Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.84
Liaison Natalie Sobrinski
Submission Date June 6, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Muhlenberg College
OP-4: Building Design and Construction

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.58 / 3.00 David Rabold
Capital Projects Manager
Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space (include projects completed within the previous five years) :
495,895 Square feet

Certified Projects 

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified Living under the Living Building Challenge:
0 Square feet

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified at each level under a rating system for design and construction used by an Established Green Building Council (GBC) :
Certified Floor Area
LEED BD+C Platinum or at the highest achievable level under another rating system 0 Square feet
LEED BD+C Gold or at the 2nd highest level under another 4- or 5-tier GBC rating system 0 Square feet
Certified at mid-level under a 3- or 5-tier GBC rating system for design and construction (e.g. BREEAM, CASBEE, DGNB, Green Star) 0 Square feet
LEED BD+C Silver or at a step above minimum level under another 4- or 5-tier GBC rating system 85,735 Square feet
LEED BD+C Certified or certified at minimum level under another GBC rating system 0 Square feet

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified under a non-GBC rating system for design and construction (e.g. Green Globes NC, Certified Passive House):
0 Square feet

Percentage of newly constructed or renovated building space certified under a green building rating system for design and construction:
17.29

If reporting certified projects, provide:

A brief description of the green building rating system(s) used and/or a list of certified buildings and ratings:
Energy Consumption: All heating oil fuel sources are converted to Natural Gas when replacement is necessary or sooner when feasible. Building-level energy metering: Building sub-metering of electric and natural gas usage is performed to help identify energy-related improvements. Environmentally preferable materials: Muhlenberg does not use any paint with VOCs (or colorant with VOCs) to reduce the environmental impact and minimize the effect on air quality. Indoor environmental quality: College Coatings Policy controls coating standards. Cleaning chemicals are used in compliance with the Green Cleaning Standard. Any air quality concerns are addressed following the Healthy Environment Policy. In all occupied buildings, there are CO and CO2 monitors. Water Consumption: All newly purchased campus appliances are Energy Star rated and laundry equipment is CEE Tier 3 or better. All campus buildings are required to have low flow/water saving fixtures to meet or exceed USGBC guidelines. Building-level water metering: Building sub-metering of domestic water use is performed. We followed LEED guidelines to construct Seegers Union so it could be certified, but we did not have the budget to purchase the official certification process. We ensured compliance with green building design and construction policies for uncertified buildings by following LEED guidelines. The renovation of East Hall also followed LEED standards. The New Science Building is LEED Silver certified.

If reporting uncertified projects, provide:

Uncertified Projects 

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space that is NOT certified, but that was designed and constructed in accordance with published green building guidelines and policies:
101,035 Square feet

If reporting published green building guidelines or policies, provide the following:

A copy of the green building guidelines or policies :
---

The green building guidelines or policies:
We followed LEED guidelines to construct Seegers Union so it could be certified, but we did not have the budget to purchase the official certification process. We ensured compliance with green building design and construction policies for uncertified buildings by following LEED guidelines. Seegers Union is 98,315 square feet. Cabinetry was repurposed.New Science, Shankweiler 598+905+312+904

Do the green building guidelines or policies cover the following?:
Yes or No
Impacts on the surrounding site (e.g. guidelines to reuse previously developed land, protect environmentally sensitive areas, and otherwise minimize site impacts) Yes
Energy consumption (e.g. policies requiring a minimum level of energy efficiency for buildings and their systems) Yes
Building-level energy metering Yes
Use of environmentally preferable materials (e.g. guidelines to minimize the life cycle impacts associated with building materials) Yes
Indoor environmental quality (i.e. guidelines to protect the health and comfort of building occupants) Yes
Water consumption (e.g. requiring minimum standards of efficiency for indoor and outdoor water use) Yes
Building-level water metering Yes

A brief description of the green building guidelines or policies and/or a list or sample of buildings covered:
Energy Consumption: All heating oil fuel sources are converted to Natural Gas when replacement is necessary or sooner when feasible. Building-level energy metering: Building sub-metering of electric and natural gas usage is performed to help identify energy-related improvements. Environmentally preferable materials: Muhlenberg does not use any paint with VOCs (or colorant with VOCs) to reduce the environmental impact and minimize the effect on air quality. Indoor environmental quality: College Coatings Policy controls coating standards. Cleaning chemicals are used in compliance with the Green Cleaning Standard. Any air quality concerns are addressed following the Healthy Environment Policy. In all occupied buildings, there are CO and CO2 monitors. Water Consumption: All newly purchased campus appliances are Energy Star rated and laundry equipment is CEE Tier 3 or better. All campus buildings are required to have low flow/water saving fixtures to meet or exceed USGBC guidelines. Building-level water metering: Building sub-metering of domestic water use is performed. We followed LEED guidelines to construct Seegers Union so it could be certified, but we did not have the budget to purchase the official certification process. We ensured compliance with green building design and construction policies for uncertified buildings by following LEED guidelines. The renovation of East Hall also followed LEED standards. The New Science Building is LEED Silver certified.

None
A brief description of how the institution ensures compliance with green building design and construction guidelines and policies:
The College refers its guidelines and policies when building and renovating.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The total eligible square feet is based on the total new or renovated building square footage since 1998. College Coating Policy: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/plantops/College%20Coatings%20Policy.pdf Green Cleaning Standard: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/plantops/Green%20Cleaning%20Standard.pdf Healthy Environment Policy: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/plantops/Healthy%20Environment.pdf Sustainable Building Operations and Maintenance Policy: https://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/plantops/sustainableinitiatives/sbom/

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.