High goals for sustainability

By Liz O'Brien

As summer fades into fall, the colors of Santa Clara become a little more neutral. But there are some who have green on the brain more than ever.

Like Joe Sugg, assistant vice president for university operations, who will give a presentation on the university's strategy to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions Friday.

Monday marked the beginning of sustainability week at Santa Clara, a week dedicated to raising awareness of sustainability on campus and in everyday life through workshops, a resource fair and Sugg's presentation detailing the university's strategy for emission reductions.

"Not only is this a way for the people who have been working hard to celebrate; it's a way for other people to say, 'Hey, I'm doing that too, I should get involved,' " said Lindsey Cromwell, sustainability coordinator for the environmental studies institute.

Sugg's presentation will concentrate on how the university community can reduce its carbon dioxide emissions to a level that is 20 percent lower than university emission levels in 1990.

The emissions reduction goal is based on a four-part strategy, said Sugg. The first initiative involves reducing the campus energy demand through replacing inefficient appliances, such as older water heaters and air conditioners with new, more efficient models.

The second proposal is to create a more environmentally aware campus community, or what Cromwell and Sugg refer to as a "culture of sustainability." This includes raising consciousness of simple sustainability measures.

Energy use in residence halls is being metered and reported on a Web site, and by December, Sugg said he hopes to post updated energy use results on flatscreen TVs in the residence halls.

The university can then encourage competitions among dorms to motivate students to conserve energy, in such ways as turning off lights when they leave rooms, changing thermostats and unplugging computers and chargers when they're not in use, said Sugg.

The third and fourth parts of the strategy focus on moving away from fossil fuel sources and increasing the use of more environmentally friendly fuel sources like wind and solar power.

Santa Clara's commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are in part a result of its involvement with Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV), a collaboration of businesses, governments and non-government organizations that tackle environmental issues in the area.

As a member of SSV, Santa Clara has set a high goal.

"I'm not aware of anybody that has a target greater than 20 percent lower (emissions) than 1990," said Sugg.

Cultivating a greener campus can also benefit the university monetarily. When air conditioning units in Benson Memorial Center and Bannan Hall were replaced this summer, the university got $300,000 back from Silicon Valley Power for using more efficient units, said Sugg.

Though Santa Clara's commitment to reduce carbon dioxide is fairly recent, there has been a surge in energy consciousness on campus for several years.

"The good news is that we've been doing a lot of energy conservation since the year 2000," said Sugg. "So although we've increased the square footage of campus by about 23 percent since 2000, our energy demand has not gone up."

Last year, the university installed solar panels on the roof of the Facilities Building that will provide about 50 kilowatts of energy. The university's goal is to ultimately provide one million kilowatts of energy from solar sources on campus.

Santa Clara has also invested in wind energy. Where the university drew power from one-half of a windmill last year, that number has increased to two and a half windmills this year, Sugg said.

Sugg added that he believes the university's carbon dioxide emission reduction goal is reachable, and the strategies that have been put in place are realistic, even with the added energy needed when the new library and business school open in the near future.

Contact Liz O'Brien at (408) 554-4546 or eobrien@scu.edu.