After months of meetings with administration, student leaders, engineers and architects, the University’s Campus Planning and Real Estate Committee has formalized its Oregon Model for Sustainability — new campus building guidelines that, if approved, will mandate substantial changes to future construction projects on campus.
“We have a climate action plan on file that calls for the U of O to dramatically reduce carbon emission,” University Sustainability Coordinator Steve Mital said, referring to the University’s long-term sustainability plan. “This is a very bold and important step in that path.”@@http://www.willamette.edu/councils/sustainability/archives/summit.htm@@
The new guidelines focus on three primary sustainability concerns: energy, water and people.
“We’re really trying to focus on what matters most,” Campus Planning and Real Estate Associate Christine Thompson said, adding that the guidelines are intended to expand upon current efforts to improve energy efficiency on campus. @@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Christine+Thompson@@
Energy
All new development will have a zero net increase in overall campus energy use. To achieve this, new projects will be evaluated in conjunction with the energy output of existing facilities, rather than measuring energy use building by building.@@building-by-building?@@
For a new development project to be approved, it must achieve a state-of-the-art energy level, meaning it exceeds what the state energy code requires by 35 percent.  If the project still increases overall energy use, then measures will be implemented on existing facilities to make them more efficient to offset the resulting increased energy output.
“It draws a line in the sand saying we will not purchase any more energy,” Mital said.
Water
New construction projects often create impervious surfaces, like smooth concrete, that create more storm water runoff into the surrounding waterways, Mital said. Eugene City Code requires that all new construction projects take this into account and find ways to offset this impact.@@http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=269&PageID=1790&cached=true&mode=2@@
The new guidelines propose reducing the emission of storm water from campus — in this case, into the Willamette — by focusing not only on construction zones but also on other areas like streets and parking lots.
“The same number of acres will be treated and same amount of money spent,” Mital said. “The water being returned to the Willamette will be cleaner.”
People
Along with creating a more sustainable building, new development projects will have to contribute a minimum of $35,000 toward educating students and staff. This includes personal trainings on how to use the building effectively, and more permanent indicators within the building, such as kiosks and electronic dashboards that provide real time energy use.
“Our buildings can perform that much better if people are using them in the way they are designed,” Mital said.
The increased costs of the proposed measures will be shared between the individual building project’s funding and the University’s central funding sources obtained through student fees and tuition. The percentage that comes from central funding depends on the building.
Student-auxiliary funded projects, like the EMU and Student Recreation Center, will be funded more through central funding than projects funded primarily through private donations, like Allen Hall’s renovation.
“Building buildings that are more efficient do cost a little bit more money,” ASUO Environmental Advocate Nathan Howard said.
The measures are expected to pay off in the long run, however, and the University has a responsibility to implement these types of measures, Howard said.
“It’s a great opportunity for the University of Oregon students to be early adopters for what will likely become the nation’s premier challenge,” Mital said of the efforts on campus to foster sustainability. “Our energy policy has the potential to become nation-leading.”
The proposal will be discussed in an open house Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the EMU Main Lobby and in a public hearing Thursday, May 26 at 9 a.m. in the EMU River Room. More information can be found online at: http://uplan.uoregon.edu/