Foothill-De Anza Community College District 2006 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award Application
Category
Community college or other two-year institutions
Contact
Marisa Spatafore
Director, District Communications
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Los Altos Hills, CA
(650) 949-6107
spataforemarisa@fhda.edu
Governance & Administration
The publicly elected board of trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District is fully committed to sustainability, as evidenced in its official board policy on “Environmental, Health, Safety and Energy Management.” The policy was first adopted in 1999 and revised in 2005, and reads in part:
…[T]he Board of Trustees is committed to efficient energy management. The District’s operational and planning decisions, to the extent practical given financial considerations, will provide for (1) the design, renovation, and construction of all buildings to meet or exceed state standards in energy efficiency and the prudent use of natural gas and electricity; (2) the prevention or minimization of energy-related pollution and wastes; 3) an emphasis on water conservation; and (4) continuous improvement in the District’s energy management performance. (Board Policy 3214)
The board’s policy is executed by top administrative staff, including the chancellor, the presidents of Foothill College and De Anza College and the vice chancellor of business services, thereby creating a culture of commitment to sustainability. The executive director of facilities, operations and construction management, with the support of the board and the foregoing administrators, demonstrated extraordinary initiative in achieving the sustainability successes detailed in the response to question number two below. Other key staff positions include the director of environmental health and safety and the unique role played by the executive director of the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies, detailed in the response to question number 3.
The district’s clear commitment to sustainability is underscored by the concept’s prominent inclusion in the district’s vision, mission and values statement (“The Foothill-De Anza Community College District commits itself to serving our students, our local communities, and the people of the state of California, and considers the following values as cornerstones of our mission:…promoting environmental sustainability”), a significant element of the district’s Educational Master Plan 2005- 2015.
The district is a member of Sustainable Silicon Valley, a collaboration of business, government and non-governmental organizations working to identify and address regional environmental issues. Foothill-De Anza also maintains membership on the Environmental and Energy committees of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), a prominent regional organization engaged in cooperative efforts with local, regional, state, and federal government officials to address major public policy issues affecting the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley.
De Anza has established a College Environmental Advisory Group (CEAG), which is currently working to implement an environmental management system (EMS) through International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001, which, insofar as the college has been able to determine, would represent the first such action among community colleges nationwide.
Operations
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District last year completed the installation of more than 780 kilowatts of solar electric and energy-efficient cogeneration projects at both Foothill and De Anza colleges, including eight 60-kilowatt micro turbines (four at each campus) that produce electricity plus heat recovery systems that heat each campus pool efficiently, and solar photovoltaic-paneled parking structures (with the panels at De Anza College’s Stelling Parking Structure tracking the sun). The panels provide shade and together generate 301 kilowatts of electricity.
The projects reduce the district’s operating costs while lowering demand for power from the local utility, translating to avoided local carbon dioxide emissions of more than 14 million pounds annually. Along with prior improvements to lighting, air conditioning and energy management systems in 100 buildings, the installations will reduce the district’s electricity purchases by 46 percent—more than 11 million kilowatt-hours annually—and save the district about $800,000 a year.
The $5.1 million total cost of the projects was offset by almost $2 million in incentives from the state of California and public utilities: $240,000 each for cogeneration at Foothill and De Anza, as well as $1,017,000 for De Anza’s photovoltaic parking structure and $492,750 for Foothill’s. The district also received approximately $30,000 for photovoltaics on the Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies building and $12,000 for Foothill boiler replacement. The LEED-certified Kirsch Center, Science Building and Student and Community Services Building, all at De Anza, qualified for Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) “Savings by Design” program. In addition, the district participated in a demand reduction plan centralizing control of HVAC systems. The California Energy Commission provided more than $250,000 in funding. Another such program is in progress, garnering $2,000 per day when in effect.
In 2003—despite the district having added more than 196,000 square feet of new building— electricity usage dropped to the 1993 level. According to PG&E, the district will save more than $2 million in energy costs over a 10-year period, as well as almost 1.3 million gallons of cooling tower water.
The repair, replacement and upgrading of electrical and mechanical systems and the additional installation of solar panels to reduce energy consumption is planned to be achieved with funds from the district’s $491 million facilities and construction bond (Measure C) approved by voters in June.
Curriculum & Research
Foothill-De Anza aims to be a model for educational institutions nationwide. The Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies (a LEED-certified building, as noted above), which opened at De Anza in 2005, teaches about sustainability, including showcasing passive solar design, energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies as a fundamental objective of educating students and the community. It includes a Statewide Energy Management (SEMP) Program promoting energy efficiency in state facilities and uses the entire building as a demonstration laboratory, among its unique features. The building was made possible by a generous $2 million grant by community members Steve and Michele Kirsch through their Kirsch Foundation, the vision for which is “…a healthy world, one without disease and without pollution of our air, water and land, and one in which all species have the ability to survive and flourish.”
The Kirsch Center is overseen by Executive Director Pat Cornely, whose unique position involves teaching about the building’s resources and proper function and helping faculty, staff, students and the public learn about sustainable practices by leading tours of the Kirsch Center. She communicates and coordinates extensively with agencies and organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), California Energy Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA and Cal EPA), California Native Plant Society (CNPS), Sierra Club and others. Cornely holds a certificate of completing in energy management.
The Morgan Family Foundation, which “focuses its giving on youth, education, the environment and stewardship,” has endowed a chair in Environmental Studies at De Anza College, a position currently held by biological scientist Julie Phillips, whose broad experience includes wildlife management and tropical studies as well as sustainable building and energy efficiency. Her passion for the environment and her understanding of the relationship between energy use and biodiversity has been honored with grants from the California Energy Commission and PG&E.
Phillips, in collaboration with other staff members, De Anza’s then-president and now district Chancellor Martha Kanter and key lawmakers, was instrumental in securing successful legislation to encourage energy efficient buildings within the California Community Colleges system. The legislation is contained in Sections 81620-81624 of the California Education Code and includes the following direct reference:
In consultation with the [California Energy] commission, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall further develop and refine certain guidelines for a Statewide Energy Management Program that have been established under an ongoing joint effort of the commission and DeAnza College [sic; emphasis added]. This statewide effort shall allow community college districts to achieve energy independence through the development of energy management plans, the construction of sustainable green buildings, the use of renewable or other distributed energy systems, and the expansion of statewide energy education programs and services. [California Education Code 81622 (b)]
Community Service and Outreach
In order to inform and educate, Foothill-De Anza in summer 2005 sponsored a well-attended community event showcasing De Anza’s photovoltaic parking structure and the district’s energy efficiency innovations, widely covered by regional media, including television, as well as numerous online and trade publications.
As noted above, Foothill-De Anza has established numerous partnerships with industry, such as PG&E and Chevron, and government, including the California Energy Commission, as well as establishing affiliations with Sustainable Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
As part of its mission, the Kirsch Center, “through an interdisciplinary approach, partner[s]with industry, government, utilities and other academic institutions.” Upcoming public events at the Kirsch Center include the Northern California Solar Homes Tour and Build It Green annual event on Oct. 1 and the Solar Power 2006 Conference on Oct. 20. At both events, De Anza College Environmental Studies students will lead tours of the Kirsch Center for attendees and the public. Through explaining the energy efficiency aspects and wise use of materials, students have a much deeper appreciation of sustainability concepts and are able to enhance their presentation skills.
In 2005, Foothill-De Anza received an honorable mention in the area of energy efficiency from Flex Your Power, a partnership of California’s utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.