University looks to add up savings from sustainability

Six months ago, Oregon State University painters might have poured surplus paint down the drain, thrown empty cans away and kept their shop heated even during the evening when no one was there.

A lot has changed since they started working with Brandon Trelstad, OSU’s new sustainability coordinator.

Painters now recycle metal paint cans, buy quarts when needed instead of gallons of paint, use 30 percent recycled paper, donate extra paint and supplies to non-profit organizations, and check an electricity meter to monitor their energy consumption.

Helping the environment isn’t the only benefit to reducing waste, they’ve found.

“The simplest things can sometimes save you tons of money,” said Charles Vail, OSU’s building trades coordinator, pointing to a $5 nozzle they attached to a hose that increases water pressure and reduces the water bill.

OSU hired Trelstad full-time in November, though he’s been working on sustainability issues on campus for several years. He’s part of Facilities Services’ Division of Environmental Health and Safety.

Trelstad, 26, graduated from OSU in 2001 with a degree in environmental science. He’s now focused on designing and implementing the university’s sustainability strategic plan and environmental management system.

Trelstad works with students, faculty and staff, as well as local businesses and government agencies, to find ways for OSU to reduce its impact on the environment.

In addition to his work in OSU’s paint shop, he’s pursuing a variety of sustainability projects on campus.

Whenever new buildings are constructed, or existing buildings receive extensive renovations, Trelstad advocates for “green,” LEED-certified projects. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It’s a voluntary national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

Trelstad is working with students on a proposed Memorial Union green roof that will clean and slow rainwater runoff. This water can be stored, and then used to hydrate the roof during drier months.

Trelstad is also urging OSU to install thermal curtains in the east portion of the campus greenhouse.

The curtains would act as insulating blankets, keeping the plants cool during the summer and warm during the winter.

The project would cost about $35,000, but Trelstad said the curtains would pay for themselves in five years because of the savings in natural gas.

When it comes to environmentally friendly upgrades, many improvements require initial investments but save money in the long-term, noted Linda Hunn.

Hunn, program assistant in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, coordinates OSU’s sustainability group.

When the group started in 2001, 30 people or groups were on the e-mail list. Now that number exceeds 300, which Hunn sees as evidence that more people are becoming committed to protecting the environment.

“You can’t pick up a newspaper without seeing an article on global warming or peak oil. Those two things in particular are encouraging people to take personal initiatives to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and look for alternative means of transportation,” she said.

Hunn is particularly happy with the campus energy audits spearheaded by Trelstad and other members of the sustainability group.

The Energy Resource Project, a Benton County-funded program of the Corvallis Environmental Center, recently toured several buildings on campus.

The energy auditors offered free recommendations on ways to make these buildings more efficient, including checking windows for air leaks and turning off the cooling units on water fountains.

OSU has also partnered with Chevron to retrofit some existing buildings with energy-saving features. Chevron will fund the upgrades, and OSU will pay Chevron back over time out the money these upgrades save.

Other sustainability efforts target the OSU Motor Pool, including reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles, using biodiesel whenever possible and switching to hybrid or electric when buying new university-owned vehicles.

Trelstad is also working with an OSU business class to design the new People’s Park.

The original green space was displaced by Kelley Engineering Center, and it will be relocated between Milam and Gilkey halls. He hopes the project will break ground this summer.

Trelstad believes universities that teach classes about global warming and other environmental issues have a duty to lead the way in reducing the impact humans have on the Earth.

“If we’re going to be teaching sustainability, we need to look at how OSU runs the campus from an operations point of view. We’ve got to walk the talk,” Trelstad said.

On the Net

For more information about OSU’s sustainability efforts, see http://www.oregonstate.edu/sustainability .

Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.net or 758-9518.