Proposals should include:

1. A description of the project and its intended outcome, including criteria for evaluating its success in meeting its goals, and with an explanation of any independent funding secured by the applicants
2. Project participants, identifying project leadership and their responsibilities
3. The target beneficiary audience
4. A detailed time line, including a start date and anticipated implementation schedule
5. Specific cost and savings estimates, and
6. A sponsorship letter, expressing support for the project from the sponsoring department chair and/or center head.

Penn Green Fund
Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services
3101 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6289

OR

Email sustainability@upenn.edu with the subject “Penn Green Fund Submission”

1. Who can apply to the Penn Green Fund?
Current Penn students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply to the Green Fund. Applicants are required to obtain a letter of sponsorship from the director of their departments or centers.

2. What is the maximum/minimum amount of money my project can receive?
The maximum allocation is $50,000, but if you contact the Green Campus Partnership (sustainability@upenn.edu), we can discuss the potential of additional funding.  There is no minimum grant award requirement.

3. What criteria are used in determining which projects are awarded?
Each project will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Impact on Penn’s carbon emissions, or other environmental benefits
2. Savings to the University
3. Overall project cost

While awarding creativity and innovation, priority will be given to projects with results that are:

1. Able to demonstrate a quantifiable return on investment
2. Applicable across campus
3. Effective in educating or changing behavior at Penn
4. Focused directly on Penn’s campus, including the University City campus, New Bolton Center, and the Morris Arboretum
5. Interdisciplinary, and engage multiple stakeholders within the Penn community.

5. Can I reapply for funds if I want to do my project again next year?
No.  The purpose of this fund is to be a one-time funding.  This fund is to help get projects off the ground and to provide funds for a pilot project that otherwise could not be funded.

6. If I don’t work directly with a school or center, what should I do?
The Green Campus Partnership will assist in finding a school or center to sponsor your project to help transfer funds required for implementation.  Please contact sustainability@upenn.edu.

7. If my project is partially funded by another source, can I apply for money from this fund?
This funding is meant to help support projects that would not happen otherwise.  Partial funding is available at the discretion of the review committee.

8. I am struggling to find a way to quantify the environmental benefits of my project, can someone help me?
The Green Campus Partnership can assist in determining the environmental benefits of projects, and determining the environmental metric that should be used, such as metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE) reduced, gallons of water saved, or energy saved.

9. If my project does not have direct cost savings, can I still apply?
Yes, projects will be considered both on the basis of environmental improvement, education, or behavior change, as well as utility cost reduction.

10. If I am unsure about some of the costs, can I put estimates and then clarify those costs later?
Estimated data is acceptable, but should be indicated as such in the application.

• Green Campus Partnership: Dan Garofalo, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
  
• Facilities and Real Estate Services: Marilyn Jost, Exec. Director of Finance and Administration
• Office of the Provost:  Andrew Binns, Associate Provost for Education
• Business Services:  Max Zahniser, Director of Sustainability
• Penn Professional Staff Association:  Taylor Berkowitz, Senior Planner, Facilities and Real Estate Services
• School of Arts and Sciences:  Ramin Sedehi, Vice Dean
• School of Design:  Yun Kyu Yi, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Design
• Undergraduate Assembly:  Sam Bieler
• Graduate and Professional Student Assembly: Anurakt Jain WG'12

FALL 2011 PROJECTS

• Business Services: Ice Rink Water Density System
• Dept. of Chemistry: Chemical Inventory & Waste Management System
• Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science: Penn Sustainability Journal
• Dept. of Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics: One Towel at a Time - Ozone Washing Machines at Pottruck
• New Bolton Center: Murphy Laboratory Building Energy Audit
• Penn Student Services: PennCycle Bike-Sharing Pilot
• Transportation Services: PennRoutes Shuttle Efficiency System
• Urban Nutrition Initiative: Franklin's Farmers

SPRING 2011 PROJECTS

• Chi Omega Sorority: Chi 2 Omega Water Conservation Project
• Penn Children's Center: Urban Garden Improvements
• Perelman School of Medicine: "Freezer Week" Laboratory Freezer Competition

FALL 2010 PROJECTS

• Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: Zellerbach Theater LED Spotlight Installation
• Business Services: Electric Charging Stations for Car-Sharing Vehicles
• Civic House: Green Acorn Promotional Partnership
• Information Systems & Computing: Desktop Power Management
• Morris Arboretum: Organic Compost Tea Program
• Penn Women's Center: Environmental Education Kitchen
• Vice Provost for University Life Facilities: Williams Hall Ground Floor Classroom LED Installation

SPRING 2010 PROJECTS

• Annenberg Public Policy Center: Worm Composting Project
• Charles Addams Hall: Shades of Green
• Department of Chemistry: Laboratory Glass and Metal Recycling
• New Bolton Center: Energy Efficiency and Sub-Metering Project
• College Housing and Academic Services: Quad Room Heating and Cooling Occupancy Sensors
• School of Veterinary Medicine: Stormwater Harvesting
• Greening of The Castle Fraternity House
• Translational Research Lab: Power Factor Correction
• Morris Arboretum: Warmth From Waste Wood

FALL 2009 PROJECTS

• Penn Environmental Group: Green Acorn Certification Program
• Mayer Hall Composting
• Penn Garden
• College House Energy Competition
• Morris Arboretum: Going Greener - Point A to Point B
• Sigma Chi Fraternity: Window Restoration - 3809 Locust Walk
• University City District: 40th Street Sustainability Smackdown
• School of Medicine: Lighting Analysis and Implementation
• Division of Public Safety: Purchase of T3-Series Three-Wheeled Electric Vehicle

BUSINESS SERVICES
ICE RINK WATER DENSITY SYSTEM

• Installation of a water density system for the Penn Ice Rink that will reduce the Rink's energy usage and provide an improved ice product to customers.
• Project Leader: Paul Caron
• Project Sponsor: Brian Shaw, Director of Transportation & Parking, Business Services

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL INVENTORY & WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Purchase of a 2-year University-level site license for a Chemical Inventory management system bar-code reader technology. The system will greatly improve Penn's ability to reduce the purchase of hazardous chemicals and reduce the University's hazardous waste stream. This pilot project within the Department of Chemistry will ideally expand to other departments, schools, and centers.
• Project Leaders: Matthew Finucane, Executive Director, Environmental Health & Radiation Safety (EHRS) & Matthew Lane, Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Science Operations for the Department of Chemistry
• Project Sponsor: Matthew Lane, Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Science Operations for the Department of Chemistry

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
PENN SUSTAINABILITY JOURNAL

• Establishment of a peer-reviewed undergraduate journal on sustainability. The project team has put together a Faculty Advisory Board, which has representation from many schools and centers. The funding would cover the first year of production, including website development, promotions, and publication of the journal.
• Project Leaders: Yaowen Ma and James Teng (students)
• Project Sponsor: Fred Scatena, Professor and Chair, Department of Earth and Environmental Science

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION & INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS (DRIA)
ONE TOWEL AT A TIME: OZONE WASHING MACHINES AT POTTRUCK

• Installation of ozone washing machines at the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, which currently uses eight-year-old traditional washing machines with standard hot water, detergent, and bleach.  Ozone washing technology is a proven cost-saving and environmentally beneficial process. The process involves splitting oxygen atoms to form ozone, which is then injected into the machine’s washwater. Ozone is known for its purifying and sanitizing properties, which kill bacteria and viruses more effectively than conventional chlorinated detergent. By employing patented cold water Ozone washing technology, Pottruck anticipates reducing hot-water utility costs and cutting water consumption.
• Project Leader/Sponsor: Tricia Depoe, Associate Director, Department of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics

NEW BOLTON CENTER
MURPHY LABORATORY BUILDING ENERGY AUDIT

• Funding for an energy audit on an energy-intensive laboratory space at New Bolton Center. The project will build upon a previous Green Fund grant to the New Bolton Center, which installed meters in campus buildings. The grant will also cover the retrofits outlined from the audit.
• Project Leader: Karen Cronin, Business Administrator & Sustainability Director, New Bolton Center
• Project Sponsor: Corinne Sweeney, Associate Dean, New Bolton Center

PENN STUDENT SERVICES
PENNCYCLE: BIKE-SHARE PILOT

• A pilot bike-share program to be headquartered at Hill College House, with potential to expand to other College Houses. Developed in collaboration with the Penn Office of Risk Management & Insurance. Students taking out a bike from PennCycle will be required to watch a safety and security video.
• Project Leaders: Madison Roberts, Chris Crux, Alex Rattray, Jenny Xia, and Elizabeth Cutler (students)
• Project Sponsor: Audrey Edmondson, General Manager, Penn Student Services

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
PENNROUTES SHUTTLE EFFICIENCY SYSTEM

• Development of PennRoutes, a routing system to make Penn Shuttles more efficient and reduce emissions. Penn Shuttle drivers will enter passengers' addresses on a tablet. After all of the passengers are picked up, the driver will hit "start," and the system will automatically compute the shortest route through all the destinations.  The PennRoutes system will also be capable of sending real-time information about the shuttle to Penn Transit; currently communication is done through radio. Penn Transit will also be able to quickly identify the closest shuttle when an off campus pick-up is requested.
• Project Leaders: Ruxin Ho, Yuanjiao Shen, Xiaoting Zheng, Ting Zhou (students)
• Project Sponsor: Matthew Brown, Associate Director of Transportation, Business Services

• Establishment of Franklin’s Farmers, a network of gardeners at Penn who cultivate community, health, and environmental awareness along with fresh fruits and vegetables. These individuals will receive trainings and in return, will donate a portion of their crops for community distribution in West Philadelphia. The group, representing all 12 Schools and Centers, will aim to host 24 gardening workshops and 16 healthy cooking workshops for 600 members of the Penn community throughout 2012. UNI will contribute support and funding for Franklin's Farmers through two student fellows.
• Project Leader: Danny Gerber, Director, Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI)
• Project Sponsor: Ira Harkavy, Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships

• A series of water conservation retrofits at the Chi Omega Chapter house will bridge the 2010-2011 Year of Water and 2011-2012 Year of Games. Retrofits being installed at the Chi Omega house over the summer include low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads, dual flush toilets, and a rain barrel. In addition to the retrofits, Chi Omega will host a pledge-based conservation competition between the eight sororities on campus in conjunction with Fall 2011 Greek Week.
• Project Leader: Elizabeth Qian W’12
• Status: In Progress
  The water conservation retrofits will be installed over the winter break. Chi Omega hopes to tie their competition into the Year of Games.

• The PCC at 31st & Chestnut Streets will add a composter and raised planter beds to the center’s urban garden.
• Project Leaders: Karol DeAngelis, Courtney Gerdes, Maria Puciata
• Status: In Progress
  The garden is flourishing with the help of Penn Children's Center families and staff who have volunteered their time and services on weekends and evenings. Other Penn departments have also assisted with donations of topsoil and mulch, as well as garden design ideas. Raised planter beds were installed in the garden in July 2011 and the composting area was installed in early September 2011.

• Laboratories, with their high air exchange requirements, combined with energy demanding equipment, make research buildings on Penn's campus the highest producers of carbon emissions (37% of total campus emissions). This grant will support Penn’s participation in “Freezer Week,” a competition created by the University of California - Davis to challenge colleges across the country to reduce energy use in research labs. The Freezer Week competition will be based on points gained from participation and completion of items in various surveys. Labs can take part in various activities during Freezer Week: Chill Up (raise freezer temperatures by 10 degrees), Freezer Clean Out, Equipment Retirement/Recycling, and Room Temperature Storage. Incentives and awards will be given to winning and participating labs.
• Project Leader: Heidi Travis, Facilities and Equipment Manager, Perelman School of Medicine
• Status: In Progress
  As of June 2011, 13 labs have participated in the competition by signing up and submitting current freezer use data. Most labs have performed maintenance, recycling, or committing to chill up or unplug a freezer. This project has motivated the start of a large equipment recycling program for the School of Medicine.

• The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will install a new mobile, digital, LED-based system of intelligent follow spotlights to replace its current 40-year-old, energy-intensive system. The project will reduce spotlight energy consumption by approximately 70 percent and provide a return on investment within one year.
• Project Leader: Madison Cario, Director of Operations, Annenberg Center
• Sponsor: Michael Rose, Managing Director, Annenberg Center
• Status: In Progress
  The new spotlights were installed in Spring 2011. Initial feedback from the Annenberg Center has said that the new spotlights work extremely well and are easy to use. A payback schedule is currently being determined and a final report will outline the project’s implementation.

• Penn Parking Services will install charging stations on campus to provide power for electric PhillyCarShare and Zipcar vehicles.
• Project Leader: Brian Shaw, Director of Parking and Transportation, Business Services
• Sponsor: Marie Witt, VP Business Services
• Status: In Progress
  Following the revision of an agreement with the City of Philadelphia, electric cars and chargers will be installed at Lot 19 at the corner of 34th & Chestnut Streets.

• Additional support has been awarded to the Green Acorn Certification Program, a Fall 2009 Green Fund project, to raise awareness of the initiative through an expanded marketing and advertising campaign. A Wharton Management 100 team will collaborate with Green Acorn to develop “Acorn Nuts”, a frequent customer rewards program that will use punch cards to encourage patronage at certified businesses.
• Project Leader: Doug Miller, C’12, Director of Green Acorn
• Sponsor: David Grossman, Director, Civic House
• Status: Complete
  The rewards program will be launched in the Spring 2011 semester. 150 frequent customer cards will be distributed.

• Information Systems & Computing will install a desktop energy management program on 1500-2000 systems that enables departments to minimize desktop energy use while still providing users and I.T. staff the flexibility to access desktops remotely when needed in support of critical off‐hours functions. The program is capable of producing comprehensive reports that capture current power usage and potential savings based on power recommendations.
• Project Leader: Mark Aseltine, Executive Director, Technology Support Services, ISC
• Sponsor: Robin Beck, Vice President, Information Systems & Computing
• Status: In Progress
  The ISC Desktop Power Management initiative aims to reduce power consumption by desktop and laptop computers at Penn, doing so by utilizing the BigFix desktop management service to set and monitor power settings and consumption.  Each organization’s client computers will be managed by either their local support provider or by ISC Support-on-Site Services, who will work with users to ensure that they have appropriate power settings for their use models.  Each client computer that uses power settings recommended by ISC will be eligible for a discounted rate for the BigFix service.  BigFix provides a wealth of data about computers’ settings and power use:
• Each computer’s power settings.
• Estimated power used per computer per day.
• Amount of time a computer has spent in various power states (active, idle, standby, off).
• Aggregated information about computers that have power-savings states (monitor sleep, hard disk sleep, standby mode, hibernate mode) enabled.
• With these data, “BigFix “can also create power-savings estimates for various power states.
• Eligibility for the Green Fund discount will be based on a per-machine opt-in basis by each organization and then by a given computer’s subsequent and ongoing use of power-saving settings and/or managed shutdown schedules to achieve a significant reduction in power usage. Each client organization will receive a Midterm and Final report of its computers’ power settings, average time spent in power states, and other power savings data.  Only computers that meet the power-saving criteria will receive the discounted “BigFix” service, but any computer can continue to use BigFix at its normal price and receive all of the benefits of remote desktop management. This pilot will inform ISC decision-making about a broader implementation of “BigFix".

• Purchase and installation of a compost tea brewing system, and the equipment and training necessary for the implementation of a Sustainable Landscape Management program for the Arboretum. Compost tea (liquid compost extract) is used as an organic alternative to chemical fertilizers, and the new system will greatly reduce the use of pesticides at the Arboretum.
• Project Leader: Justin Jackson, Louise Clark
• Sponsor: Anthony Aiello, Director of Horticulture, Morris Arboretum
• Status: In Progress
  Morris Arboretum staff have begun segregating compost they intend to use later on in the year. As the composting system evolves, they plan to produce premium compost to be used throughout the Arboretum. Staff have taken base soil samples, purchased all the necessary equipment, attended workshops, and have applied the first batch of compost tea.  No synthetic chemicals have been used in the pilot site.

• The Penn Women’s Center will create an environmental education kitchen that will use locally sourced, recycled materials, and ENERGY STAR appliances. Members of the Penn Environmental Group will help script and record podcasts and offer tours and tutorials of the kitchen. The Environmental Education Kitchen has received additional support from the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life and Rose George, author of the Penn Reading Project book The Big Necessity.
• Project Leader and Sponsor: Felicity Paxton, Director, Penn Women’s Center
• Status: In Progress
  Read more about the recently completed Environmental Education Kitchen at the Penn Current and The Daily Pennsylvanian.

• Funding for the installation of LED lighting in 12 heavily used classrooms in Williams Hall. This project is part of a long-term goal of replacing fluorescent and incandescent lighting with LED lighting in all Central Pool classrooms. LED lights will reduce both labor and replacement costs in addition to classroom energy consumption.
• Project Leader: Don Calcagni, Assoc. Director Classroom & VPUL Facilities
• Sponsor: Don Calcagni and Dennis DeTurck, Faculty Chair, Provost’s Classroom Facilities Review Committee
• Status: In Progress
  LED lighting was installed in the 12 classrooms in Williams Hall over the summer of 2011. The results of this pilot will be provided to the Classroom Committee to inform future lighting upgrades and retrofits.

ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER
WORM COMPOSTING PROJECT
The Annenberg Public Policy Center will install a worm composting system to reduce the amount of food waste in the building and to educate staff about the composting process. Compost will be used as fertilizer for both indoor and outdoor plants at the Center.

• Project Leader: Ellen Iwamoto, Content Developer, APPC
• Sponsor: Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Director, APPC
• Status: Completed
  As of the Spring 2011 semester, the collection of food scraps has amounted to about 0.5 to 0.75 gallons per week. Within the next year another collection system will be added. Educational outreach will spur increased participation and as a result, more compost.
  
  

CHARLES ADDAMS HALL
SHADES OF GREEN
The Shades of Green project is an ecological retrofit of Addams Hall. Proposed retrofits focus on energy and water conservation in the most heavily used areas of the building – restrooms and architecture studios. Students will film a documentary during the installation of these retrofits, which will be incorporated into an educational exhibit at Addams.

• Project Leaders:  Laura Bidgman, Joanna Karaman, Tina Xie (Architecture Initiative student group)
• Sponsor: Richard Wesley, Undergraduate Chair, Architecture
• Status: In progress
  The Addams Hall team is in the process of revising the scope of the project.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
LABORATORY GLASS AND METAL RECYCLING
Installation of one 20-yard recycling compactor and one 6-yard trash compactor in the Department of Chemistry loading dock in order to implement a department-wide lab glass and lab metal recycling program. The additional compactor will also increase the department’s capacity to recycle paper, cardboard and commingled materials while reducing the number of pickups from 10-12 to 2-3 per week.

• Project Leader: Matthew Lane, Executive Director, Department of Chemistry
• Sponsor: Department of Chemistry
• Status: Complete
  With the purchase and installation of the recycling compactor, the Department of Chemistry has estimated a 50% increase in the amount of materials recycled. The increased capacity has allowed the Department to implement a department-wide lab glass and lab metal recycling program while also expanding their existing office single-stream recycling program.  Recycling bins for all faculty, staff, and graduate student offices were purchased to encourage increased participation.

NEW BOLTON CENTER
ENERGY EFFICIENCY / SUB-METERING PROJECT
Meter installation at the New Bolton Center to measure energy use.

• Project Leader: Karen Cronin, Business Administrator, New Bolton Center
• Sponsor: Corinne R. Sweeney, DVM, Associate Dean, New Bolton Center
• Status: Complete
  16 meters were installed on the New Bolton Center campus additional meters will be installed incrementally as funding becomes available. The New Bolton Center Green Team has started a center-wide effort to encourage energy efficiency by emailing conservation tips. Additional building data will also be used to raise awareness among building occupants of the cost of their operations.

COLLEGE HOUSING AND ACADEMIC SERVICES
QUAD ROOM HEATING/COOLING OCCUPANCY SENSORS
Installation of thirty occupancy sensors to monitor and control energy for heating/cooling units in the Quad.

• Project Leader: Alan Zuino, Associate Director of Building Operations, Housing Services
• Project Sponsor: Doug Berger, College Housing and Academic Services
• Status: In progress
  The occupancy sensors were installed in August 2010 and data was collected through September 2011. A payback schedule will be determined following the team’s analysis of cost savings and submission of a final report.

SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
STORM WATER HARVESTING
Installation of a 1,000-2,000 gallon storm water collection tank and drought resistant plantings in the Old Vet Quad Courtyard Green Space. SVM will investigate using solar collectors to power the pump in the collection tank. The irrigation system, a combination of drip and other irrigation, would use the filtered storm water.

• Project Leader: Kim Kopple, SVM Director of Planning, Design & Construction
• Project Sponsor: Maureen Harrigtan, Chief Financial Officer, SVM
• Status: In progress
  Project is currently in design.

OFFICE OF FRATERNITY AND SORORITY AFFAIRS
THE GREENING OF THE CASTLE FRATERNITY
Implementation of building energy retrofits for the Castle. The brothers of the Castle will also host a series of educational events about sustainability and their Green Fund project to educate their chapter, the Greek community, and the wider campus community.

• Project Leader: Lambros Theofanidis, C’12
• Project Sponsor: Beth Schnitman-Malm, Associate Director Chapter House Administration and Finance, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs
• Status: In Progress
  Following an energy audit completed by the Energy Coordinating Agency, the project team identified the best areas for improvement at the Castle. Over the summer and winter of 2010, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs oversaw the implementation of steam system improvements, chimney dampers, weather-stripping windows, and lighting sensors. The brothers of the Castle also hosted an informational event to raise awareness of the Green Fund and announce the opening of the third round of applications. Energy consumption is being compared to previous years to identify cost savings.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH LAB
POWER FACTOR CORRECTION
Installation of a 6x100 KVAR automatic capacitor bank at the Translational Research Lab (TRL) to improve the building’s energy performance. A 480 volt secondary switchboard, concrete housekeeping pad and a 1200 amp conduit and cable feeder from the switchboard to the capacitor bank would also be installed as part of the project, which is expected to equal a 10-20% reduction in monthly electrical bills.

• Project Leader: Ed Datz, Facilities and Real Estate Services
• Project Sponsors: Facilities and Real Estate Services and the School of Medicine
• Status: Complete
  A 480-volt secondary switchboard, concrete housekeeping pad, and a 1200-amp conduit and cable feeder from the switchboard to the capacitor bank were installed at TRL as part of the project. Energy consumption is being compared to previous years to identify cost savings.

MORRIS ARBORETUM
WARMTH FROM WASTE WOOD
An EPA-certified hydronic heater unit (an outdoor wood-fired boiler) will heat the Arboretum’s Horticulture Garage through the use of waste wood. Fuel cost savings from the installation of the hydronic heater are expected to equal a 30-50% reduction in consumption.

• Project Leader: Anne Brennan, Natural Areas Manager, Horticulture
• Project Sponsor: Anthony S. Aiello, Director of Horticulture and Curator
• Status: Complete
  The hydronic heater reduced the building’s oil consumption by 66 percent compared to two years earlier. The wood-fueled heater reduced the building’s heating oil demand by 852 gallons and resulted in a savings of more than $2,600 compared to the prior year.

• Green Acorn Facebook Page
• Current: Acorn seals plant the seeds of sustainable business
• Gazette: Granting Green
• Daily Pennsylvanian: Students promote eco-eateries

STOUFFER COLLEGE HOUSE
MAYER HALL COMPOSTING
Originally designed as married student housing, Mayer Hall features apartments with larger kitchens and multiple bedrooms. Students interested in cooking and large apartments gravitate to Mayer Hall, and student leaders there recognized an opportunity to investigate composting as a waste minimization strategy.

• Project Leaders: Alison Feder C'12, Russell Trimmer C'12
• Sponsor: Philip M. Nichols, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Faculty Master of Stouffer College House
• Status: In Progress
  The composting program was officially launched in Spring 2011 after determining project logistics and ideal locations for composting bins. Ten rooms participated in the pilot during the Spring 2011 semester and the program was rolled out to additional apartments in Fall 2011. Compost generated from Mayer Hall residences will be used at Mill Creek Farm and the Penn Garden as needed.

PENN GARDEN
Planning and implementing a demonstration vegetable garden and urban agriculture project on Penn’s campus.

• Project Leaders: Sandra Zhao C'10, Daniel Sanchez SEAS'10, Sam Beattie C'12, Sonja Tonnesen C'10
• Sponsors: Rebecca Weide, University Landscape Planner, Facilities and Real Estate Services and Michael Nairn, Landscape Architect, Department of Urban Studies
• Status: Completed
  • In September 2011, the Penn Garden successfully completed one full year of growing and has began the next academic year in full force.  The growing season ran from mid-April until late-October, and produced over 150 pounds of produce.  Produce was split among those who came to workdays. The co-operative aspect allows volunteers to enjoy the direct product of their hard work and also teaches people that even a small, urban vegetable garden can provide considerable subsistence. The Penn Garden group hopes that this will inspire others to grow their own food and learn more about sustainable urban agriculture and food systems.
  • The Penn Garden Team collaborated with various groups on campus and in Philadelphia.  They procured seven large tree stumps from Fairmount Park for a seating area in the middle of the garden, which is useful for organizing volunteers and creating a sense of community and welcoming. Garden waste is composted in the solar composter on site and the nutrient-rich soil produced is then used in the garden beds. The Garden team also constructed a drip irrigation system using the water supply from Rodin College House.
  • In addition to student volunteers, the Penn Garden has seen numerous volunteers from the greater Penn community, including alumni, students from other universities, students working on campus for the summer, and neighborhood residents. Volunteers are attracted to the garden from numerous sources, from friends, passing by, and from Penn Garden’s participation in the West Philly Gardens Day in September 2010.  The Penn Garden also participated in Food Week and the Fall Festival.  The Penn Garden recently organized a student leadership board, with six positions, to formalize the group.

  Read More:
  

  • Penn Garden Blog
  • Penn Garden Facebook Page
  • Penn Garden Digs In Next To Rodin
  • Daily Pennsylvanian Photo Gallery: Building the Penn Garden
  • Gazette: Granting Green

FELS INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT
COLLEGE HOUSE ENERGY COMPETITION
A managed competition for energy reduction and behavior change in select College Houses.

• Project Leader: Mateo Rando, MGA Candidate, Fels Institute of Govermnent Associate
• Sponsor: David B. Thornburgh, Executive Director, Fels Institute of Government
• Status: Completed
  • The Energy Showdown hosted its first competition in the Spring 2010 semester. The Fels graduate students met with the deans of Harrison and Rodin and with Penn Environmental Group students to discuss the competition and the best avenues for getting the word out about energy conservation. A kick-off Sunday brunch with Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia and attended by about 40 students launched the competition. The Showdown project team ran several outreach events during the competition, such as tabling at Spring Fling and Greenfest.  As part of the competition, students were asked to sign an Energy Pledge and complete an Energy Awareness Pledge. In this first round of the competition which lasted one week, Harrison College House was able to achieve a 6.71% reduction vs. the baseline period, while Rodin achieved a 2.51% reduction.
  • The second round of the Penn Energy Showdown was held in the Fall 2010 semester between Rodin, Harrison, and Harnwell. The competition period was expanded to two weeks, as this was considered in the relevant professional literature to be the optimum duration. Additionally, the competition was selected as a project for Wharton’s Management 100 class, which provided ten freshmen business students to help administer the competition and increased the opportunities for promotion and face-time with College House residents. Promotional events were organized to gather support for the competition. While the project team managed to collect 846 Energy Pledges, this commitment was not reflected in the house energy use data. Only Harrison realized the targeted 5 percent reduction in energy consumption, Harnwell’s decrease was minimal, while Rodin increased their use by 1.7 percent during the competition period.
  • Green Campus Partnership staff met with the project team in January 2011 to discuss improvements to the competition and determine goals for the final competition found, between Harrison and Rodin, in the Spring.  It was recommended that the project team work more closely with RAs/GAs to get program support and to target residents on a floor by floor basis through promotional events. Both houses agreed to present the latest standings on lobby monitors and throughout the college house. The chart below shows the outcome of the Final Spring 2011 competition. While Harrison won the Final competition, both College Houses beat their previous reduction numbers.

SIGMA CHI FRATERNITY
WINDOW RESTORATION - 3809 LOCUST WALK
Energy-saving building envelope improvements for a historic building.

• Project Leader: Mark Kocent, Alumni House Corporation President
• Sponsors: Beth Schnitman-Malm, Associate Director, Chapter House Administration and Finance, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and Bill Turner, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Provost for University Life
• Status: Completed
  Window installation was completed during the Fall 2010 semester and the project’s energy savings are now being evaluated. The project replaced 36 severely deteriorated second and third floor bedroom windows with new insulated wood windows. In addition, 17 oversized windows on the first floor were removed and restored in a careful process that replaced single-pane glass with an insulated unit.  All original hardware, including weights and chains, were restored or replaced as required.  Seven leaded glass windows on the first floor were repaired and custom storm windows were installed to provide protection and additional energy savings. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and Sigma Chi Alumni House Corporation will compare heating and cooling costs for 2011 to the average cost prior to window installation to determine a structured repayment schedule.

Read More: Penn Current: Sigma Chi Windows Go Green

UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT
40TH STREET SUSTAINABILITY SMACKDOWN
A student-led energy efficiency plan for retail merchants in Penn’s off-campus properties along 40th Street.

• Project Leader: Carolyn Hewson, Project Manager, Neighborhood Initiatives, University City District
• Sponsor: Ed Datz, Executive Director of Real Estate, Facilities and Real Estate Services
• Status: Completed
  The 40th Street Sustainability Smackdown was held from October 11 to November 22, 2010. A total of five student teams, comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from Penn’s School of Design and School of Engineering & Applied Science, participated in the competition. Student teams were directed to submit a creative and feasible design to improve total building environmental performance of a designated Penn-owned commercial property on 40th Street, demonstrating how energy and/or other resources could be conserved through integrated solutions. Each team was to develop a design vision and engineering plan for the building they were assigned.  Briefing materials, including CAD floor plans, energy audit data, participating tenants, and equipment were made available to the teams.  The University City District (UCD) worked with the School of Design’s Environmental Planning & Environmental Design (EPED) student club to publicize the competition and organize the information sessions leading up to the competition. First place was awarded to the project team behind ATOP Hamilton Village; runner-up was the project team of Seeking Ground.
  
  Visit the 40th Street Sustainability Smackdown page for more information.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
LIGHTING ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION
Lighting retrofits for School of Medicine buildings, including installation of occupancy sensors and LED fixtures.

• Project Leader: Jennifer Mishkin, Associate Director, Space Planning & Operations, School of Medicine
• Sponsors: Eric M. Weckel, Executive Director, Space Planning and Operations, School of Medicine and Christopher Kops, Vice Dean for Administration and Finance, School of Medicine
• Status: In Progress
  The Perelman School of Medicine has installed approximately 200 LED bulbs in the chandeliers of the John Morgan Building. One of the Perelman School’s oldest and most focal buildings, John Morgan was chosen as the starting point for implementing energy saving measures.  This building offers several opportunities for minimizing energy usage and maintenance costs.  LED track lights for portraits have been installed, and the school is evaluating options for LED fixtures in the large “skylight fixture” which would illuminate the core of its oldest building with LEDs.

DIVISION OF PUBLIC SAFETY
T3 SERIES THREE-WEELED ELECTRIC VEHICLE
A pilot of a high-efficiency electric vehicle to support new security patrols in Penn Park.

• Project Leader: Laurie Fanelly, Director, Finance and Administration, Division of Public Safety
• Sponsors: Maureen Rush, Vice President, Division of Public Safety
• Status: Completed
  The T3 Series Three-Wheeled Electric Vehicle was delivered in the summer of 2010 and rolled out for test drives during move-in. It is currently used to patrol Penn Park and other areas of the eastern edge of campus.

Read More:

• Daily Pennsylvanian: New vehicles help Penn Police fight crime on campus