LEED certification at the RAC included using local and regionally manufactured and harvested material in construction. This lowered greenhouse emissions associated with transportation of construction materials. The more efficient building envelope, lighting and mechanical design of the expansion is calculated to be 27 percent more energy efficient than minimum energy code requirements. An ENERGY STAR roof reduces the heat-island effect. Increased ventilation effectiveness improves occupant comfort and helps ensure a good mix of indoor and outdoor air. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were eliminated to reduce the impact on ozone. Improved indoor air quality was achieved through the use of low- and no-volatile organic compound containing materials in construction, finishes and furniture.
In 2011, the University broke grounds on the Biological Sciences Building. This will be a new LEED Silver Building Designed for minimum impact on the environment. The building will include faculty labs, lab support rooms, classrooms, teaching labs and administration and faculty offices.
Adaptive Reuse:
With the growth of the campus older residence halls have been renovated into office space.
Hendrix Hall, formerly a residence hall, was converted to an office and classroom building in 2010. Energy upgrades included replacing windows and HVAC equipment.
Website URL where information about the institution’s energy conservation and efficiency program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.