The New School
PAE-5: Climate Plan

The New School's Long-Term Goals for FY17-40 include: Energy Efficiency The New School will pursue aggressive energy efficiency and conservation projects. The university will need to undertake planning and implementation of strategies that require larger investments during these years. These might include constructing a central plant that burns cleaner energy for buildings clustered together, upgrading entire facades, or investing in the latest energy management technologies. Cleaner Energy The university will investigate cleaner on-site electricity generation opportunities such as cogeneration and fuel cells. Renewable Energy The New School will investigate opportunities to feasibly install renewable energy generation projects to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. Among the likely technologies to employ would be solar photovoltaic (PV) for electricity, solar thermal for hot water, and building-mounted wind micro-turbines for electricity.

The New School's Short-Term Goals for FY12-16 include: Lighting Upgrades The university will phase out T12s and incandescent lighting in all university-owned buildings by the end of FY12. Solid-state lighting (LED) demonstration projects will also be implemented by FY12. And opportunities for daylight harvesting demonstration projects will also be explored. HVAC and Weatherization The New School is dedicated to addressing system and weatherization (or envelope) upgrades needed throughout the campus. In addition to upgrading major infrastructure systems such as boilers and chillers, there are lower-cost opportunities for improvement, such as high-efficiency motors and variable-frequency drives to regulate motors. Green Building Design, Construction, and Facilities Management and the Board of Trustees are committed to constructing a green building with the new University Center, a from-the-ground-up 365,000 gross-square-foot multiuse building designed to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for New Construction version 3 standard. This project, set to open fall 2013, marked the university’s commitment to adopting at least a LEED® Silver standard on all new construction projects moving forward. Cleaner Energy The New School recognizes an opportunity to burn cleaner fuel in the short term with existing boilers that have dual-fuel capabilities. Retro-Commissioning The energy engineering firm The New School hired in the fall of 2010 is tasked with overseeing the retro-commissioning process in 563,000 gross square feet. The consultant will identify cost-effective opportunities for retro-commissioning existing equipment where appropriate. The New School will then develop a plan for retro-commissioning in all other university-owned buildings after FY12. Operations & Maintenance An assistant director of Operations was hired in FY11 and the development of a formal operations and maintenance handbook to be utilized by New School Facilities Management staff will be developed and implemented by the end of FY12. Energy Management System An Energy Management System for much of the building portfolio (primarily focused on owned properties) would enable the university to monitor utility consumption in near real time via a desktop computer. Facilities Management is evaluating applications available so to select system to be implemented by the end of FY12. Plug Load Management Facilities Management will enforce a “Power Down” policy for the entire university and identify appropriate energy reduction strategies for IT operations by the end of FY12. Conservation Strategies By adopting conservation habits on campus, all members of The New School community can participate in one of the lowest-cost strategies outlined in this document, which can add up to substantial carbon savings. Facilities Management will launch a power management initiative and peer-to-peer training programs by FY12.