Designed by Donald Blair Architects from New York City, and completed in May 2012, VANTAGE is a genomics core laboratory occupying over 15,800 square feet, 12,000 of which were renovated under the LEED Commercial Interiors protocol. It is home to the Flow Cytometry Core, Genome Sciences Resource, DNA Resources Core and BioVU, Vanderbilt’s massive DNA database. Laboratory spaces are complex and difficult to renovate to LEED’s green standards, so achieving the Gold level of certification is a significant accomplishment for VUMC’s Space and Facilities Planning department.

Highlights from the renovation include a 20% reduction in lighting energy usage with more than 75% of lighting controls connected to occupancy sensors, a 38% reduction in water usage achieved through plumbing fixture upgrades, and 100% of eligible, newly purchased equipment is ENERGY STAR rated. During the renovation of the laboratory, 73% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill and recycled, 11% of the total building materials now contain recycled content, and 32% of the total building materials used were manufactured regionally. Also, most workstations now have individual controls for thermal and lighting comfort allowing lab staff to adjust to their preferred settings in their own workspace.

More than 15 tons of casework and equipment were removed from the space and stored to be reused in the future. Air quality was maintained during construction through the use of low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings while ductwork was kept dust and moisture free. “Sustainability is achievable in highly functional and complex projects; however, thought and effort must be incorporated into the initial process, as with any worthwhile achievement” said Bobby Otten, Architect/Project Manager with Space & Facilities Planning.

“A special thanks to The Office of Research, the Lab Core groups and users, greenSTUDIO sustainability consulting, Phoenix Design Group consulting engineers, and Turner Universal Construction Company in their support of this achievement”.

Donate your old textbooks, resell them, swap them with friends or post them on Vandy FreeSwap. This might earn you money and will reduce waste in the landfill! Donate any other items that you do not want to a local charity by dropping them off in the residence hall lobbies or in the pods conveniently located throughout campus. Or you can post them on Vandy FreeSwap.

In addition to donating, there are many locations for recycling items during move out.

• Electronics, tablets, computers, appliances, ink and toner cartridges, batteries, pens and pencils, papers, and books can all be recycled. Please drop off your electronics and appliances in the specially designated areas outdoors around the residence halls that are set up only during move-out.
• For ink and toner cartridges, batteries, and pens, markers and mechanical pencils, recycling is available year round at the Sarratt and Commons Center main desks.  Battery recycling is also available at all Reeve desks.
• For more traditional recycling items such as plastic, paper, aluminum, and cardboard, students are encouraged to use the residential recycling areas located next to their dumpsters rather than throwing items away.  Please remember to flatten boxes to leave space for others wanting to recycle!

For more information about Earth Friendly Move Out, please visit the SustainVU website, contact recycle@vanderbilt.edu or call 343-2784 (E.ARTH on campus).

On April 8, first-year students in the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) participated in the annual “Earth, Wind and Fire” tour to learn about energy production and the sustainable features of Vanderbilt’s campus. The Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) and Plant Operations act as hosts each year.

Mitch Lampley, director of engineering and technical support for Plant Operations, introduced the students to the Vanderbilt co-generation power plant, discussed Vanderbilt’s utility usage, and showed a video of the underground tunnels.

“I thought today was very fun and refreshing. I was amazed by the engineering throughout the power plant, and it answered many questions that I had about costs for energy and efficiency of power usage on campus,” said Thomas Massion, a student from Hume Fogg Academic Magnet School. The students then toured the power plant and even got a close-up look at the inside of the boilers in full combustion mode.

The students were excited to tour the biodiesel production facility, managed by the VU Alternative Energy Club, where waste vegetable oil from VU dining facilities is turned into biodiesel fuel. Rachel Tudor from Hume Fogg Academic Magnet School said, “It was cool learning more about how Vanderbilt is green. I wish more places could be like here, but now I realize how high the cost is.”

The final stop on the tour was the The Ingram Commons Center where the students ate lunch and were introduced to the sustainable features of a LEED Gold certified building. When asked about his tour experience, student Tahj Starr from Martin Luther King Magnet School said, “It was very interesting to see how Vanderbilt distributes its energy. Also, I liked learning of the different ways that it is energy efficient, especially in the Vanderbilt Commons.”

The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt is a joint venture between Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). The School offers high school students a four-year, interdisciplinary, research-centered learning experience at one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, where internationally recognized faculty are leading the way in diverse fields of scientific study.

The Princeton Review released its Green Honor Roll, which recognizes schools that received a green rating of 99, just in time for Earth Day.

The publication’s fifth annual green ratings measured the environmental friendliness of 806 institutions nationwide on a scale of 60 to 99. Vanderbilt was one of only 21 universities to receive the highest possible score of 99.

According to the Review, the rating measures “a school’s performance as an environmentally aware and responsible institution” and primarily considers sustainable campus living, academic coursework in sustainability and sustainable school policies to determine the score.

Read the full story here.

Vanderbilt University currently has an on-campus co-generation, dual fuel power plant which produces 20% of our electricity and 100% of our steam servicing 5.8 million square feet of building space.  This steam is then used for 90% of campus heating and 40% of campus cooling. This cogeneration process is quiet efficient: heat, which would otherwise be a wasted byproduct of electricity and steam generation, is used to produce more steam and hot water.  The remaining 80% of electricity consumed at Vanderbilt is purchased directly from Nashville Electric Service from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

The plant is currently fueled by both coal and natural gas.  The conversion will replace the coal-fired boilers with natural gas boilers, retaining the same power generation capacity.  The plant will then be fueled entirely by natural gas. 

Why is Vanderbilt modifying its power plant?

There are several factors that make ‘now’ the right time to upgrade Vanderbilt’s power plant:
• Age of the existing boilers.  The existing power plant was constructed in 1962, and the original boilers were then replaced in 1988, 26 years later.  These boilers are now 25 years old and near the end of their expected life cycle. Just like an automobile or a heat pump, fuel efficiency in a boiler decreases each year as the machinery gets older. 
• Improved operational efficiency.  Modern natural gas turbines and boilers deliver high fuel efficiency, less maintenance, and are more reliable than other forms of power generation, such as coal fired boilers. 
• New environmental regulations.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted new regulations on the operation of institutional boilers.  Not only are new boilers needed, but additional air emission controls, manpower, and recordkeeping would eventually be required. 

• Environmental impact improvements.  The new plant fueled entirely by natural gas will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutant emissions (such as particulates), and noise pollution.  Additionally, associated transportation fuel use and emissions due to coal trucking needs will be completely eliminated.   

What are the benefits of using natural gas?

• Significant reduction in air emissions.  Switching to natural gas from coal will reduce Vanderbilt’s emission of particulate matter by more than 50%, while emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and other air pollutants will virtually be eliminated.
• Fewer greenhouse gas emissions.  Natural gas boilers will significantly reduce the power plant’s carbon footprint, which will be dependent on the efficiency ratings of our equipment and energy demand on campus.
• Elimination of coal trucks on campus.  Currently, five or six large trucks a day deliver coal to the Vanderbilt power plant.  This truck traffic, and associated transportation fuel use and emissions, will be entirely eliminated with the installation of natural gas boilers and turbines because natural gas is delivered via underground pipelines.  
• Operational experience.  Vanderbilt already has two natural gas turbines, which were installed in 2002, and these turbines currently produce steam and electricity in a highly efficient manner.  Thus, Vanderbilt’s power plant operators are already thoroughly familiar with their operation and maintenance.  It is a reliable technology that will meet Vanderbilt’s needs for decades to come. 
• Return on Investment.  The investment for the conversion of the power plant to all natural gas fuel, with associated removal of coal-fired boilers and infrastructure,  has an estimated payback period of 10 years, dependent on natural gas costs in the future.  Furthermore, Vanderbilt will avoid investing additional money in outdated coal technology. 
• Improved visual aesthetics of campus.  The tall brick “smoke” stack and coal silo located at the power plant will eventually be dismantled and removed, making the power plant ‘blend in’ more with surrounding buildings.

Why does Vanderbilt even have its own power plant??

• Most large universities generate their own power in some way and have done so for many decades, primarily because the universities tend to pre-date the power grids of their surrounding town or city.  Vanderbilt is no exception.
• Because Vanderbilt is a major regional Level 1 Trauma Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, as well as housing important experiments and samples for our research, it is essential to be powered by reliable, uninterruptable energy supply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year, especially in the event of a widespread emergency or loss of power in the Nashville community such as during the May 2010 flood or past tornado events.  Because of the emergency needs required by our Medical Center, Vanderbilt will continue to have an on‐campus power plant for many years to come.

• If Vanderbilt chose to shut down the power plant completely and purchased all electricity, steam and chilled water needs from NES/TVA, it would double greenhouse gas emissions from VU.  An extra 340,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO₂E) would be generated by shutting down the power plant entirely, at a minimum, due to “line losses” from electrical transmission and because TVA’s plants are less efficient than ours. 

Is Vanderbilt taking steps to reduce our use of non-renewable energy sources?

• The most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to reduce our use of non-renewable energy sources is to first reduce our demand for energy. Check out SustainVU’s ThinkOne website for tips on energy conservation on campus.
• The kilowatt not needed is the most environmentally-friendly kilowatt of all! So it will take us all working together to reduce Vanderbilt’s reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.
• Energy-saving efforts have reduced VU’s coal use by more than 25% since 2007 and shrunk Vanderbilt’s ‘carbon footprint’ by 12% since 2008.  We need to keep up the good work and continue the energy usage reduction trend. 

Steps we have already taken to reduce energy use include:

• Creating Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO).
• Hiring a Campus Energy Manager to implement building retrofits and energy efficiency projects.
• Making TVA’s Green Power Switch a part of VU’s power portfolio (Vanderbilt is the largest purchaser of green power in the NES distribution area).
• Launching the campus-wide ThinkOne energy conservation campaign and the Eco-Dores environmental peer residential mentoring program to promote smart and efficient use of utilities via education and behavior change.
• Implementation of aggressive night temperature and lighting set back programs, lighting retrofits, and re-commissioning of utilities in older buildings.
• Design or renovation of 14 projects on campus that meet requirements for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance energy-efficient green buildings. More information about sustainable building at Vanderbilt can be found on Campus Planning and Construction’s Sustainable Building page or the SustainVU Green Building page.
• Reduction of fuel used by Vanderbilt’s fleet of vehicles by conversion to electric-powered vehicles and size reduction. Installation of 15 new electric car charging stations on VU campus.
• Three projects involving solar generation: a partnership with TVA to install solar-powered electric car charging stations, an array of solar thin films at the power house as a part of the first Green Fund Project, and installation of four solar-powered electronics charging stations throughout campus as part of a Green Fund Project.

More information about VU’s power plant can be found on the Plant Operations Cogeneration Power Plant and Utility Distribution System page.

Read more about the conversion at Inside Vandy.

Vanderbilt has been included in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013. The book is available as a free download.

The Princeton Review chose schools according to their course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.

Vanderbilt’s multiple sustainability initiatives and programs are highlighted, including the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office, environmental student groups like SPEAR and the Alternative Energy Club, the range of environmental and sustainability course offerings, Vanderbilt’s commitment to LEED-certified new construction and a variety of recycling and clean commute initiatives.

“Vanderbilt’s inclusion in the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges is the result of the attention and hard work of the many students, staff and faculty involved in various sustainability initiatives throughout campus,” said Andrea George, director of Vanderbilt’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. “Hundreds of people involved in all different facets of the university are making small changes in how they operate and do business. Those small changes are adding up to big improvements in our environmental impact.”

The Princeton Review created its “Guide to 322 Green Colleges” in partnership with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, with support from United Technologies Corp.

Join SustainVU as we celebrate Earth Day 2013 on Monday, April 22!

Stop by Rand Wall from noon to 1pm for Earth Day Happy Hour! Bring a non-traditional recyclable, and you will get a snack and a gift!

*Non-traditional recyclables include batteries, electronics, cell phones, ink and toner cartridges, cardboard, old pens, textbooks, and more!

In the afternoon, relax in Sarratt Cinema and enjoy a laugh with an environmental theme from 4pm-6pm as we screen The Lorax!

It’s sure to be a lot of fun – we look forward to seeing you all there!

Reported by Jennifer Johnson
Apr 12, 2013 5:54 p.m.

If you’ve noticed a lot of green and red bikes around town lately, it’s not your imagination.

Nashville now has two different bike sharing services that you can take advantage of, but there’s one huge difference: one’s free and the other isn’t.

In 2011, Metro bought 26 bikes that the community could use to explore the city. Not long after, Regions Bank donated 100 more bikes to the program.

“I thought ‘How wonderful to have people who don’t have a bike come get one and ride along,’ so I wanted to find out a little more about them,” said Julie Russell.

Late last year, the B-Cycle program kicked off, nearly doubling the number of bikes now available to locals and tourists.

What’s the difference between the green bikes and the red ones? The green ones are free, but they have to be checked out at one of 10 Metro locations, which can be found online. The red bikes are rented from a kiosk.

The bikes from B-Cycle are available for a daily pass of $5, a weekly pass for $10, a monthly pass for $15 or an annual pass for $50.

You have to have a credit card to rent any B-Cycle, and if you don’t check them back in every hour, you’ll be charged.

It’s a system that’s left some riders confused.

“I never could figure out how I was supposed to do it,” said one renter. “Now after reading it really, really carefully, it does make sense.”

Others have already purchased a season pass.

“Some people haven’t rode bikes since they were kids,” said Natasha Teasley. “To have the opportunity to do more than just jogging in the park or a brisk walk in the park, it gives you a chance to get your heart rate up and look at different venues around the city.”

So far about 4,000 people have bought a membership to ride a B-Cycle, something that’s required in order to ride.

You can buy a pass for a day, a week, a month or a year, but the bikes still have to be turned in every hour to avoid extra fees.

The 2013 winners of the Vanderbilt Green Fund were announced this week. The Green Fund, which was established in the spring 2011, connects student sustainability ideas with the means to implement them via university funds. The winners were selected based on the the project’s adherence to the criteria of being “visible and educational in nature.”

The winners:

Green Lights (Sam Smith and Michael Diamond)

Find out how your dorm stacks up against other dorms at Vanderbilt in real-time energy usage

Amount: $25,000

Faculty adviser: Mitch Lampley

Solar Evacuated Heating Tubes (Sommers Klein)

Harnessing the sun for daytime showers at the Rec Center

$25,000

Faculty adviser: Darren Bevill

Occupancy Sensors for Restroom Lighting (Matt Cooley, Drew Martin and Julie Schnur)

Forget to turn off your lights again? No worries, these sensors will do it for you.

$15,000

Faculty adviser: Darren Bevill

High-Performance Showers (Skyler Hutto)

Less water. Same pressure. More savings. We promise.

$10,000

Faculty adviser: Andrea George

For over three years, downtown Nashville has transformed to make way for its new emerging landmark — and come May 19, its doors will open to the world. Billed as the largest public development project in the history of the state, the Music City Convention Center will serve as the gateway for the hundreds of thousands of convention visitors to the city.

Courtesy of the Music City Convention Center

The grand opening will be a two-day event for the community May 19-20. The celebration will feature a free concert with musician Sheryl Crow on May 20, a street party and open house for the community.

“I continue to be impressed by the size and beauty of the Music City Center and encourage Nashvillians to see it for themselves during the grand opening,” said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean in a press release.

Construction on the $585 million facility began in January 2010 and will be completed on April 30. During May, furniture, fixtures and equipment will be installed, and staff training will continue. More than 100 meetings and 800,000 room nights have already been booked.

“There’s no doubt we are a city with momentum, and with the opening of the Music City Center in May, even more tourists and conventioneers will get to see that firsthand,” said Dean. “We know it’s not going to be the biggest convention facility in the country, but I’m absolutely certain it will be the best.”

Major features include a public art collection comprised of more than 80 pieces; Sixth Avenue, which runs through the building; and the 57,500-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which seats 6,000 people. Green features include solar panels and a green roof. The building is on track to receive LEED Silver certification.

Due to its larger size, the Music City Center will be able to host 75 percent of conventions in the country, compared to 25 percent that can currently be accommodated at the Nashville Convention Center. The Music City Center totals 2.1 million square feet. That includes 1.2 million square feet of public space and a 900,000-square-foot garage, which includes 1,800 parking spaces.

The meetings booked for the Music City Center range from this year to 2026 and include multi-year agreements for many groups. The Mayor will present his state of the Metro address at the center at 10 a.m. on May 20 as part of the grand opening festivals.