Page 36 - College Planning & Management, June 2018

Case Histories REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS
FDaylighting Systems for Energy Efficiency
OUNDED IN 1815, Allegheny throughout the labs, classrooms, and lobby College is a private liberal arts col- in this multistory building was one of the lege located in Meadville, PA, and primary objectives.
an acknowledged leader in sustainability. The college was one of the first to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge to upgrade energy performance by a minimum of 20 percent by the year 2020.
Carr Hall, an existing building built
in the 1960s, was renovated to become a showcase for the campus’ environmental stewardship. The renovated building is home to the new Richard J. Cook Center for Environmental Science, honoring the for- mer Allegheny College president who was passionate about science education and the environment. The Pittsburgh architec- tural firm of Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel teamed up with Massaro Corpora- tion to achieve LEED Gold certification for Commercial Interiors. Providing daylight
Solatube Daylighting Systems, supplied by local representative M&M Specialty Products, were used throughout the class- rooms and labs, allowing for the spaces to be independent of electric lighting most days. The most striking Solatube applica- tion is in the lobby area. Special custom black sleeves were designed to fit over the Solatube tubing to create a striking visual against the custom wood ceiling. The Solatube units in the lobby also serve to provide daylight for a living wall of plants.
“We’ve been extremely pleased with
the inclusion of a large number of Solatube Daylighting Systems throughout the renova- tion. It is one of the features that most excites visitors and those that study and work in the building—first because they’re so surprised
Solatube Daylighting Systems were used throughout the classrooms and labs at Allegheny College, allowing the buildings to cut down on electricity used and harness the power of daylighting.
to hear that daylight rather than artificial light is illuminating the space, and second because it adds to the warm, natural quality of the space. They have allowed us to reduce our electricity consumption while main- taining plenty of light,” says Kelly Boulton, sustainability coordinator for the college.
www.solatube.com
FRenewable Energy Initiatives Enhance Campus
OUNDED IN 1973, Roxbury was part a larger $72.5 million ongoing Community College (RCC) is a renovation project to help modernize the multicultural, urban, student- campus. Completed in 2017, the ESPC
centered, open-access community college located in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, MA. RCC offers associates degree and certificate programs, online courses, corporate and community education pro- grams, and lifelong-learning courses.
When current President Dr. Valerie Roberson took office in 2013, she was im- mediately faced with millions of dollars in deferred maintenance at the 16-acre, five- building urban campus that houses class- rooms, specialized science and computer laboratories, the Library and Learning Center, the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, and the Media Arts Center.
In August 2016, RCC partnered with Ameresco for a $20.1 million energy sav- ings performance contract (ESPC), that
provides a great example of how the com- bination of energy efficiency and renew- able sources of energy delivered a winning budget-neutral sustainable solution for the urban campus and the entire community.
The tri-level renewable energy solution for parking lot 1 is the most unique aspect of the project. It includes 115 geothermal wells, 500-feet-deep beneath parking lot 1, designed to capture energy for heating and cooling the campus. On the surface, there is parking for 320 cars, in addition to electric charging stations for up to six cars. Above the lot, there is a solar canopy with approximately 3,000 solar panels representing nearly a megawatt of power. In addition, there is efficient LED lighting under the PV canopy deck to help increase
Roxbury Community College partnered with Ameresco to both save energy, and create a sustainable energy solution for the campus and community.
security for students.
The overall ESPC project, which encom-
passes a total of 23 energy conservation measures, is expected to save RCC about $860,000 annually that can go back to serving students and community. CPM
https://www.ameresco.com/portfolio-item/roxbury- community-college/
36 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JUNE 2018
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