Produced by Western’s Office of Sustainability

Green Energy Fee Annual Report

2013-2014

Western Washington University

Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Page 2

Green Energy Fee History Page 3

Green Energy Fee Committee Page 4

Guiding Documents Page 5

Staff Page 5

Grant Application & ReportingDocuments

Page 6

Outreach, Workshops, And Events 2013-2014 Page 7

Updates on Projects Funded Prior to 2013-2014 Page 13

Projects Funded In 2013-2014 Page 17

Financial Summary Page 18

Strengths Challenges Opportunities Threats (SCOT) Analysis Page 21

Appendix I: Green Energy Fee Grant Program Goals and Outcomes 2014-2015 Page 22

Appendix II: Green Energy Fee Grant Program Educational Outcomes and Benefits – Assessment 2013-2014

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GREEN ENERGY FEE ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

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INTRODUCTION

The Green Energy Fee Grant Program is a Western Washington University grant program that enables the campus community to apply for funding to implement sustainable initiatives on campus. The Green Energy Fee (GEF) is funded by Western students, managed by the Office of Sustainability and grants are chosen by the Green Energy Fee Committee, composed of students, staff and faculty representatives. The program is funded by a mandatory student fee, the Green Energy Fee, and all Western students, faculty and staff are all eligible to apply. The fee is currently set at $0.70/per credit and capped at seven dollars per student per quarter. Annually, the fee collects approximately $300,000 in grant funding.

Mission Statement

The Green Energy Fee (GEF) Grant Program exists to promote experiential learning opportunities and sustainable practices at Western Washington University. This is done through purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates to offset 100% of the electrical consumption of the university as well as the funding of innovative student-driven projects. Projects funded through the Green Energy Fee Program are evaluated based on their ability to:

Increase Student Involvement and Education Reduce the University’s Environmental Impact Create and Aware and Engaged Campus Community

Program Overview

The GEF Grant Program offers small and large grant opportunities. This year, the campus community could apply for either a small grant between $500-$2,000, or a large grant between $2,000 and $300,000. Applicant teams must prioritize student involvement and may have up to four people per team. Once funded, the length of time to implement a project depends on the complexity of the project and the number of people and campus divisions that need to be involved in the implementation process. Other means of participating in the Green Energy Fee Grant Program include applying to serve on the Green Energy Fee Committee, submitting ideas for future applicants, volunteering to help promote the program, and taking the Huxley College course, Campus Sustainability Planning Studio. This course revolves around researching sustainable solutions for campus, and the research often functions as a solid template for a Green Energy Fee grant application.

Cross Campus Collaboration

Collaboration is a key aspect of this grant program. Many partners have worked together to make this opportunity available, including the GEF Committee, the Office of Sustainability, the Associated Students, Facilities Management and Facilities Development & Capital Budget.

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GREEN ENERGY FEE HISTORY

Western Washington University’s Green Energy Fee was created in 2005 after the Students for Renewable Energy (SRE) student group worked with the support and assistance of key members in Western's staff, faculty and administration to include the ballot measure in the 2005 elections. The student body approved the initiation of the fee with an 85% approval rate. As a result, Western Washington purchases Renewable Energy Credits to offset all of its carbon emissions from electrical consumption. Student investments through the Green Energy Fee put over 40 million kilowatt hours of domestically-produced, wind-derived energy into the US electrical grid annually. WWU is one of the nation's top-20 buyers of renewable energy among academic institutions as recognized by the US EPA, and was the first institution in the nation to purchase Renewable Energy Credits to offset 100% of its electrical consumption.

In 2010, the Green Energy Fee was renewed and changed to include a grant program. By 2010 the cost of Renewable Energy Credits had decreased. The decision was made to keep the current fee level and incorporate a grant program. The student body once again overwhelmingly supported the continuance of the fee with an 80% approval rate. In the 2010-2011 academic year, the Green Energy Fee (GEF) Grant Program Task Committee created a Program Charge & Charter, the GEF Rules of Operation, a Memorandum of Understanding between Business & Financial Affairs, Student Affairs/Academic Support Services, and the Associated Students (AS), and approved funding for a staff position to begin working on the application process. This staff was placed in the Office of Sustainability. This position created the GEF application packet and process, the proposal selection process, and selection criteria. In May 2011 the first round of funding was allocated for GEF projects. A full listing of GEF projects can be found at http://www.wwu.edu/sustain/programs/gef/projects/.

For the second round of grant proposals, the application was divided into a concept stage and a final application stage. This enables applicant teams to have their idea assessed for review by the Green Energy Fee Committee before time is spent estimating a budget, evaluation metrics and a detailed education plan. Conceptual applications for the second round of projects were accepted in the spring of 2012. In the fall and winter of 2012 the approved applicant teams attended GEF workshops where they fleshed out the details for the final applications. Five project proposals were awarded funding in May of 2013.

Due to the long application, review, and installation process for GEF projects, a supplemental Small Projects Pilot was created in the winter of 2013 and implemented in the spring of 2013. The Small Project Pilot Program was created with the goal to encourage the campus community to apply for GEF Funding by promoting smaller (and hopefully simpler to implement) projects. With an increasing quantity of smaller projects implemented across campus, the GEF program would become more visible, which can help to maintain the success of the program. An increased number of grant cycles would increase the campus community’s access to the GEF program.

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An abbreviated timeline of the GEF history is as follows:

• 2004 Student petition to put Green Energy Fee on ballot created

• 2005 Green Energy Fee passed with 85% approval

• 2005-2010 Funds only used to purchase Renewable Energy Credits

• 2010 Green Energy Fee renewed with 80% approval - changed to include sustainability grant program along with purchase of Renewable Energy Credits

• 2011 First round of Large Grant Projects awarded

• 2012 First round of Large Grant Projects installed

• 2013 Second round of Large Grant Projects awarded

• 2013 Small Grant Pilot Program begins

GREEN ENERGY FEE COMMITTEE

The Green Energy Fee Committee is one of the many committees housed in the Associated Students. The Associated Students (AS) is committed to including student representation in the decisions of the organization and the university. To achieve this, the Green Energy Fee Committee has two students from the AS Board of Directors, and two students at large.

The Green Energy Fee Committee has seven voting members and five advisory members with a student majority. The role of the Committee is to oversee the operations of the Green Energy Fee Grant Program by reviewing project applications, making recommendations concerning the allocation of the Green Energy Fee funds, following up on multi-year projects, evaluating the Green Energy Fee program, recommending changes to the fee level as well as the program as a whole, acting in accordance with the Green Energy Fee Rules of Operation, and upholding the Green Energy Fee’s mission.

The 2013-2014 seven voting members included:

AS Vice President for Student Life (Chair), Robby Eckroth AS Vice President for Academic Affairs (Vice Chair), Josie Ellison 2 Students at-large, appointed by AS Board of Directors, Ashley Selvey, Ellen Zocher (Fall and

Winter quarters), and Megan Broadie (Spring quarter) 2 Faculty representatives, appointed by the Faculty Senate, Grace Wang, Department of

Environmental Studies, Huxley College of the Environment, and Brian Rusk, Department of Geology, College of Sciences and Technology

1 Representative from Business and Financial Affairs, Ed Simpson, Facilities Design and Capital Budget

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The 2013-2014 advisory (non-voting) members included:

AS Environmental &Sustainability Programs Associate Director (non-voting on project selection only), Nina Olivier

AS Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator, Sadie Normoyle Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator, Regan Clover Secretary, AS Board Assistant for Representation Committees, Amy Kleitsch Director of Student Activities, Advisor, Kevin Majkut

GUIDING DOCUMENTS

The Green Energy Fee Grant Program’s guiding documents include the Charger and Charter, Rules of Operation, and Memorandum of Understanding. These guiding documents are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. They have been posted on the Green Energy Fee Grant Program’s website www.wwu.edu/gef under the “About” page for public access:

Charge and Charter (pdf) - last updated 10/17/12 Rules of Operation (pdf) - last updated 9/16/13 Memorandum of Understanding (pdf) - last updated 1/20/11

STAFF

In the 2013-2014 academic year, the grant program had three staff, the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator, the Associated Students (AS) Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator, and the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Outreach Assistant.

AS GEF Education Coordinator, Sadie Normoyle , GEF Grant Program Coordinator, Regan Clover and GEF Education Assistant, Alyssa Mac

Donald at the GEF Annual Expo

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Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator

The Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator serves to coordinate the grant application process, work closely with applicant teams during their application process, work with Facilities Management and other stakeholders on project implementation and serve as a liaison to the Green Energy Fee Committee. This position works 40 hours per week and the salary for this position is paid for out of the Green Energy Fee’s operations funds. The position is housed in the Office of Sustainability and is supervised by the Campus Sustainability Manager.

AS Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator and Green Energy Fee Grant Program Outreach Assistant

The Associated Students (AS) Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator and the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Outreach Assistant are student positions that serve to promote the grant program and educate the campus community about upcoming grant opportunities as well as previously implemented grant projects. Both positions work 10-15 hours per week during the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. The salary for the AS Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator position is paid for out of the Green Energy Fee’s operation funds. This position is supervised in part by the AS Environmental and Sustainability Programs Associate Director, and in part by the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator. The position is housed in both the AS Environmental Center and the Office of Sustainability. The Outreach Assistant position is funded through work study, supervised by the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Coordinator, and housed in the Office of Sustainability.

Responsibilities included hosting outreach tables, hosting informational workshops, speaking to classrooms about the program, conducting the social media outreach for the program, and creating a host of other media and outreach materials. Both positions are responsible for promoting the grant program at the Red Square Info Fair table, the Green Tie Gala, Club Summits, Career Fairs, and the GEF Annual Expo. While the two positions have many overlapping responsibilities, the tasks have been divided where AS Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator is responsible for the promotional materials, marketing and networking tasks and the Green Energy Fee Grant Program Outreach Assistant is responsible for leading workshops and classroom presentations.

GRANT APPLICATION & REPORTING DOCUMENTS

Program staff update and maintain multiple documents to assist applicants apply for grants, and report project success to the campus community. Grant application and reporting documents were all posted on the Green Energy Fee Grant Program’s website www.wwu.edu/gef under the “Apply” page. Documents created and uploaded onto the website for public access include:

GEF Small Grant Application GEF Large Grant Conceptual Application Project Owner Form Project Update Form

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Project Poster Guidelines Project Poster Template Small Grant Final Report Guidelines Large Grant Final Report Guidelines

OUTREACH, WORKSHOPS, AND EVENTS 2013-2014

From September through June, the Green Energy Fee Grant Program staff actively promoted the grant program and the opportunity for the campus to participate. Below is a list of the outreach efforts conducted in 2013-2014. Posters and handbills were created for these events to help advertise the program and provide more information to the campus community. The program website was frequently updated, and social media such as Facebook and Twitter were used to promote the events and opportunities.

Signs, Posters, and T-shirt design

The 2013-2014 signs, posters, and t-shirt design were all designed by the AS Green Energy Fee Education Coordinator, Sadie Normoyle. Below you can find images of the Info Station signs, Idea Lab and Annual Expo posters, and a t-shirt design.

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Tabling

Red Square Info Fair. As a kickoff to the academic year, the grant program was present at the Red Square Info Fair, the campus’s largest info event of the year where the Associated Students (AS) hosts over 200 clubs, departments, businesses and organizations. The Green Energy Fee Grant Program staff used this event to share key information with new students about the fee they pay, and how it contributes to campus.

Huxley Career Fair. In winter 2014, program staff hosted a table at the Huxley Career Fair to advertise the upcoming info sessions. The GEF Grant Program offers the opportunity for students to gain grant writing and project management skills that are valuable for prospective job applicants.

Earth Day Festival. Staff hosted an information table at the AS Environmental Center’s annual Earth Day Festival event in April 2014. Staff hosted a giant pinwheel quiz game. Festival attendees were encouraged to spin the pinwheel, and they would be asked a GEF related quiz question based on which tip of the pinwheel landed on the arrow. Paper pinwheels and Project MUG mugs were given away as prizes for the quiz participants.

Red Square Tabling. In spring 2014, with the last Idea Labs, and the Green Energy Fee Annual Expo around the corner, program staff hosted an informative table in Red Square. The giant pinwheel caught students’ eyes, causing them to stop by to learn about the Idea Labs and the GEF Annual Expo.

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GEF Education Assistant, Alyssa Mac Donald and AS GEF Education Coordinator, Sadie Normoyle showing off the giant pinwheel that

attracted students to the spring 2014 GEF outreach tables.

Green Energy Fee Info Station in the Wilson Library Learning Commons. Program staff held a weekly table from 12-2pm at the Wilson Library Learning Commons throughout the entire academic year. This table provided exposure to the grant program in a highly traveled setting. The “Info Station” provided an informal opportunity for the campus community to be exposed to the GEF Grant Program and the chance to stop and chat with program staff without having to set an appointment first.

GEF Education Assistant, Alyssa Mac Donald and AS GEF Education Coordinator, Sadie Normoyle hosting the

Green Energy Fee Info Station in the Wilson Library Learning Commons

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Presentations

Classroom visits. Program staff visited classrooms to promote the grant program and the upcoming Idea Labs throughout the fall and winter quarters. Over thirteen classrooms were visited reaching over 575 students. A brief (under five minute) introduction to the Green Energy Fee Small Grants Pilot Program was given to each group.

Idea Labs. Eighteen workshop-style Idea Labs (or info sessions) were held in the Viking Union during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. These one hour workshops provided information to the campus community on the grant program, the application process and helped workshop attendees brainstorm their project ideas.

Special Events

Green Energy Fee Grant Program Annual Expo. In May 2014, the program hosted the second annual Green Energy Fee Grant Program Expo. This public event held in the Miller Hall Collaborative Space, enabled each of the ten project teams that have been actively working on various stages of their projects to share a bit about their proposal with the campus community. The event also enabled the campus community to learn about how their Green Energy Fee is being spent from the awardees themselves. Each team presented a brief PowerPoint presentation to event attendees, and then later had a poster presentation for attendees to visit and ask questions.

Group photo of the 2013-2014 Green Energy Fee Committee members and Project Team Members

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Press

Western Today:

October 16, 2013: ‘ Students provide $340K to Make Campus Greener’http://onlinefast.org/wwutoday/news/students-provide-340k-to-make-campus-greener

February 26, 2014: ‘The Human Aspect of Sustainability’http://onlinefast.org/wwutoday/features/the-human-aspect-of-sustainability

May 8, 2014: ‘Pilot Project Provides Students with Sustainable Energy Efficient Room’http://onlinefast.org/wwutoday/news/pilot-project-provides-students-with-sustainable-energy-efficient-room

May 23, 2014: ‘Expo Highlights Team's Green Energy Fee Projects’http://onlinefast.org/wwutoday/features/expo-highlights-teams-green-energy-fee-projects

June 5, 2014: ‘Sustainability Wall Opens in Wilson Library’http://onlinefast.org/wwutoday/features/sustainability-wall-opens-in-wilson-library

Western Front:

October 4, 2013: ‘Grants go to Western Students for ‘Green’ Projects’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_8e123856-2d00-11e3-81cf-001a4bcf6878.html

October 11, 2013: ‘Student Pilot Program Reduces On-Campus Waste’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_ae255ca2-327f-11e3-b9a7-0019bb30f31a.html

October 31, 2013: ‘Western's Office of Sustainability hosts Sustainability Week 2013’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_18222baa-4296-11e3-996a-001a4bcf6878.html

November 5, 2013: ‘It’s getting hot in here: Solar Power to heat pool’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_6259d868-462d-11e3-b40a-001a4bcf6878.html

January 17, 2014: ‘Western's Outback Farm wants happy chickens, new coop’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_8c489b3a-7f91-11e3-9da2-001a4bcf6878.html

January 28, 2014: ‘Students conduct research for sustainable changes’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_858f255c-8833-11e3-ae7b-001a4bcf6878.htm

February 4, 2014: ‘Western ranked lone university in state for green energy’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_95e2f5e0-8db6-11e3-a3f0-001a4bcf6878.html

February 10, 2014: ‘Western puts down roots in hydroponics’

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http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_85a2ee44-9287-11e3-af4f-0017a43b2370.html

April 22, 2014: ‘Students Live in Efficient Resident Hall’http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_ad1884f4-ca34-11e3-9a2c-0017a43b2370.html

UPDATES ON PROJECTS FUNDED PRIOR TO 2013-2014

Western SOLutions

Summer 2013 field trip to Kitsap County: Sandi Fugami and Steve Harvey learn about the Bainbridge Island Aquatics Center’s solar thermal system from the Aquatics Facility

Operator, Greg Fallon.

Since the spring of 2012, a team of three Western Students have been researching the feasibility of a solar thermal system to heat the pool at the Wade King Recreation Center. In the spring of 2013 the team (a combination of Environmental Science and Biology students) was awarded funding from the Green Energy Fee Grant Program to install the solar thermal collectors on the Rec Center. The goal of the solar thermal project was to use the energy from the sun to heat the pool instead of natural gas which is the current heat source. The team was aiming to reduce the pool’s heating needs by 25% thus lowering the carbon emissions created by Western. In their proposal, the team argued this project was important for Western by citing Western’s Climate Action Plan which requires the university to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

In the summer of 2013 the student team joined the GEF Grant Program Coordinator and Sandy Fugami, the assigned Facilities Design and Capital Budget engineer, to Kitsap County to view two solar thermal systems installed to heat public pools. The team met with the pool managers and maintenance staff to learn about the lessons learned from these recently installed projects and used this information in shaping the public bid for Western’s solar thermal system.

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After the design and estimate of the solar thermal project was complete, Western’s Facilities Management department went out to bid to select a contractor. When the bids came in, not only was the cost of the lowest bid higher than expected, but the savings provided by the selected contractor was lower than anticipated. Where Western students and staff had estimated the cost savings from the project to be higher than the annual maintenance cost, the bidder’s estimate demonstrated that the savings from proposed system would be lower than the cost of the annual maintenance. With this information, the University put the project on hold until the technology is improved, and the savings from a solar thermal system is greater.

Of the $217,000 transferred to Facilities Management for this Public Works project, $36,268.15 was spent on the Final Design and Estimate stage to engineer the design specifications, create the final estimate, and write and conduct the public bid. In the winter of 2014, $180,731.85 was returned to the Green Energy Fee account.

Driving Down Energy Consumption with Dashboards – Information is POWER!

This project was funded in the spring of 2013 with the goal of going live in the fall of 2014. The proposal was to pilot interactive campus energy consumption displays – “Dashboards” that will receive data from an expanded remote utility reading network on campus that captures near real time energy consumption information. Pilot buildings that were funded to be monitored are the Viking Union, Buchanan Towers, and the Fairhaven Complex.

The Final Design was signed off in the spring of 2014. A team of Computer Science students has continued to work on the public interface for the Dashboard through the spring of 2014.

Environmental Outreach Hydration Station (EOHS)

Rob Lopresti, Clarissa Mansfield, Carolyn Bowie and Gerald Kitsis make up the Green Energy Fee Grant Program team who

proposed the Sustainability Wall in the Wilson Library

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This water bottle refill station and sustainability wall at the Wilson Library was completed in the spring quarter of 2014. A collaborative project between Western Libraries, the Office of Sustainability and the AS Environmental Center, this wall provides Western with a central and public location where the campus community can find out about environmental and sustainability events. The Sustainability Wall is located near the north entrance to the Wilson Library between Zoe’s bagels and the Tutoring Center. The wall which previously just held a water fountain, an unused radiator, and an AED station (which was relocated around the corner), now incorporates a non-electric water bottle refill station, a Western Sustainability calendar, an environmental and sustainability bulletin board, and a bookshelf highlighting various sustainability themes throughout the academic year.

The idea for the wall came from a team composed of two students from the Students for Sustainable Water (SSW) club, and two Western Libraries staff. The project team was also excited about the opportunity to educate campus on the value of Lake Whatcom as a water resource. A sign above the water bottle refill station includes a stunning aerial photograph of Lake Whatcom and provides information on the value and issues with Lake Whatcom. Both of the student team members were also involved in the campaign to remove water bottle usage from campus. A ribbon cutting was held in May with both Mark Greenberg, Dean of Libraries and Seth Vidana, Campus Sustainability Manager, taking part in the celebratory event.

Sustainable and Energy Efficient Dorm (SEED) Room pilot

SEED Residents Libby Keller and Jaqueline Stenman monitoring their electrical usage.

This project included modifying a Buchanan Towers residence to make it more sustainable by making the following alterations: installation of LED lighting, replacement of the refrigerator with and Energy

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Star energy efficient refrigerator, installation of low flow faucets and toilet, shower flow meter, energy meters and plug load meters. The two student residents work with a student staff member from the ResRap program on educational components and data logging. The goal is to compile qualitative and quantitative feedback about the alterations in the room.

Libby Keller and Jaqueline Stenman were the students living and reporting on their experience in the Buchanan Towers residence in 2013-2014. In addition to tracking resource consumption data, they tabled at Earth Day and other events, held special SEED room open houses, and wrote a weekly blog that was posted on both the ResRap and GEF Facebook and Twitter feeds http://seedwwu.wordpress.com/

In the 2014-2015 academic year the two students living in the pilot room will continue to monitor data, invite the campus in on tours, and report their experience to campus. At the end of the two years, the ResRap assistant will present this data either as a recommendation or information to the University Residences so they can make informed sustainable choices for other residence halls.

Project MUG

For the spring, summer, and winter of 2013, Project MUG, a reusable mug pilot program took place in Western’s Viking Union Café. A team of three Huxley students was awarded $1,900 from the Green Energy Fee Grant Program to pilot the reusable mug program on campus that allowed students, faculty and staff to check out reusable mugs, and return them to the VU Café to be washed when finished. The goal of Project MUG was to reduce the amount of disposable paper cups used on campus as 395,000 single-use paper cups were distributed by Western’s Dining Services last year alone. The awarded funds allowed the team to purchase 144 mugs and administrative supplies to start up the pilot program. Up to fifty students, faculty and staff were invited to participate each quarter of the pilot. Some of the survey responses from the program demonstrated

55% of participants didn’t use a reusable mug before this program. End of quarter comments trended towards participants having enjoyed the program and

participants hoped Project MUG would expand to be a permanent program at Western in the future.

During the program pilot, the student team took on the Project MUG administration tasks. The administrative tasks included registering participants, conducting the program marketing, and closing out the program at the end of the academic quarter. Dining Services conducted the collection, distribution, and dishwashing of mugs, and they offered to continue this service in the future. With the fall quarter now complete, and the third and last student team member graduated, the program does not have any replacement students or University Departments who have the capacity to adopt the administration tasks of Project MUG. Due to lack of administrative capacity, Project MUG has now come to a close.

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PROJECTS FUNDED IN 2013-2014

Four projects were awarded by the Green Energy Fee Committee in the 2013-2014 academic year. The two large grant projects (costing between $2,000-$300,000) will be implemented over the 2014-2015 academic year. The two small grant projects (costing between $500-$2,000) were implemented immediately upon receiving a grant award in the winter quarter. Brief descriptions of each of the projects and the impacts they have on the university can be found below.

Large Grant Projects

Viking Cycle Fixit StationsFunding award: $14,570This project includes the installation of three fixit stations on campus. These fixit stations consist of a secured stand to hang and position a bicycle along with all the tools necessary to perform basic repairs and maintenance. With the hardware provided for cyclists to have a safe and sustainable trip, cyclists will ride their bikes to campus more, therefore decreasing motor traffic and promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle among the Western body. This request also includes the funding for a student Campus Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Educator position.

Impacts

Students, faculty and staff from daily commuters to inexperienced cyclists will benefit from the accessibility of the stations

15 educational events will be held throughout the year

Performance Hall OverhaulFunding award: $293,033This project proposes to replace the lighting in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall with cutting edge, energy efficient LED technology. The goal is to address Western’s commitment to sustainability in reducing its carbon footprint, while at the same time enhancing the aesthetic opportunities for artistic performance which will benefit WWU students, faculty, guests and community members.

Impacts

Over $4,200 per year in cost savings.

Accessible to entire Western Community

Small Grant Projects

The Human Aspect of SustainabilityFunding award: $692.00This team put the emphasis on the Social Equity tier of the three pillars of Sustainability (Environment, Economy, and Social Equity). They had a film viewing/panel discussion and workshop centered on how we can create and sustain happiness as a community in order to maintain social equity. The team also held a sock monkey workshop making sock monkeys to give to Child Protection Services for young children as they are being placed in new homes.

Impacts

23 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended film viewing/panel discussion

31 students, faculty, staff, and community members took part in the sock monkey

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making workshops

Hydroponics Aquarium:Funding award: $780.00A hydroponic aquarium was installed on the first floor of the biology building in a public student study area. This growing method cuts down on waste and water pollution, promotes natural pest control, and produces sustainable yields that can be grown all year round. This project aims to educate campus about these practices and seek out sustainable foods. Two workshops were held to educate campus on hydroponic gardens and create mini-hydroponics.

Impacts

Produced 6 lettuce plants in a public study area (preventing 6 driving trips to the grocery store to purchase lettuce)

Held 2 workshops with over 30 participants who learned about hydroponics and how to make their own mini-hydroponic

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

The Director of Student Activities serves as the Financial Manager for GEF funds assuring that the funds collected are maintained and expended in accordance with university policies and procedures. The Student Activities Finance Office provides fiscal support where appropriate, including handling personnel administration for AS student positions. The Sustainability Manager acts as budget authority for GEF program expenses.

Between 2005 and 2010, the cost of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) decreased while the student fee stayed the same. This change in the cost of RECs created a growing balance in the fund, instigating the idea of having a grant program to use the funds for innovative sustainable projects. When the Green Energy Fee Grant Program began in 2010, there was reserve of $305,000. By the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year, $263,900 was committed to grant projects, but this funding was not spent until the following fiscal year. As the large grant projects are typically awarded at the end of the fiscal year, it is not likely that the committed funding will be spent until the following fiscal year.

The program summary in Figure 1 includes both actual and projected expenditures. While the amount collected from the fee remains the same, the end of year balance typically decreases while the amount spent each year increases. In 2013-2014, the Solar Thermal Project was put on hold. The funding for this project had been transferred to Facilities Management in 2012-2013, but over $180,000 in unspent funds were returned to the Green Energy Fee account in 2013-2014. This is why the Amount Spent in the Fiscal Year decreased and the End of Fiscal Year balance increased during the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

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Figure 1. Green Energy Fee Grant Program Budget Summary 2010-2015

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 $-

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

$900,000

Amount Collected from FeeAmount Spent in Fiscal YearAmount Committed to GEF Projects End of Fiscal Year Balance

2010-11actual

2011-12actual

2012-13actual

2013-14actual

2014-15projected

Amount Collected from Fee $ 284,353 $ 288,830 $ 287,358 $ 306,580 $ 300,000Amount Spent in Fiscal Year $ 63,711 $ 304,179 $ 322,386 $ 133,346 $ 831,540Amount Committed to GEF Projects $ 263,900 $ - $ 445,585 $ 491,540 $ 300,000End of Fiscal Year Balance $ 526,010 $ 510,661 $ 475,633 $ 829,599 $ 183,043

When tracking expenses, GEF funds are divided into an operations account and a projects account. The budget summary in Figure 1 represents the fund as a whole including both operations expenditures and project expenditures.

The amount of funds allocated to Green Energy Fee projects by year of committement from 2010-2014 can be viewed in the following table, Figure 2. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the grant program committed funds to the first round of grant projects. These funds were not spent until the following year. During this first round of projects, GEF staff were able to assess the process of working with various stakeholders, and the role that the GEF staff and project teams would take in project implementation. At the end of 2011-2012, conceptual applications for the second round of grant projects were accepted, however no funds were committed at that time. During the 2012-2013 academic year funding was committed to the second round of grant projects. At this time funding was also committed to the first round of small grant projects (each between $500-$2,000).

Figure 2. Green Energy Fee Grant Program Funding Committed to New Grant Projects 2010-2014

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2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14Environmental Studies Building Solar Array $167,500

Parking Lot LED Lighting Retrofitting $61,000

Water Bottle Refilling Stations $21,000

High-Speed Hand Dryers $13,000

Restroom Paper Towel Composting $1,400

Western SOLutions: Solar Thermal heating $219,511

Driving Down Energy Consumption with Dashboards $184,735

Environmental Outreach Hydration Station $23,457

Sustainable and Energy Efficient Dorm Pilot $9,546

Green Lighting the Black Box $2,000

Green Residence Certification Pilot $1,975

Outback and Arboretum Environmental Restoration $1,935

Project MUG $1,926

Built to Last Picture Show $500

Viking Cycle Fixit Stations $14,570

Performance Hall Overhaul $293,033

The Human Aspect of Sustainability $692

Hydroponics Aquarium $780

Total $263,900 $445,585 $309,075

STRENGTHS CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS (SCOT) ANALYSIS

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The Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, and Threats (SCOT) Analysis was used to assess the status of the Green Energy Fee Grant Program and learn from the program’s qualities. Below you can find an analysis of the program’s strengths, challenges, opportunities, and threats. After reviewing the SCOT analysis, the latest GEF Grant Program drafted a formal Goals and Outcomes document for the 2014-2015 academic year (Appendix). The Goals and Outcomes document will be used to assess the peformance of the grant program in the Spring of 2015.

Strengths Sharing experiences and gained knowledge

with campus Program is open to all students and

departments on campus Student population supports the Green Energy

Fee and Grant Program with 80% approval Participating students gain research, grant

writing and project management/implementation skills

Student staff gain project management, education and outreach, public speaking, and time management skills

GEF committee responsive to staff needs Program is supported by Western

administration

Challenges Length of time to research and compile a

feasible grant application Length of time for the Committee, AS

President, and President to review and present awards

Length of time to implement projects Ensuring the entire campus community is

aware of how they can be involved in the program

The academic setting is competitive – it is packed full of interesting programs which can make it hard to draw the campus community to the GEF Grant Program

Making changes to university standards based on the success of GEF projects

The growing concern of maintenance costs for projects

As the program continues, the number of “low-hanging-fruit” type sustainability projects will decrease over time

Opportunities Offering Small Grant application over the

summer quarter Hold a green fund workshop at the Association

for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference in October

Taking the lessons learned from our green fund program and share with other universities in the state and region

Sharing the educational benefits of the GEF Grant Program with the University

To integrate the GEF Grant Program with academic opportunities

Threats Fee will be up for renewal in 2015

APPENDIX IGreen Energy Fee Grant Program

GOALS AND OUTCOMES FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2013-2014

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Created July 2014

The Green Energy Fee Grant Program is a Western Washington University grant program that enables the campus community to apply for funding to implement sustainable initiatives on campus. The Green Energy Fee (GEF) is funded by Western students, managed by the Office of Sustainability and grants are chosen by the Green Energy Fee Committee, composed of students, staff and faculty representatives. The program is funded by a mandatory student fee, the Green Energy Fee, and all Western students, faculty and staff are all eligible to apply. The fee is currently set at $0.70/per credit and capped at seven dollars per student per quarter. Annually, the fee collects approximately $300,000 in grant funding.

Program OverviewThe GEF Grant Program offers small and large grant opportunities. This year, the campus community could apply for either a small grant, between $500-$2,000, or a large grant between $2,000 and $300,000. Applicant teams must prioritize student involvement and may have up to four people per team. Once funded, the length of time to implement a project depends on the complexity of the project and the number of people and campus divisions that need to be involved in the implementation process. Other means of participating in the Green Energy Fee Grant Program include applying to serve on the Green Energy Fee Committee, submitting ideas for future applicants, volunteering to help promote the program, and taking the Huxley College course, Campus Sustainability Planning Studio. This course revolves around researching sustainable solutions for campus, and the research often functions as a solid template for a Green Energy Fee grant application.

Goal 1: Influence Western’s administration and operations to incorporate green practices on campus

Objective 1.1: Communicate lessons learned from GEF projects to the GEF Committee, Sustainability Committee and Campus VPs.

Strategy 1.1.1: Share GEF Project Results, Recommendations, and Annual Reports with GEF Committee

Strategy 1.1.2: GEF Grant Program Coordinator will share GEF Project Results, Recommendations, and Annual Reports with Campus Sustainability Committee in the fall quarter

Strategy 1.1.3: Campus Sustainability Committee will present GEF Project Results, Recommendations and Annual Report to campus VPs

Goal 2: Demonstrate Education Outcomes for the Green Energy Fee Grant Program

Objective 2.1: Categorize and write up educational benefits of participating in the GEF Grant Program

Strategy 2.1.1: Assess outcomes of identified educational benefitsStrategy 2.1.2: Share educational outcomes in GEF 2014-2015 Annual Report

Strategy 2.1.3: Attend departmental faculty/staff meetings to advertise program and share how the educational outcomes coincide with specific department’s educational

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outcomesStrategy 2.1.4: Learn additional strategies in regards to how to use educational outcomes most effectively

Goal 3: Provide sufficient opportunity for campus community to participate in GEF Grant Program

Objective 3.1: Offer eight grant proposal opportunities throughout the 2014-2015 academic year

Strategy 3.1.1: Offer at least one large grant application opportunity Strategy 3.1.2: Offer four small grant application opportunities Strategy 3.1.3: Offer two additional small grant application opportunities during the

summer quarter

Goal 4: Clarify GEF Grant Program philosophy for GEF Grant Program Committee, participants and stakeholders

Objective 4.1: Define the term “Pilot Projects.” GEF Projects are selected on the idea that the project is a Pilot Project for campus. By defining “pilot project” we will be able to better guide perspective applicants on the grant guidelines.

Strategy 4.1.1: Work with GEF Committee to solidify definition of Pilot Project. E.g. If a Parks Hall team requests a solar array, is the project a Pilot Project? A. We have already implemented solar technology on campus, but B. Parks hall has never had a solar array on their building before.

Goal 5: Provide interested applicants with GEF Ideas that are pre-supported by Western

Objective 5.1: In addition to holding faculty and staff conversations to collect ideas, provide at least three locations on the Western Sustainability website for the campus community to submit project ideas.

Strategy 5.1.1: Provide an easy to access web form on the GEF webpageStrategy 5.1.2: Provide an easy to access web form on the Western Sustainability, Get

Involved PageStrategy 5.1.3: Provide a link to the web form (as a window) on the home page of Western Sustainability’s website

Goal 6: Monitor implementation and or successful construction/establishment of 2013-2014 Projects

Objective 6.1: Record Progress of Sustainable Energy Efficiency Dorm (SEED) Project.

Strategy 6.1.1: Train new ResRap Assistant on role for working with SEED Residents. Meet with ResRap Assistant regularly to ensure SEED residents are monitoring resource consumption and conducting outreach to the campus.Strategy 6.1.2: Determine if any modifications need to be established for 2014-2015

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academic year.Strategy 6.1.2: Report results of SEED project to University Residences in the spring of 2015

Objective 6.2: Record Progress of Environmental Outreach Hydration Station (EOHS) project.

Strategy 6.2.1: Ensure educational programming is running smoothly during first year after installation.

Objective 6.3: Record Progress of Driving Down Energy Consumption with Dashboards project.

Strategy 6.3.1: Monitor if project is on track for fall 2014 start up. Strategy 6.3.2: Troubleshoot any problems as neededStrategy 6.3.3: Establish education and outreach programming for campus.

Objective 6.4: Record Progress of Hydroponics Aquarium project

Strategy 6.4.1: Check in with Hydroponics Club to make sure they have everything needed to set up aquarium in year two of project.Strategy 6.4.2: Encourage communication between Club, Club Advisor, and Building OwnerStrategy 6.4.3: Assist team with outreach and project reporting as needed

Objective 6.5: Record Progress of Performance Hall Overhaul project

Strategy 6.5.1: Monitor installation of projectStrategy 6.5.2: Work with team on design and installation of museum quality educational component

Objective 6.6: Record Progress of Viking Cycle Fixit Stations project

Strategy 6.6.1: Monitor installation of projectStrategy 6.6.2: Work with AS Alternative Transportation Coordinator on hiring and advising of “Campus Bicycle Repair and Maintenance Educator,” student outreach position

Goal 7: Receive at least ten grant proposals in 2014-2015 academic year

Objective 7.1: Make GEF Grant Program more appealing to students

Strategy 7.1.1: Survey students who work on current projects and who participate in idea labs for their feedback on how to attract more applicantsStrategy 7.1.2: Modify marketing language to emphasize working on a sustainability project versus applying for a grantStrategy 7.1.3: Explore possibility of having students serve as paid interns while

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working on Preliminary Design and Estimate Stage of large grant projectsStrategy 7.1.4: Start the academic year with five projects that campus will support and recruit team members to work on grant applications for these five projects

Goal 8: Plan for the next five years

Objective 8.1: Prepare a campaign to get out and vote for the GEF in 2015

Strategy 8.1.1: Supply GEF website with information about the past and current ballot languageStrategy 8.1.2: Include definition of Renewable Energy Credits when applicable during campaignStrategy 8.1.3: Hold fall quarter information sessions for campus to learn about the GEF

as a ballot itemStrategy 8.1.4: Provide opportunity for the GEF Committee, all environmental clubs and

all students to give input regarding what they want to see in ballotStrategy 8.1.5: Craft ballot language during the winter quarter with Students for Renewable Energy and Students for Sustainable Water taking the leadStrategy 8.1.6: Conduct a “Get out and Vote” campaign during the spring quarter

Objective 8.2: Decide on how much the fee should/could be for 2015-2020

Strategy 8.2.1: Provide the AS and student body with information on what the GEF would look like under various cost scenariosStrategy 8.2.2: The AS and student body decides how much the fee should be in future yearsStrategy 8.2.3: If ballot is passed with fee range, the GEF Committee will propose a fee for the 2015-2016 academic year

APPENDIX IIGreen Energy Fee Grant Program Educational Outcomes and Benefits

Assessment 2013-2014

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Eleven Green Energy Fee Grant Program Educational Outcomes and Benefits have been identified and are listed below in bold. Below each outcome is a brief summary describing how these outcomes have been met in the 2013-2014 academic year. Many of the summaries provide examples of projects that illustrate the program benefits. The examples are not comprehensive but merely a few highlights from the past year.

Project teams participating in the Green Energy Fee Grant Program will have the opportunity to:

1. Identify creative campus solutions to global sustainability challenges Many creative ideas are introduced to the campus by students each quarter. A few of the ideas

that were proposed in the 2013-2014 academic year were: o Introducing the idea of Ozone washing machines to combat the pollutants from

traditional washing machineso Introducing argent solar window technologies to help the campus reach carbon

neutralityo Making sock monkeys to provide to children at Child Protective Services, addressing

social equity as it relates to sustainabilityo Setting up a hydroponics aquarium to pilot the feasibility of growing food locally

2. Write a persuasive grant proposal that is put forth to campus stakeholders and student-staff-faculty committee for review. This year Green Energy Fee Grant Program staff reviewed proposals from 12 perspective

applicant teams comprising 30 students and 13 staff/faculty advisors. Two of the proposals were so persuasive that the project teams were able to find outside funding to complete their project before they even submitted a final draft of their proposal. The projects included:

o The Soap for Hope campaign to get household cleaning products and personal cosmetic products out of the waste stream during student move out and donate them organizations in need. Western Front Article: http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_ee0c8c88-d53a-11e3-a89a-0017a43b2370.html

o The Chicken Tractor project proposed by Outback volunteers. The chicken tractor is a movable chicken coup that can allow chickens to feed off of and fertilize multiple plots of land at the Outback Farm. Western Front Article: http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_8c489b3a-7f91-11e3-9da2-001a4bcf6878.html

Of the 12 perspective grant applicant teams, 9 submitted proposals for review by the Green Energy Fee Committee, and 6 of those were awarded funding.

3. Understand how a grant application process works Beyond college scholarships, many students do not have the opportunity to gain grant writing

experience until they enter the work force. While the GEF Grant Program is not representative of all grant programs, there are certain aspects to the grant application that will be universal including but not limited to: attention to detail, addressing the issue that the grantor is asking

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for, following directions, the ability to make a proposal and defend the proposal while following the guidelines of the application, creating a timeline, and putting together a budget.

4. Learn how to estimate project costs and work within a specific budget Teams learn you need to break the project down into materials, parts, labor, and educational

components. The teams learn that project costs are not the same as materials cost. Depending on the complexity of the project, there also might be a design and engineering cost, permits, fees, and a contingency cost.

5. Provide concise and informative oral presentations The GEF provides two opportunities for grant teams

o During the proposal process each team gives a 10-15 minute oral presentation to the GEF Committee

o Each team presents a 90 second overview of their project at the GEF Annual Expo

6. Work both individually and as a team to complete a project. Each grant project has a 2-4 person team. Each team has a team lead responsible for reporting

back to the GEF Program. Each team member is responsible for individual tasks and reports back to the team on a weekly basis. The GEF Grant Program provides student members the opportunity to work on a project based team both to write a multifaceted grant proposal and (depending on the project) conduct the project implementation.

7. Work with multiple stakeholders in a complex and diverse university organization. Grant teams have had the opportunity to learn that in order to implement a project, you can’t

work alone. They have had to learn about the various types of stakeholders and partners needed for their projects whether they are large or small. Indoor and outdoor locations on campus are owned, managed, and supervised by a variety of departments and offices. As well, if a project is going to require maintenance and upkeep over time, various staff on campus will ultimately be responsible for the project. Campus stakeholders are often busy with varying departmental missions, and tight budgets. While they may appreciate the grant proposals, the proposals are often not the first priorities of the stakeholders due to their departmental missions and demands. Some examples of stakeholder networks made by project teams include:

o Western SOLutions: in order to propose a solar thermal system on the Wade King Recreation Center, not only do they need support from Facilities Management, but also the managers and operators of the Recreation Center.

o Hydroponics Aquarium: in order to install a hydroponics aquarium, the team needed a stakeholder from the Biology Department to support the project, and permission from Space Administration to house the project.

o Viking Cycle Fixit Stations: the team needed permission from both the property owners at various locations, and the Sustainable Transportation Office who will be the owner of the fixit stations responsible for maintenance, repair and upkeep.

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8. Observe the process of engineering design, project estimation, and project implementation at a large university organization. Depending on the project, teams have the opportunity to observe faculty, staff, and consultants

with a variety of professional skillsets. For example, the Western SOLutions team was able to attend various meetings during the project design and estimation stage of their project. The team met with a staff engineer, plumber, and operations manager on a regular basis while the solar thermal design and bid were being created. They also attended and interacted with participants in the bidders open house, and were able to tour the Recreation Center roof and basement along with general contractors and solar professionals.

9. Think about global issues and act locally to reduce the campus’s environmental impact in efforts to make a difference. Students have come into the GEF Grant Program with an on campus sustainability project with

the intention of addressing address global climate change. An example is the Sustainable Energy Efficient Dorm (SEED) room project. In efforts to address global climate change, this project aimed towards helping Western reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals. The action taken was to make lots of small modifications to a residence so students could learn about how to live more sustainably through simple electricity and water conservation efforts. In turn, the two student residents have been sharing their findings with the world through their weekly blog postings: http://seedwwu.wordpress.com/

10. Learn the importance of partnering and networking with other campus departments and organizations when designing a project. Whether it is for logistics or for promotion, project teams have learned the importance of

partnering and networking with other campus entities. For example, the Wilson Library Sustainability Wall project was proposed by two students from Students for Sustainable Water, the students learned they had to meet the library’s needs (by installing a bookshelf) and network with the Environmental Center and the Office of Sustainability. The Environmental Center staff will be responsible for maintaining and updating the “Events” bulletin board and the Office of Sustainability Staff will be responsible for updating the monthly sustainability calendar. By networking and partnering with campus organizations this and most projects will have more opportunities to successfully engage the campus community.

11. Learn leadership skills that can be applied to future careers Each project team has a team lead. This person has the opportunity learn and explore how they

can serve best as a leader for their team. In the end, having leadership experience is a valuable skill in work force. To demonstrate the role of a team lead on a project, we’ll highlight the GEF project, Project MUG. The team lead served as the main contact with the administration and was responsible for representing the project goals and outcomes. The lead was also responsible for communicating stakeholder feedback to the project team members and delegating team member responsibilities.

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The Green Energy Fee Grant Program also provides students the opportunity to addresses the following GUR academic competencies and perspectives:

1. Analyze and communicate ideas effectively in oral, written, and visual forms2. Analyze and interpret information from varied sources, including print and visual media3. Use quantitative and scientific reasoning to frame and solve problems.4. Identify and analyze complex problems5. Apply tools of technology, with an understanding of their uses and limitations 6. Explore, imagine and create 7. Recognize the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of participating in, and contributing as a

citizen in, a diverse society 8. Understand and evaluate assumptions, values, and beliefs in context of diverse local, national

and global communities 9. Work collaboratively and manage projects to effective completion10. Reflect on one’s own work and on the ethical dimensions of academic pursuits11. Understand and assess the impacts of interactions among the individual, society, and the

environment

GREEN ENERGY FEE ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014