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If you ask, chances are most people would be able to point to at least a few of the benefits of "green" buildings: reduction of environmental impacts, healthier living and working environments, better employee and student productivity, lower operating costs, and improved image among others. But are educational facilities getting the message?
Yes, according to the annual Green Building Market Barometer from the Turner Construction Company. It asked executives at organizations involved with colleges and universities to identify the benefits of green higher educational facilities. Their responses included:
- Community image (90%)
- Ability to attract and retain faculty (71%)
- Ability to attract students (70%)
- Student performance (59%)
- Ability to secure research funding (59%)
The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) notes that more legislatures are requiring sustainable building designs for all state buildings, including campuses. State systems are responding positively and adopting their own green building and energy policies. "Sustainability is no longer considered just another costly fad as communities increasingly turn to green practices," says the SCUP, which says, in its Trends in Higher Education Report, "the EPA will continue to expand its review of how campuses deal with…their overall environmental stewardship."
As green building practices become prevalent on campuses, more facilities are turning a critical eye to purchasing green products. And while many facilities may turn to obvious solutions like daylighting, low-flush toilets, waterless urinals and ENERGY STAR appliances, there are also some hidden strategies to explore — including those found in a Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system's air filtration system.
According to industry experts, many colleges and universities have aging facilities, with much of the student housing constructed in the 1960s and 1970s. One problem with older facilities may be timeworn, inefficient HVAC systems. In fact, some commercial and institutional buildings still use pre-World War II air filter technology.
