Return to: 2008 Annual Report Introduction

Stanford University Segment Report

1.    What has Stanford University done to reach out to Stanford community members to involve them in environmental and sustainability efforts?

Sustainable Stanford, the University’s institutional sustainability program, published an informational website in summer 2008 to inform and educate all of the Stanford and broader community on the state of sustainability at Stanford. The portal is http://sustainable.stanford.edu.  The community has full access to all our information and work, and the program has already received many informational queries and feedback from the community through this site.

Sustainable Stanford steers and connects eleven Sustainability Working Teams focused on developing program recommendations and implementing policy recommendations in major operational areas related to sustainability. The teams are composed of campus subject experts, representatives of key Stanford community groups, faculty, staff and students, including people with authority to take action in the relevant operational areas. Each of these working teams considers community outreach in their charters and participates in events and educational activities.  To learn more, please visit http://sustainable.stanford.edu/working_group_and_teams

There are close to 25 active student groups on campus focused on environmental issues.  Many of these groups work with the City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County and other neighbors in education, outreach and research projects.  Examples include the recent Green Fund recipient Stanford solar and Wind Energy Project (SWEP), working collaboratively with Salinas Valley Monetary County, to study wind power projects in the region. 

2.    Approximately how many members of your segment have taken some kind of action to cut emissions?

Sustainable Stanford staff is leading climate action activities on the Stanford campus.  Sustainable Stanford is committed to leading by example in implementing plans and programs that systematically address climate change solutions for its own campus and beyond.   The staff has collaborated with Stanford faculty and staff to lead and craft a long-term plan that jointly addresses infrastructure improvement and emissions reduction, despite campus growth and without relying on market carbon instruments.   The yearlong study has been exploring major and minor emissions reduction opportunities and analyzing schemes for meeting campus energy demand through 2050.  The goal for this work is to reduce the campus’ dependence on fossil fuel and substantially reduce campus emissions.  The outcome of this work is not yet completed but once it is finalized, will be communicated in some form of public announcement. 

3.    Give examples of the actions taken.

The Sustainable Stanford website includes many specific examples, organized in topic areas such as green buildings, energy conservation, water conservation, procurement, etc.

Building Audits – ongoing.  Just a few examples below: 

•    Major Capital Retrofits Program: The university has allocated $15 million for major capital improvements to the most energy-intensive buildings on campus. The first overhaul, of the Stauffer Chemistry Building, was finished in June 2007 and resulted in a 35 percent drop in electricity use, a 43 percent cut in steam use and 62 percent fall in chilled water use. It also reduced carbon dioxide emissions associated with the building by 762 metric tons per year and cut energy costs by 46 percent in the first 12 months. Retrofits on the top most energy-intensive buildings are scheduled for completion by 2012. Altogether, the improvements are expected to save $4.2 million annually and reduce total energy use in these buildings by 28 percent.

•    Energy Retrofit Program- The Energy Retrofit Program (ERP) has invested more than $10 million over 15 years in improving energy efficiency through technology upgrades, such as T8 lamps and electronic ballasts, variable-speed drives for motors, LED exit signs and spectrally selective window film. The result is an estimated cumulative savings of over 240 million kilowatt-hours of electricity—about 15 months of the university’s current use—and prevention of 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. See the ERP website for details.

•    Building HVAC Recommissioning Program- Stanford is systematically reviewing the HVAC systems of 90 of its largest buildings, then adjusting or repairing the systems to ensure they work as designed. Technicians who conduct the reviews also recommend ways to further improve energy performance through ERP projects. At the current pace, the recommissioning of all 90 buildings should be complete by the end of 2010.

See also:     http://sustainable.stanford.edu/buildings

                        http://sustainable.stanford.edu/energy_initiatives

               http://sustainable.stanford.edu/purchasing

Green Building Guidelines

See   http://sustainable.stanford.edu/guidelines

H2O conservation efforts

See  http://sustainable.stanford.edu/water_initiatives

4.    What plans do you have for the future (e.g., planned new actions, next steps for existing actions, plans for increasing segment involvement, etc.)?

Many of the programs described above are ongoing by their very design.  Once a target goal is determined in the area of emissions reduction and dependence on fossil fuels, specific new planned actions will be developed in support of that goal.