| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.77 |
| Liaison | Daryl Pierson |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2022 |
Portland State University
IN-40: Sustainability Projects Fund
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Amanda
Wolf Program + Assessment Coordinator Campus Sustainability Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Name of the institution’s sustainability projects fund:
Green Revolving Fund
Which of the following best describes the primary source of funding for the sustainability projects fund?:
Hybrid
Year the institution’s sustainability projects fund was established:
2,013
A brief description of the institution’s sustainability projects fund:
The Green Revolving Fund (GRF) is a revolving fund that provides funding for efficiency projects across campus that support energy reduction and climate action goals. The initial fund was set up in 2013 with $500,000 from the State of Oregon for capital improvements and since has added additional funding through savings from the University’s utility budget, energy incentive rebates from the Energy Trust of Oregon, and the University’s voluntary travel offset program for a total fund of over $1.5 million.
Since inception, the GRF has supported over 15 projects and resulted in an anticipated energy savings of over $250,000 annually.
Creation of the fund includes PSU in the Billion Dollar Green Challenge, which encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of one billion dollars in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.
Since inception, the GRF has supported over 15 projects and resulted in an anticipated energy savings of over $250,000 annually.
Creation of the fund includes PSU in the Billion Dollar Green Challenge, which encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of one billion dollars in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.
A brief description of the multi-stakeholder decision-making process used to determine which projects receive funding through the sustainability projects fund:
The Portland State University (PSU) Green Revolving Fund supports energy reduction and climate action goals while further advancing PSU’s leadership in sustainable practices. Through an initial investment of $500,000, the fund will be used to implement efficiency projects and will be reimbursed through savings in the campus utilities budget. Projects will be selected by a committee based on the criteria below.
Required:
Return on investment – provides a measurable, fiscally responsible benefit measured by savings in the utilities budget. Payback must be within 10 years.
Condition – prioritizes deferred maintenance that improves the condition of a building and results in resource conservation.
Environmental benefit – demonstrates reduction in environmental impact and improved environmental quality.
Preferred:
Impact – serves the greatest number of campus constituents.
Encourage education – creates opportunities to showcase best practices in resource conservation.
Inform and innovate – provides data to inform campus sustainability efforts.
Promote institutional vision – leverages sustainability programs and illustrates sustainability leadership.
Economies of scale – maximizes funds and minimizes disruption by coordinating with existing construction and maintenance work.
Measurement and verification – leverages existing mechanisms for verifying energy savings.
Committee members include:
Elliott Gall - Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Assistant Professor
Jenny McNamara - Campus Sustainability Office, Director
Amanda Wolf - Campus Sustainability Office, Program Analyst
Quinn Soifer - Capital Projects & Construction, Technical Services Manager
Cary Morris - Facilities & Property Management, Assistant Director of Operations and Maintenance
Required:
Return on investment – provides a measurable, fiscally responsible benefit measured by savings in the utilities budget. Payback must be within 10 years.
Condition – prioritizes deferred maintenance that improves the condition of a building and results in resource conservation.
Environmental benefit – demonstrates reduction in environmental impact and improved environmental quality.
Preferred:
Impact – serves the greatest number of campus constituents.
Encourage education – creates opportunities to showcase best practices in resource conservation.
Inform and innovate – provides data to inform campus sustainability efforts.
Promote institutional vision – leverages sustainability programs and illustrates sustainability leadership.
Economies of scale – maximizes funds and minimizes disruption by coordinating with existing construction and maintenance work.
Measurement and verification – leverages existing mechanisms for verifying energy savings.
Committee members include:
Elliott Gall - Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Assistant Professor
Jenny McNamara - Campus Sustainability Office, Director
Amanda Wolf - Campus Sustainability Office, Program Analyst
Quinn Soifer - Capital Projects & Construction, Technical Services Manager
Cary Morris - Facilities & Property Management, Assistant Director of Operations and Maintenance
Optional Fields
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.