Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 36.09
Liaison Susan Dorward
Submission Date Aug. 5, 2011
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.1

Raritan Valley Community College
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Susan Dorward
Sustainability and Energy Coordinator
Facilities and Grounds
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a sustainability plan that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief description of how multiple stakeholder groups were involved in developing the plan:

The initiative to develop a plan came from a student, through the student environmental club, who urged RVCC to sign the Presidents' Climate Commitment. However, RVCC was not confident that it could meet the carbon-neutral goals of this commitment. Instead, RVCC approached the EPA to create a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding, encompassing a broad range of sustainability initiatives.


A brief description of the plan’s measurable goals :

"Under this MOU, Raritan Valley Community College will participate in the following voluntary
EPA environmental stewardship programs:
• ENERGY STAR Building & Plant Partnership
• WasteWise Partnership
• National Clean Diesel Campaign & Clean Construction USA
• WaterSense Products

...
RVCC will utilize
EPA’s program offering within ENERGY STAR Building & Plants entitled “Menu of ENERGY
STAR Offerings for Higher Education” (the Menu) as the structure for continuous improvement
and to meet or exceed the goal of 10% energy reduction under the program.
...
Utilizing Portfolio Manager, EPA’s interactive energy management tool, RVCC will track and
assess the energy and water consumption of all major buildings on campus. RVCC will also
determine the energy performance rating of all major buildings on campus. Based on the rating
results, RVCC will establish energy use reduction goals.
...
RVCC will utilize EPA’s GreenScapes Tip Sheets and Re-buy Checklist to develop
its own written GreenScapes program by the end of 2010. RVCC’s GreenScapes Program
document will be used for continuous improvement and RVCC will keep records of waste,
energy, and climate change activities related to its grounds keeping efforts.
...
When possible RVCC will specify the use of construction materials with
recycled material content, materials manufactured locally within a 500 mile radius, and materials
with low volatile organic compounds (VOC) to minimize off-gassing. In addition, RVCC will
engage construction and demolition debris haulers/recyclers to recycle waste that is generated
from new construction and renovation projects. Raritan Valley Community College will report
on the amount of material re-used or recycled under this MOU for projects initiated after 2011.
For any future construction projects, RVCC will incorporate the use of coal combustion products
(CCP) in place of portland cement for concrete, where feasible. The amount of CCP will be
reported under this MOU."


A brief description of how progress in meeting the plan’s goals is measured:

Measurements are reported to the EPA every six months. The EPA creates a formal report, summarizing the initiatives and providing detailed data for each reporting period.


The website URL where more information about the sustainability plan is available:
The year the plan was developed or last updated:
2,010

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

For links to MOU updates and other sustainability news, see http://www.raritanval.edu/community/forum/sustain/green_projects.html.


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.