UI's sustainability program recognized

The University of Iowa Facilities Management has received APPA’s 2013 Sustainability Award. The award from APPA recognizes the campus facilities management department that has integrated sustainable policies and “green” practices throughout all facets of the organization and embedded them within the educational institution.

The focus of the APPA Sustainability Award is to measure the current level and effort of a facilities management department and the integration with the academic curriculum of the institution. Schools must have demonstrated the ability to look at the organization as a whole, focus on what is important to the enterprise, with the goal of improving overall performance and leadership in sustainable initiatives. APPA is an association of educational facilities professionals.

Highlighted in the UI’s application are outstanding efforts in the areas of education and curriculum, leadership and administration, maintenance and operations, energy and utilities management, planning and construction, sustainability measurements, and innovative achievements.

Sustainability successes at the UI include:

• Energy conservation efforts have kept absolute energy consumption on campus level, despite campus growth.
• The Biomass Fuel Project is developing a diverse and locally-available renewable fuel portfolio, not dependent on one type or source.
• Six Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings have been added to the campus recently. The Information Technology Facilitybecame the first building on campus to earn LEED Platinum certification, the highest environmental designation by the United States Green Building Council. The College of Public Health Building became the first academic building on campus to receive the Platinum certification.
• The award-winning Energy Control Center realizes over $500,000 per year in energy savings.
• A new single stream recycling program and food waste composting programs at student dining halls and the UI Hospitals and Clinics cafeterias are diverting thousands of tons of waste from the landfill.
• The popular undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability has more than 140 students enrolled and sustainability classroom offerings continue to grow.

In 2010, UI President Sally Mason announced the UI “ 2020 Vision: The University of Iowa’s Sustainability Targets,” which are campuswide goals to expand sustainability efforts in several key areas of operations, research, education, and outreach.

This is the fifth APPA award that UI Facilities Management has received in six years. Facilities Management had previously been recognized with APPA’s Innovative & Effective Practices Award for the Biomass Fuels Project, the Route 66 Safety Program, the Energy Control Center and the Energy Hawks Program. APPA-Leadership in Educational Facilities is the largest international association of educational institutions and their facilities and physical plant departments with over 7,000 active professionals.

For more information about the UI’s sustainability program, see sustainability.uiowa.edu/.