Purpose: There is a great interest in developing eco-friendly operations as alternative uses of resources in the university campus, making the employment of technologies more sustainable. Practices such as energy management and efficiency initiatives have been encouraged to meet these sustainability goals. The purpose of this paper is to describe…

Purpose: Energy consumption and renewable energy sources are included in the goals for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) agenda, and target buildings are the biggest electricity consumers. In turn, Netzero energy buildings (NZEB) contribute to achieve SDG7 goals. This paper aims to identify which Brazilian higher education…

The continued and substantial increase in technological resources generates a new concept of education that utilizes online resources -- blended learning. Blended learning represents a combination of face-to-face experiences and online learning experiences. The advantage of this multiple-method approach is that it offers the opportunity to achieve…

Perhaps more than many other industries, today's universities and colleges are beset by dramatically rising costs on every front. One of the areas where overhead can be contained or reduced is in the operation of the chilled water systems that support air conditioning throughout college campuses, specifically the cooling towers. Like many…

Like most schools, College of William and Mary is not shy about touting its amenities. The Webpage that advertises the college's housing and dining options begins with, "Wireless and Starbucks? Thomas Jefferson never had it this good." Advertising of this sort is a double-edged public-relations sword. Colleges and universities clearly want to…

Colleges and universities have been among the leaders nationwide in adopting green initiatives, partly due to their demographics, but also because they are facing their own budget pressures. Virtualization has become the poster child of many schools' efforts, because it provides significant bang for the buck. However, more and more higher…

Nearly every institution is faced with the situation of having to reduce the cost of a construction project from time to time through a process generally referred to as "value engineering." Just the mention of those words, however, gives rise to all types of connotations, thoughts, and memories (usually negative) for those in the…

When schools and universities look at saving energy in their facilities, they are likely to review the efficiency of their heating and cooling systems, or the quality of their building envelopes. When facility managers focus attention on school bathrooms, they are more likely to consider issues such as cleanliness and safety as more critical than…

Building a new green campus and adopting a philosophy of sustainability is exciting, but if not done properly, it is not always the wisest decision. As one considers the education, health, and safety of a campus community, along with its business objectives, one may discover that there are numerous ways to make the campus more sustainable without…

Provides tips on using air filtration to control indoor air quality in educational facilities, including dedicated spaces with unique air quality conditions such as in libraries, museums and archival storage areas, kitchens and dining areas, and laboratories. The control of particulate contaminants, gaseous contaminants, and moisture buildup are…

Explores roofing options that can help control energy costs through use of highly reflective roofing materials. Additionally discussed is the "Urban Heat Island" phenomenon created when several super-heated buildings are clustered in a small area. (GR)

A new variable air volume system in a highrise educational building cut fuel bills $50,000 in the first year. (Author/MLF)

Canvas awnings are cutting down significantly on energy costs at Northeast Missouri State University's Administration and Humanities Building. (Author/MLF)

A retail bookstore and offices for the University of Minnesota's admissions and records department are housed in Williamson Hall. Some 95 percent of the floor area lies below grade; however, window arrangement permits a view of the outdoors or sunlight from almost every part of the building. (Author/MLF)

Describes how library staff at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University cleaned up materials after a mold bloom in the rare book room. Includes advice for controlling mold: set up a hygrothermograph, clean dust from books, set up fans, do a "skin" test at regular intervals, keep windows closed, have dehumidifiers available.…