TGIF 2011-12 Funding Cycle Awarded Projects
I’m pleased to announce the selected projects for the 2011-12 Funding Cycle. 18 projects applied for TGIF grants requesting a total of $314,302. Of those projects, 13 were awarded funds totaling $172,932.
Sustainability through Solar Power at Sedgwick Reserve ($30,000)
Funds will be used to install an 11 kW photo voltaic system at the Sedgwick Reserve located in Santa Ynez Valley. The new PV system will provide electricity needed to power the well pump that delivers water to the reserve’s 25,000 gallon cistern. This cistern is integral to the cooling system for Sedgwick’s new Platinum LEED rated Tipton Meeting House and is also used for all non-potable water needs on the reserve, including maintaining a small pond that is used for fire protection and wildlife habitat. This project is a key component of Sedgwick Reserve’s plan for energy sustainability.
Student Health Building Energy Retrofit using Advanced Sensing and Control ($25,000)
Faculty, staff and students will retrofit energy control systems at the Student Health Building. Working with building occupants and the Facilities Management Department, the collaborative engineering team will update building communications systems to implement advanced energy efficiency strategies. This project is projected to yield huge energy savings and improve the indoor environment for patients and health care professionals.
UCSB Hydration Stations ($22,250)
TGIF has funded 22 hydration stations, where students can fill up their reusable bottles with filtered water for free! This is part of a larger effort to install 45 of these filtered water stations at locations throughout campus. By offering convenient free filtered water, this project aims to drastically reduce the need for single-use plastic water bottles on campus. As a result of the hydration stations, TGIF hopes to decrease the amount of plastic waste generated on campus and yield energy savings from eliminating chillers in each water fountain. This effort has been supported by the Plastic Pollution Prevention Coalition, the Chancellor’s Sustainability Committee, Student Affairs, UCSB Reads as well as other partnering organizations.
Green Gateway Procurement ($17,000)
This project aims to “green” the new campus procurement system, Gateway. A team of students will assemble and classify green product data into the Gateway product catalogs. By providing transparent and reliable green information that is easily accessible to campus buyers, this project should drastically increase the purchase of sustainable goods and services at UCSB. Data on purchasing behavior resulting from the project will help procurement staff identify patterns and training opportunities in environmentally preferable purchasing.
Water Conservation–Dual Flush Valves/Low Flow Urinal ($16,325)
This water conservation project will install 200 dual-flush valves for toilets and half-flush handles for urinals in 10 student support buildings going through the LEED for Existing Buildings certification process. The efficient fixtures save up to 50% of water per flush as compared to the current valves. These new fixtures will help the campus achieve further water reduction goals
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory Reserve Solar Systems ($13,400)
Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory SNARL will be off-the-grid with the installation of 6 kilowatt photo voltaic system to run two solar hot water systems on the reserve. This energy project is part of a comprehensive energy conservation and generation strategy for the research station, a unit in UCSB’s Natural Reserve System (NRS). This new photo voltaic project follows the installation of a ~24 kilowatts PV system in 2011 which meets 100% of SNARL’s electrical demand. TGIF has contributed funding to both projects.
Bren Photo Voltaic Efficiency Optimization ($12,304)
This project will optimize the existing photo voltaic panels on the roof of Bren Hall. Currently, the Bren solar panels are mounted flat on the roof top and are performing at an efficiency rate of 50-60% of their possible capacity due to shading. This project will maximize the use of the existing panels through mounted them on a frame angled ideally for our latitude. This along with optimizers will maximize electricity generation.
UCSB Sustainability Dashboard ($11,218)
The Sustainability Dashboard will display real-time information on electricity, gas and water use on campus as well as highlight locations of TGIF projects across campus. This dashboard will be integrated with the Interactive Campus Map in order to display sustainability data to the public. The dashboard and map will provide a flexible means to visualize energy consumption, savings, and generation at UCSB. By making this information available to the campus community and building occupants, the project hopes to influence behavioral changes in energy use.
Water Action Plan ($8,861)
UCSB Bren master’s students will collaborate with campus staff to develop a comprehensive Water Action Plan for the campus. Students will collect and analyze water data and provide recommendations to the campus on how to maximize water use efficiency. The plan will include total reduction targets for water use, along with mitigation measures for Improvements. The Water Action Plan is intended to be a model for other universities looking to achieve water reduction targets.
Solar Power for Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration ($8,300)
CCBER will have 40-50% of their electricity produced through solar panels with the installation of a new 4.8 KW solar panel array. The committee approved combining this year’s funding with previous allocated TGIF funds. In total, TGIF is providing 100% funding for the photo voltaic array located on the rooftop of the Harder Stadium Annex. This project will compliment CCBER’s current 4.8 KW installation and effectively double the building’s power production. CCBER promotes sustainable practices on campus through native plant restoration that restores ecosystems and maximizes efficiency in the utilization of finite resources such as water and fossil fuels.
Rethinking Campus Landscaping ($5,425)
This landscape education project administered by the Chancellor Sustainability Interns will install signs across campus highlighting sustainable landscaping. The signs will also correspond with podcasts easily accessible from smart phones and ipads. This educational project compliments the interns research which analyzes different landscapes on campus in regards to maintenance costs, ecological benefits, and quality of human interactions.
GIVE project ($2,107)
TGIF has funded publicity and advertizing costs associated with the GIVE project. From June 13th-22nd, residents can donate unwanted food, clothing, furniture, books, and electronics to the several site locations throughout campus and IV. Ninety percent of the items collected come from students. Volunteers sort and organize the donated goods to prepare for the GIVE sale at Embarcadero Hall on June 23rd & 24th. The proceeds generated from this project are given to local Isla Vista non-profits.
Greening Graduate Student Association Bagel Hour ($742)
The Graduate Students Association weekly bagel hour just became more sustainable! TGIF has funded reusable plates, mugs, utensils and 100% post-consumer recycled napkins for the group which previously produced two bags of trash weighing forty pounds each week. In combination with these sustainable products, the project aims to educate graduate students about sustainability issues, including waste production in the GSA lounge, and include them in the integration of smarter practices during bagel hour.