LEED Green Building Rating System Silver Standard Adopted
In June of 2006 the Oberlin College Board of Trustees adopted a policy that all new construction and major renovations on campus have to be designed and built in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver standard. The adoption of this standard will significantly reduce the use of resources on campus in the future, as the built spaces will both be built more efficiently and perform more efficiently.
Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies
The Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies (AJLC) was one of the first and most innovative green buildings on a college campus. It helped launch the green building movement of the mid 1990’s and its innovative systems have since inspired green buildings in many other locations and settings.
Living Machine Wastewater Treatment System
The Living Machine processes wastewater into reusable grey water via the natural cleansing methods that occur in a wetland—plants, bacteria, protozoa, and other aquatic microorganisms are used to clean and condition the water for reuse. It is located in the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies, and it is operated by a group of about 10 students. The Living Machine provides excellent opportunities for Oberlin College students and the community to explore issues of wastewater, wetland ecology, microbiology and plant dynamics.
SEED House
In the fall of 2006 a group of students brought the idea of a sustainable living theme house called SEED — that is, Student Experiment in Ecological Design to the administration. The first phase of renovations were conducted in the summer of 2007 and students moved into the house in fall ’07. Additional renovations and retrofits are anticipated over the coming years. The house accommodates a total of eight students and is designed to spread the advantages of sustainable living into the local community. The SEED House is across from the Allen Art Museum at 20 and 22 E. Lorain St.
Solar Parking Pavilion
The installation of a new solar parking pavilion adjacent to the existing photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of the innovative Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies makes Oberlin College the home of the largest PV array in Ohio, with a total rated production of 159 kW. By using the solar energy produced by the PV array, the college avoids using other resources necessary to produce electricity.
Local Wetland Restoration and Research
The college has provided land and support for the creation of six experimental wetland restoration cells on the George Jones Memorial Farm, a college-owned organic farm. These wetland cells have been created through a partnership between various professors at the college and the New Agrarian Center—an Oberlin alum’s non-profit that manages the farm. This project was undertaken to assess the ability to successfully restore previously-existing Ohio wetlands.
Native Ecosystem landscaping
The grounds surrounding the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies integrate native ecosystems into the landscaping. The main feature of the grounds is a restored wetland that serves as a repository for native species diversity. The wetland incorporates 50 emergent and open-water wetland plants, all endemic to Ohio. Three species of native cacti thrive in the rock garden surrounding the building, and there are local deciduous trees planted throughout the grounds. The lawn areas are the only areas planted with species that are not local to Ohio, but in contrast to most other commercial lawns the development of a diverse and multi-species assemblage is encouraged.
Butterfly Garden
In celebration of Earth Day in 2006, the College Recyclers began the installation of a butterfly garden on South Campus. The Recyclers selected plants in consultation with the Grounds Department and various professors in the Environmental Studies Program and the Biology Department. The Recyclers plan to continue the expansion of this project each year in celebration of Earth Day.
Green Cleaning Chemicals
Oberlin has recently switched to the use of an environmentally-friendly multi-purpose cleaner called H2Orange2 made by Envirox. The new cleaning solutions are hydrogen peroxide based and are biodegradable. The product is far less toxic than typical cleaning solutions due to the elimination of chemicals used in common janitorial cleaning products (phosphates, high pH detergents, alcohols, ammonia, amines, chlorine bleach, APE’s, acids, caustics, quaternary ammonium compounds, dyes, and fragrances). The new multi-purpose cleaner is equally effective as a sanitizer to less environmentally-friendly products, and it is non-toxic to humans and aquatic life.
Carpet Recycling and Vendor Selection
Oberlin College both purchases and recycles all of the carpet on campus through Legacy Commercial Flooring. In 2003 the college won the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services STS Recycler of the Year Award for the amount of carpet it recycled. Over the past four years, Oberlin has recycled 177,057 square feet of used carpet (equal to 111,507 lbs). According to the Antron Reclamation Program Calculator, this is equivalent to a savings of 208.8 cubic yards of landfill space, 112,136.1 gallons of water, 184,434.4 pounds of CO2, and 1,227,418,143 BTUs of energy. Through recycling its old carpets and in turn buying carpet from the company, Oberlin reduces the necessity to extract new resources by both keeping its old carpet out of landfills and also helping to create economic demand for recycled-content carpets.
No VOC Paints Used in All Campus Buildings
Oberlin College uses Sherwin Williams Harmony paints in all campus buildings. These paints have no odor, no silicates, and no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Oberlin protects the health of the campus community by carefully selecting products such as these that will not negatively impact indoor air quality.
Phylis Litoff Building
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is currently planning what will be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified music facility in the world. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2008.
Integrated Pest Management.
Integrated Pest Management Practices are used to manage the College’s grounds. Trained Grounds Specialist in 5 campus zones monitor plants constantly. Diseases and Pests are identified when the pest population is small and the plant is examined as a holistic living system. Cultural practices are corrected to improve the plant health. For example, the plant is treated by correcting water deficiencies, lowering root temperatures or by mulching or pruning diseased branches. The area is examined for beneficial insects that could control the target pest. When cultural practices are in place to the best degree our resources will permit, the plant’s value is evaluated. If the plant can be replaced by a resistant variety, it is removed and replaced. Plants that are valuable are monitored. The pest is left unmolested until the injury exceeds the economic damage threshold. Past the economic damage threshold the infestation is judged to be an imminent threat to a college asset. At this point chemical controls are used. Action is taken decisively, controlling the problem when pest populations are small. Low residual, target specific materials are used according to label directions.