Policy:       Sustainability: Energy Conservation
Authority:   Sustainability Office
Contact:    Dave Willis, (541) 463-5566         willisd@lanecc.edu

This policy has three major purposes:

1. Conservation of natural resources. As a signatory to the Talloires Declaration, Lane Community College is committed to (a) minimizing its negative impact on the environment by reducing consumption of energy and (b) moving toward use of renewable energy sources.
   
   
2. Utility cost avoidance. Funds not spent on energy consumption may be reallocated to college programs and services, including resource conservation and sustainability programs and initiatives.
   
   
3. Comfortable work/study conditions. Although energy conservation is the focus of this policy, comfortable work and study conditions must also be achieved.
   

Therefore, the college shall:

1. Make annual measurable progress toward energy independence through conservation, use of efficient systems, life-cycle purchasing,and use of on-site renewable resources;
   
   
2. Establish and use building resource management guidelines, lighting guidelines, and temperature guidelines that maintain reasonable comfort while minimizing energy consumption;
   
   
3. Incorporate sustainable practices into construction and remodeling projects to reduce future energy costs by using the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System and the State Energy-Efficient Design program;
   
   
4. Purchase ENERGY STAR products in all areas for which such ratings exist and which meet functional specifications and requirements, whenever practical;
   
   
5. Improve energy efficiency in existing buildings by using the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings Rating System; and
   
   
6. Educate, train, and support the college community in methods to support the goals stated above.
   

Definition(s):

• Building Resource Management:  Scheduling building heating, cooling, and ventilating equipment so that it only operates when necessary.  This may include consolidating programs into fewer buildings and not operating building systems at all.
  
  
• Energy Star:  Government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. For complete product specifications and updated lists of qualifying products visit www.energystar.gov.  Energy Star purchasing and procurement information is available at https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bulk_purchasing.bus_purchasing).
  
  
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings Rating System:  A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts of existing buildings.  It provides a recognized, performance-based benchmark for building owners and operators to measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale.
  
  
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System:  A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
  
  
• Life-cycle Purchasing:   A method of procurement in which the total cost to the college of acquiring, operating, supporting, and (if applicable) disposing of the items is an integral part of the purchasing decision.  For example, when a computer monitor is purchased, the cost of electricity for the life of the monitor would be factored into the total monitor cost as well as the cost to dispose of the monitor at the end of its life.
   
• State Energy-Efficient Design:  Oregon State program in which the Oregon Department of Energy works with state agencies which are constructing new buildings or renovating buildings to ensure that the buildings exceed the energy conservation provisions of the Oregon State building code by 20% or more.  Per ORS 276.900-915, all new or renovated state facilities must exceed the energy conservation provisions of the Oregon State building code by 20% or more.
  
  
• Talloires Declaration:  Composed in 1990 at an international conference in Talloires, France, this is the first official statement made by university administrators of a commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education.  The Talloires Declaration is a ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities.
  
  
• U.S. Green Building Council:  A national coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.