KSU SUSTAINABILITY 2017

From 2012 - 2016 Kennesaw State University has been among seven Georgia Colleges & Universities named in the “Green Colleges List” issued by the Princeton Review in partnership with the U. S. Green Building Council.

Facilities Numerous buildings on both the Kennesaw & Marietta campuses have received the USGBC’s LEED (leadership in energy & environmental design) certification at the Silver and Gold levels.

Prillaman Hall

Science Lab Addition

Social Sciences & the “Spaceship Earth” Sculpture

The Commons Dining Hall

What is LEED? LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third party certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000. The nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to.

LEED Certification Building projects earn LEED certification and points for satisfying prerequisites within each of the LEED categories: Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives: Certified: 40–49 points Silver: 50–59 points Gold: 60–79 points Platinum: 80 points and above

The KSU Commons Dining Hall is a nationally acclaimed model of sustainability It has energy and water-conserving features, all food wastes are composted, and oil waste is sold as a biodiesel source

KSU’s Farm-to-Campus (-to-Farm) Program

KSU’s Farm-to-Campus Program Acres of organic farmland

AWARDS

Hydroponics (inside the Commons as well)

Apiary Course

(relatively) Free-Range Chickens

Hickory Grove Farm – located on an old GA DOT staging site

1,000’s of truckloads of topsoil were needed

Farm-to-Campus Practices Composting Vermiculture/Vermicomposting Rainwater reclamation Recycling program for glass, plastic, cardboard, metal and aluminum cans, even used cooking oil for biodiesel conversion Resulting in: Diversion of more than 43,800lbs of waste from landfill each month

KSU Farmers’ Market

KSU’s Farmers’ Market on the Campus Green

American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment KSU has carried out 5 greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories – for fiscal years 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014,& 2016: http://sustainability.kennesaw.edu The FY 2014 inventory included data from the Southern Poly campus.

KSU’s 2016 GHG Inventory Scope 1 = on-campus emissions (mainly natural gas) Scope 2 = electricity Scope 3 = travel & (mainly) commuting

Energy-Saving Measures Combining Christmas & New Years campus shut-downs Adding Energy-efficient LEED buildings Setting thermostats @ 680 (winter) & 780 (summer) Motion-detector light controls

Federal Stimulus funding awarded in 2010 have been used to increase energy efficiency in older buildings & to provide metering for most buildings.

“BOB” Shuttle Routes began in Spring, 2011 routes to remote parking lots & campus buildings routes connecting nearby apartments

Shuttles reduce traffic congestion & pollution caused by prolonged vehicle idling times KSU instituted a “No Idle” Policy in 2010

The Kennesaw campus is rapidly losing its natural areas, including a small forest that houses pink ladyslippers, a rare native orchid. The Marietta Campus has natural areas that should be preserved.

Outdoor Gathering Places

Students have identified an area for creating a Bioswale to capture pollutants in campus storm water runoff

Recycling KSU uses a “single source” (materials can be mixed) recycling system KSU accepts paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass drink bottles, batteries, and plastics #s 1 - 7

Residence Halls The newer buildings on the North side of campus have energy and water conserving features Resident Assistants plan Sustainability Events (such as an “Earth Hour” celebration) on a regular basis

KSU’s Marietta Campus

Bicycle repair stations

Electric vehicle charging stations

Solar recharge station

Renewable energy

Green Engineering Research Solar Oven Green Roof Study