WIU, Palmer and Hamilton have ‘green’ initiatives, too

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By Alma Gaul | Saturday, March 22, 2008 |

When Macomb-based Western Illinois University renovates the first building on its Moline riverfront campus, it will do so according to high environmental standards, said Charles Darnell, Western’s physical plant director.

The design for retrofitting the former Deere & Co. test facility should be complete by August and, if funding follows soon thereafter, construction could be completed in two years, he said.

The retrofitting is expected to achieve the “silver” level of the U.S. Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification, including such energy-efficient features as a geothermal heating and cooling system, he said.

Western also hopes to sponsor an eco-day on the riverfront campus in June.

These are two ways WIU is promoting sustainability.

Overall, Western has taken a route similar to Augustana College in Rock Island and the Eastern Iowa Community College District by involving its campus community in discussions on what to do to be more sustainable, Darnell said.

A sustainability committee comprised of faculty, students and staff was established in 2006 and is in the process of finishing up a vision/mission statement.

“You start out wanting to save the world, and in the end it’s enough to be the best you can,” said Darnell, who also serves as co-chair of the sustainability committee.

In addition to drafting the statement, the college’s physical plant prepared an energy management plan with four specific goals, including a pledge that all new buildings meet the “silver” standard of LEED certification.

And Western has signed onto the Illinois Sustainable University Compact, a document drafted by the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council, appointed in 2005 by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In signing the compact, Western pledged to meeting eight of 12 goals by Dec. 31, 2010, such as completing at least one stormwater management project, increasing recycling by 15 percent and composting 5,000 cubic yards of organic waste generated on campus.

“Half we were already doing, and the others we were thinking about doing,” Darnell said.

Western did not sign the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, preferring instead to develop its own programs, he added.

But Western is participating in a pilot program organized by the group behind the commitment to develop a rating tool for sustainability efforts that could be used by institutions across the country. Developing the tool is important because it will help institutions see whether they actually are making progress.

Palmer, Hamilton

Here is what two other Quad-City colleges are doing:

-- Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport — Palmer’s environmental emphasis is on using the opportunities that come up during renovation and construction projects, said Bob Lee, vice chancellor for support services.

The new Academic Health Center completed last year, for example, incorporated some $60,000 in energy-efficient upgrades. For its efforts, the college qualified for a $30,000 rebate from MidAmerican Energy Co. and will receive payback in one year, Lee said.

A consultant who evaluated the project said that some measures, such as geothermal energy, did not make economic sense. “The number of wells that would have to go on top of the hill here was so substantial that the payback was decades (away),” Lee said.

Since 2004, Palmer has been using recycled paper and biodegradable inks for all print materials used college-wide by its three campuses — atop Brady Street Hill in Davenport, in Florida and in California.

-- Hamilton Technical College, Davenport — Because Hamilton has only the one building, its opportunities are not as large as other colleges, but it, too, has taken steps toward being more environmentally friendly, director Mark Christy said.

Those include trying to turn lights off when rooms are not in use, using setback thermostats, relying on environmentally gentle cleaning materials and by recycling paper.

To read the other stories in the series