The Greening of MIT

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January 12-15, 2009
Sustainability In Action Greening Your Place at
MIT
Brought to you by
MIT Energy Initiative EHS Office Information
Technology Services Department of
Facilities Campus Dining Services Sustainability_at_M
IT
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What We Want to Accomplish

• Empower us (and our colleagues) to take action
  on energy and the environment here at MIT and
  beyond so we collectively can make a difference
  as a community
• How are we going to do it?
• Part One
• Hear from seasoned pros in key impact areas
• Provide some initial focus to our actions
• Provide information to help us choose and act
  wisely
• Part Two
• Learn from all of you through your place-based
  expertise and experience
• Seek feedback on what you need to be successful
  in your place
• Create a vibrant community of practice and action
• Lay the groundwork for a nascent Green
  Ambassadors program
• And sustain the sustainers

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Our Cast of Characters

• Laxmi Rao - IT Energy Coordinator, Information
  Services Technology (IT Energy Saving)
• Jialan Wang - Grad Student, Sloan,
  Sustainability_at_MIT (Lighting)
• Niamh Kelly - Assistant Officer, EHS Office and
  Sustainability Program (Fume Hood Practices )
• Pam Lundin - Grad Student, Chemistry,
  Sustainability_at_MIT (Transportation)
• Kathreen Thome - Undergrad, Nuclear Sci/Eng (Zero
  Waste)
• Anne Wilson - Marketing Specialist MIT Campus
  Dining (Dining)
• Wendy Gu - Grad Student, Health Sciences and
  Technology (On-Campus Living)
• Ruth Davis - Manager of Communications, Dept. of
  Facilities (Recycling)
• Steven Lanou - Deputy Director, Environmental
  Programs Office

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Greening IT Energy _at_ MIT

• WHY DOES YOUR LOCAL ACTION MATTER ?
• 20,000 networked personal computers
• 12,000 VoIP Phones
• 60M MIT Electric Budget - Electricity - 28M
• Plug loads are 35 of building electricity
• Rising electricity rates
• Reducing emissions
• MIT Energy Initiative, Campus Energy Task Force,
  Greening MIT

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PC Power Management _at_ MIT

• WHAT Information/Tools are available?
• Guidance for Monitors and CPU power management
• Caveats for configuring power management
• Myth vs Fact
• Savings in Electricity
• Other Benefits
• Tri-fold Brochure for distribution
• Web site for details on configuration
• http//web.mit.edu/ist/initiatives/it-ene
  rgy/

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ACTION Use Power Management for CPUs
Monitors

• SAVINGS Electricity, Energy Costs Carbon
• Equivalent average Cambridge homes powered 962

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ACTION Turn off LCD Display on VoIP phone

• SAVINGS Electricity, Energy Costs Carbon
• Equivalent average Cambridge homes powered 6

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ACTION Print Smarter - Print Duplex SAVE PAPER!

• Estimated ANNUAL SAVINGS from 20 Athena Clusters
• 4.3 million pages
• 864 cases of paper
• 29,000 in paper cost

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Lighting

• Quick Facts
• Lighting accounts for 32 of MITs electricity
  use
• Accounting for about 26,000 tons of CO2 emissions
  in 2007
• Which is the total annual energy use of about
  1800 Cambridge residents
• At a total cost of 8.6 million in 2007
• During approximately one-third of the time that
  the lights are on in a room, it is unoccupied
• Huge potential savings!

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ACTION Turn off the lights whenever a room is
unoccupied!!
Compiled by Closing the Loop during a study of
Buildings 56 and 16 during June 2008
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sub-ACTION Be vocal about the possibility of
other lighting options in your space

• We dont always have the ability to choose what
  type of lighting we use on campus
• BUT- we can talk to those who are in control
  about other options
• 100 million in cost-saving facilities
  improvements have already been identified,
  including many lighting improvements
• CFL retrofits
• Motion-sensors
• Dimming and daylighting sensors
• Advocate for MIT to invest in a greener campus!
• Please be courteous to your facilities
  representatives

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Fume Hoods Energy Eaters

• Studies suggest that 75,000 fume hoods in the US
  cost upwards of 3 billion/yr to run Wooliams.
• Fume Hoods use a lot of energy both individually
  and collectively
• MIT has 1147 fume hoods on campus (600 VAV)
• Energy is used for heating, cooling and moving
  the air used in the process of operating fume
  hoods

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Action Shut the Sash!

• Closed Fume Hood Sash
• 300 CFM
• 1500 (5/CFM)
• Efficient use of fume hoods could save Institute
  thousands of /yr

• Open Fume Hood Sash
• 850 CFM
• 4000 (5/CFM)
• One open hood is equivalent to the cost of
  heating a single family home

Closed Fume Hood
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Additional Actions

• Keep fume hoods free of obstacles (wires,
  computers, etc) that will prevent you from
  lowering the sash, especially when not in use
• Work with EHS to optimize the face velocity of
  your Constant Air Volume (CAV) hoods

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Transportation Matters

• Why choose efficient transportation?
• C02 (and other GHG) emissions.
• Commuting
• 22,000 metric tons CO2 per year
• A Methodology for Assessing MITs Energy Use
  and GHG Emissions
• Air Travel
• 38,000 metric tons per year
• MIT Air Travel CO2 Emissions Report
• 27 of MITs annual GHG emissions

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Transportation at MIT

• MIT Programs http//web.mit.edu/facilities/transp
  ortation/
• Incentivizing sustainable transit
• reduced parking spaces
• subsidized MBTA passes
• VanPool subsidy program (for employees)
• Outside Programs
• GoLoco
• 196.50 instead of 786 per year to park on
  campus
• Zipcar

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ACTION Prioritize and minimize air travel

• EXAMPLE Roundtrip LAX to BOS
• 5,207 mi
• 1,550 lbs CO2

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ACTION Use alternate transportation for
commuting from home to MIT

• Use MBTA
• Carpool
• Walk or bike
• Rent use of a car

Savings calculator http//www.publictransportatio
n.org/contact/stories/calculator_08.asp
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ACTION Use a fuel efficient car

• http//www.fueleconomy.gov/
• From the DOE find cars with best fuel efficiency
  that meet specific needs
• http//www.greenercars.org/
• Rates cars based on both their fuel efficiency
  and their tail-pipe emissions (though it charges
  a fee)

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Zero Waste Event Planning

• Quick Facts
• Each individual 1.5 tons of solid waste per
  year about 4.5 pounds per person, per day
  90,000 pounds of trash in lifetime
• Landfills rank 2 in highest greenhouse gas
  emissions in the US (after fossil fuel
  combustion)
• 58 of municipal waste (by weight) are packaging
  and containers, or disposable products such as
  paper and plastic cups and plates, junk mail,
  trash bags, and tissue papers and towels

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ACTION Plan events with zero/limited waste from
advertising and the event

• Advertising
• Use electronic resources, Tech, poster with
  already used paper
• Event Waste
• Send handouts electronically, use
  whiteboard/blackboard, reusable tacks, computer
  at entrance, be creative in decorations, display
  recycling, hide trash
• Energy Conservation
• Look for LEED certified rooms, purchase renewable
  energy credits, make sure bike racks and public
  transportation are available
• Participant Education
• Mention before and during event, provide visual
  and verbal

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ACTION Be creative and work with caterers to
plan event

• Servingware
• Recyclable, compostable, reusable
• Excess food
• Compost, donate, free-food_at_mit.edu
• Finger food is always easy
• Please see zero waste guide and feel free to
  contact me kathreen_at_mit.edu if you have any
  questions

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Working with On-Campus Caterers

• Use Bon Appetit, TechCatering, or hold your event
  at the MIT Faculty Club
• Eliminates vehicle emissions
• Flexibility in greening events
• Supports the dining system
• Things to request
• Bulk beverages (juice, lemonade, etc)
• Linen instead of paper
• Post-event pick-up

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OPPORTUNITIES Drop-off Caterers

• TechCatering
• Uses some local suppliers and low-carbon
  distribution channels
• Linen, China, Reusable Utensils available
• Bon Appétit
• Ingredients are from sustainable, local sources
• Compostable goods offered, if building allows
• Lunch boxes are from 100 recycled fibers
• China rental available
• Linens at no extra charge

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OPPORTUNITIES Event Catering

• TechCatering/Bon Appétit for Events
• MIT Faculty Club
• On-premise events eliminate transport, food waste
  is composted
• Monthly Specials from New England Ingredients
• Organic, natural meat and poultry offered,
  seafood from sustainable fisheries
• Large event leftovers to Greater Boston Food Bank
• Compostable paper and plastic ware offered,
  compostable trash bags used

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Recycling at MIT

• Why does MIT recycle?
• The Massachusetts Waste Ban requires it
• Reduces environmental impact
• Lowers costs for disposal
• Keeps materials out of landfills
• Its the responsible thing to do

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Recycling saves money and resources

• MITs 40 recycling rate saves
• 24,576.51 cubic yards of landfill space
• 6,441 pulpwood trees
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 909.91 tons
• Over 265,000 in tipping fees

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The Dos of Recycling

• What does MIT recycle?
• Paper
• Plastic and glass
• Aluminum and steel
• Electronics
• Cardboard
• Construction materials
• Yard waste

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Some things contaminate recycling

• What dont we recycle?
• Pizza boxes if there is oil on the box
• Hardcover books
• Styrofoam
• Waxed cardboard
• Tissues, paper towels and napkins

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Single Stream

• Whats new at MIT?
• Cans and bottles cango into desk-side bins
• Program began in August
• Its now in 16 buildings
• Will continue to expand

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Practice the three Rs

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Tips
• Place recycling bins next to all trash cans
• Make your own recycling containers
• Give a second life to a container
• Use the back side of printed sheets as notepads
• Pass along stuff you dont use any more
• Be elegant and use real dishes and cloth napkins

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Part Two Our Places
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Greening Your Space Office

• Suggested Actions
• - Turn off lights when not in use, especially at
  the end of the day
• - Put computers on sleep/hibernate mode and turn
  monitors off
• - Turn off office equipment at the end of the
  day/use the energy saving mode
• - Report energy problems to Facilities via SAPWeb
  check Energy Conservation flag!
• - Maximize existing recycling options
• - Purchase environmentally preferable office
  products
• - Choose more sustainable catering options
• - Make use of MIT commuter programs
• - Create an office Green Team to engage the
  entire office!
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Greening Your Space Dorm

• Suggested Actions
• Turn off lights, heat/AC when not in use.
• Bring reusable eating-ware to dorm events.
• Shop with reusable bags.
• Wash clothes in cold water (Bright Colors
  setting).
• Recycle.
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Greening Your Space Laboratory

• Suggested Actions
• Shut the sash (fume hoods)
• Turn off lights
• Use power management for CPUs monitors
• Turn off equipment when not in use
• Chemical inventories
• Non-toxic chemical alternatives
• Print smarter - print duplex SAVE PAPER!
• Recycle
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Greening Your Space Class Room

• Suggested Actions
• Use Power Management for CPUs Monitors
• Turn off LCD Display on VoIP phone
• Print Smarter - Print Duplex SAVE PAPER!
• Turn off lights
• Recycle
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Greening Your Space Events

• Suggested Actions
• Advertising Use electronic resources, Tech,
  poster with used paper
• Event Waste Send handouts electronically, use
  whiteboard/blackboard, reusable tacks, computer
  at entrance, be creative in decorations, display
  recycling, hide trash
• Energy Conservation Look for LEED certified
  rooms, purchase renewable energy credits, make
  sure bike racks and public transportation are
  available
• Participant Education Mention before and during
  event, provide visual and verbal
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Greening Your Space Transportation

• Suggested Actions
• Avoid air travel whenever possible
• Carpool or use public transportation whenever
  possible
• Use hybrid vehicles
• Use manually powered vehicles (bikes, yourself)
• Educate yourself on ways to improve driving
  efficiency
• Barriers to Action
• Additional Action Ideas
• How can you be engaged?

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Wrap Up
Request a greeningMIT workshop in your department
(niamhk_at_mit.edu)

• Ah-ah moments?
• Any worst fears confirmed?
• Essential things we all need to move forward?
• Express your interest in joining our
  green-ambassadors_at_mit.edu network
• Download some tips and tools from
• http//mit.edu/mitei/campus/ Tips and Tactics
• http//web.mit.edu/workinggreen/
• Get your Sustainability Tool Kit at
• http//mit.edu/environment/reduce/sustainability
• Send feedback to be-green_at_mit.edu