Building Green Boilers

ENGL 421-White Project Summer 2010

Instructor: F. Tobienne

Team Members:
Matt Baum
Ashley Davis
Rozaine Wijekularatne
Eric Wasko
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Title …………………………………………………………………...0

II. Table of Contents ………………………………………………….1

III. Executive Summary……………………………………………......2

IV. What is LEED?............................................................................3

V. Green Building Practices at Purdue…………………………….4-6

a. Roger Gatewood Wing
b. Schleman Hall Green Roof
c. Hillel House: Purdue‟s Jewish Center
d. Other Green Initiatives

VI. Building A Green Campus………………………………………..7-8

a. Purdue Sustainability Initiatives
b. Purdue Residence Facilities

VII. Interview with Robin Ridgeway………………………………….9

VIII. Comparative Look………………………………………………..,10

IX. Annotated Bibliography………………………………………….11-13

X. Image Citations…………………………………………………….14

Figure 2: Schleman Hall Green Roof

Figure 1: Current View of the Gatewood Wing

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Purdue University is actively taking steps to make the entire university

more sustainable. This report will study the steps that Purdue is taking to
make physical facilities and other aspects of the campus greener. To
make a more environmentally friendly institution, Purdue focuses on
measurable initiatives and goals. Goals focus on energy conservation, as
well as the responsible use of land. There is also an effort to purchase
“geen” products. These green products range from everyday goods to
campus buildings and upgrades. Existing buildings and facilities are
undergoing upgrades like replacing old inefficient equipment to become
more energy and water efficient. Residence halls, as well as dining courts
are all seeing changes. At Schleman Hall, a green roof is being
constructed. This type of roof is the first at Purdue, but it is leading the way
for more green roofs to be developed in the future. Also, the EPICS Green
Boiler Initiative team is working with the campus‟ Jewish Center to create
a rain garden and an overall more sustainable center.

New buildings at Purdue are also being targeted. The new

Gatewood Wing on the Mechanical Engineering building is the first of its
kind on the Purdue campus. This new addition will be LEED certified by
the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED certification ensures that the
facility meets tough requirements such as using selected “green”
materials and contains certain energy and water conservation methods.
Purdue also consistently makes a conscious effort to provide the proper
equipment to promote recycling and non-motorized transportation
around the entire campus. Purdue is not the only campus improving their
sustainability. Most institutions inside the Big Ten conference are also
improving their green awareness and sustainability. The University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan State, Ohio State, and the University of
Illinois all have LEED certified buildings on their campuses, or are in the
process of designing one to be built in the future. This report will show that
Purdue and the rest of the Big Ten are striving to lead the way in
sustainable educational institutions.

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 LEADER IN ENERGY AND ENVIORMENTAL DESIGN

LEED CERTIFICATION

The U.S. Green Building Council developed

a green building certification system called LEED.
The certification purpose is to improve energy
efficiency, water efficiency, and cut down on
CO2 emissions. The selection of building materials
and the indoor environmental quality are
important components in the certification. The
USGBC provides the requirements that builders
and designers need in order to implement
practical green building solutions. Both
commercial and residential buildings can be Figure 3: LEED Logo

LEED certified.

The certification is used by many different people and occupations

in order to ensure that a building meets sustainability requirements. They
range from architects and real estate agents to interior designers and
lenders. Many new government facilities across the country are using LEED
to measure the sustainability of
their buildings. LEED has different
rating systems for new
 FINANCIAL SAVINGS construction, existing buildings,
 INCREASED BUILDING VALUE
 CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND WATER commercial interiors, schools,
 REDUCED GAS EMISSIONS retail, healthcare, and home
 TAX REBATES
categories. There is also a rating
system for an entire
neighborhood design. Benefits
that LEED certified buildings see start with financial savings. The value of
the building is increased and costs to operate the building are lower due
to conservation of energy and water. They also often qualify for tax
rebates and other government incentives. The amount of waste and
greenhouse gas emissions are reduced in LEED certified buildings.
Purdue‟s Physical Facilities staff contains five LEED accredited members.

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 GREEN BUILDING PRACTICES AT PURDUE

ROGER GATEWOOD WING

The state-of-the-art Roger B. Gatewood Wing addition to the Mechanical

Engineering (ME) Building will add
approximately 41,000 square feet to the
Mechanical Engineering Building,
increasing its space by 55 percent.
Currently Purdue has no LEED certified
buildings, so it will be the first building
constructed to LEED certification standards
set by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Figure 4: Caption: Rendering of Gatewood Wing

This $33 million project will be the

first LEED certified building by
the U.S. Green Building Council
at the university. The new wing
will have many green features
used in the construction. The
roof will be constructed using
supplies that contain a high
solar reflectance index. Many
materials will be recycled
materials or “green” rated. The
wood materials will be certified
by the Forest Stewardship
Council. In order to improve the air quality in and around the building,
special paints will be used.
 High Solar Reflectance Index
 Plumbing fixtures Reduce Water Usage
 Construction materials with recycled
content
 Carpet-Green Label Plus rated
 Wood products certified by Forest
Stewardship Council
 Paint and sealants with low volatile-
organic-chemical ratings (reducing
indoor air pollutants and improving air
quality)

BOILER GREEN INITIATIVE

BGI ALSO KNOWN AS BOILER GREEN INITIATIVE IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDENT

ORGANIZATION THAT STRIVES TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AT
PURDUE‟S WEST LAFAYETTE CAMPUS. ONE OF THEIR MAIN FOCUSES ON A CAMPUS
IS "GREEN" BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND A MAJOR COMPONENT OF A GREEN
BUILDING STRATEGY IS AN INTEGRATED GREEN ROOF SYSTEM.

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 SCHLEMAN HALL GREEN ROOF

Their first step of this project was

Purdue‟s first green roof on Schleman Hall. A
„green roof‟ is a roof with a water-proof
membrane that is partially or completely
covered with plant life immersed in a
planting medium. There are two types of
green roofs, intensive and extensive.
Schelman Hall‟s roof is of the extensive type
which means that it contains smaller plants
that are often drought resistant.
Furthermore, they do not require deep soil
and are easier to care for. The roof has Figure 5: Detailed Schleman Green Roof
been retrofitted on an existing 1,750 square feet. This green roof was funded
by a $68,700 grant from State Farm Insurance and was installed in 2009. There
are many important features of this green roof.

The roof is completely covered with Live

Roof vegetation modules and contains
heat reflective concrete pavers as well. It
also has recycled benches and tables for
seating. The green roof system acts as a
layer of insulation thus it helps the building
to operate more efficiently. A normal tar
roof fends off 99% of rainwater. Certain
pollutants in the petroleum based tar
contaminate the water which then
Figure 5: Detailed Schleman Green Roof
reaches the sewers. On this green roof,
when it rains, the rainwater is absorbed by the plants and plant medium.
Some of the water evaporates. While the normal tar roof rejects 99% of the
rainwater, a green roof rejects only 1% of the same quantity. The green roof
could extend the lifespan of the roof by up to 200% as well.

BGI will monitor the temperature, quality In the future BGI will continue to build
and quantity of storm water runoff, plant integrated green roofs on the following
campus buildings:
growth, bugs, and other wildlife brought
to this roof by the vegetation. The  Ford Dining Court
monitoring system is run entirely by the  Mann Building
solar panels on the roof. Figure 5 shows  Armory
measuring equipment and some other  Mechanical Engineering Building
„green‟ features of Schleman Hall‟s roof. Newly Constructed Buildings

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 HILLEL HOUSE: PURDUE‟S JEWISH CENTER

The EPICS (Engineering Projects in

Community Service) BGI team initiated a
project to make the Hillel House more
“green”. Their main project is to establish
a rain garden at the Hillel House.

A „rain garden‟ is an indentation in

the ground that is used as a landscape
tool to improve water quality. The rain
garden forms a "bioretention area" by
collecting water runoff and storing it. This
permits the water to be filtered and
slowly absorbed by the soil. The main
reason for installing the rain garden is to Figure 6: Hillel Rain Garden Layout

reduce the storm water runoff that comes from the building. By installing a
rain garden, more water can be absorbed by the backyard, reducing the
amount of water that goes into the sewer. A rain barrel will also be added
to collect some rainwater which will be used to water plants in the rain
garden. Figure 8 shows the layout of the rain garden.

The EPICS team will also strive to help winterize the Hillel House and
maximize the use of solar energy using passive solar techniques.

OTHER GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES

Purdue University‟s physical facilities have taken the initiative to go

green. Twelve LEED accredited professionals have been aboard Physical
Facilities Staff to help make Purdue greener.

 Porous asphalt paving installed at Horticulture service drive

 Retro-commissioning of Pierce, Beering and Stone Halls, for
energy efficiency
 Bioswale implementation near Pao and Mann Halls
 Soy-based hydraulic oil will be used in elevators on campus
 Replace T-12 fluorescent lights with more energy efficient T-8
lights Carbon dioxide sensors used to inform when lecture halls
are vacant which will in turn lessen the need for air treatment.
 New buildings will be designed to meet the minimum energy
efficiency requirements of ASHRAE standard 90.1
 Campus wide metering project underway

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 BUILDING A GREEN CAMPUS

PURDUE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

To gauge their sustainability efforts, Purdue
focuses on measurable initiatives. Energy
conservation and responsible use of their land are
two big initiatives that the university uses.
Preventing and minimizing pollution and waste
are also important to Purdue. As a result, buying
green products has become an emphasis for the
Purchasing Department of the University. Housing
and Food services is doing their part to improve
residence halls sustainability by making a number of
changes to facilities. The Horticulture Department is Figure 7: Recycling Receptacles
Purdue recycles 1,600 tons a year!!
overseeing the development of the Purdue
Arboretum. The trees that are already planted
around campus are being protected from the construction projects and
damage by a tree protection program and policy. Compost containing
animal manure has been created by the Veterinary Hospital.

Purdue is also actively

pursuing the installation of
<http://www.purdue.edu/buildings_grounds/recycling/benefits.htm>
permanent outdoor recycling
 A TON OF RECYCLED OFFICE PAPER SAVES 380 receptacles. After athletic
GALLONS OF OIL
events, bottles and cans are
 ENERGY SAVED FROM RECYCLING ONE GLASS
BOTTLE WILL LIGHT A 100 WATT BULB FOR FOUR
collected from tailgaters and
HOURS the stadium to later be
 ENERGY SAVED FROM ONE RECYCLED ALUMINUM recycled. From the
CAN WILL OPERATE A TELEVISION SET FOR 3 HOURS receptacles that are already
installed, Purdue recycles
about 1,600 tons a year. To collect all of these recycled materials, more
than $3,000 in man hours has been invested. Purdue‟s “On the Go” use
100% recycled fiber napkins and provides reusable bottles.

Throughout the campus‟ facilities, Purdue has begun using soy-

based oils for the hydraulics contained in their elevators. Also, the
university has bought about 5400 MWH of renewable wind energy from
Benton County. This purchase of renewable energy is about 2 percent of
Purdue‟s total energy usage.

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 PURDUE RESIDENCE FACILITES

Purdue University has

taken several steps to improve
their sustainability in regards to
the university residences on
campus. These improvements
range from replacing old
inefficient equipment to
making physical changes to
buildings. In Ford Dining Court
and Earhart Hall, new blinds
Figure 8: First Street Towers

and drapes were installed to reduce heat gain caused from solar rays
entering through windows. The HVAC equipment in Earhart, as well as in
Hillenbrand, was upgraded to become more efficient and save energy.

In most halls, the way the halls are cleaned has been adjusted. In
the First Street Towers, only green products are used in cleaning to
increase the quality of the water output. Harrison Hall, Hillenbrand, Shreve,
and Earhart Hall all have purchased chemical-free floor machines. The
new floor machines reduce the amount of chemicals that are used to
clean the halls. Old water
softeners, water heaters,
washers, or dryers were
replaced in McCutcheon and  PURDUE RECYCLING OPERATES TWO 18FT TRUCKS
Windsor Halls, as well as at  MOBILE CARDBOARD BALERS STOP AT EACH
Purdue Village. More energy RESIDENCE HALL WEEKLY

efficient machines were  64 GALLONS OF NEWSPAPER AND OFFICE PAPER

installed to replace the old ARE COLLECTED

ones. A roofing project  340 CONTAINERS IN USE WHICH ARE POSITIONED

IN 104 CAMPUS BUILDINGS
completed on Tarkington and
Wiley Halls cut down on waste
being sent to the landfill and extended the length of life for each roof. To
promote non-motorized transportation, Purdue installed new bike hoops
at Harrison Hall. Finally, an experimental gasifier is using waste from
residence hall dining courts in order recycle the leftover food.

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 INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN RIDGEWAY
DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Q: Do you think all of the future building projects at Purdue will seek LEED
certification?
A: Our hope is to develop a policy where all new major building projects
are evaluated as to the appropriateness of seeking LEED certification. It
may not be appropriate in all situations.

Q: Besides the ME addition, what else

is Purdue doing on campus to be
more sustainable?
A: Wow....this is a big question. I'll refer
you to our Sustainability Report posted
on the Sustainability website:
www.purdue.edu/sustainability. It's a
long list.

Figure 9: Robin Ridgeway

Q: Did Purdue research what other universities are doing to "go green"? If
so, what was found to be the most helpful?
A: We interact frequently with other universities on a number of different
topics. The Big Ten groups seem to be the most appropriate peer
comparisons as they usually have similar facilities and operations and
financial protocols that are similar to Purdue. Peer to peer discussions are
usually the most fruitful. There are two Big Ten sustainability groups that
have recently formed and we share information and knowledge
frequently.

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 COMPARATIVE LOOK
Purdue University is taking huge strides to become a green campus.
With similar endowments and facilities, Big Ten schools provide great
forum for discussion and comparison. Several of these universities have
paved the way to a greener future. In order to improve upon Purdue‟s
plan we can examine the accomplishments of other universities.

The University of Wisconsin-

Madison is working on creating
possible the first gold certified
Leader in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
campus building. Furthermore, it
is the first in the state of Wisconsin
to receive an Energy Star Rating.
The building will feature a chilled
beam system which will allow Figure 10: Big Ten Logo
rooms to be cooled with water.
It will also be designed to maximize the amount of natural light.

Other accomplishments in the Big Ten include Michigan State

University‟s silver certified LEED Chemistry building. It contains features
such as recycled green glass flooring and motion sensor classrooms.
Additionally, Ohio State first LEED building will reduce water consumption
by 30%. The heating and cooling system will allow for the building to be
heated and cooled by an underground temperature.

The Business Instructional Facility at

the University of Illinois has
achieved the highest award for a
LEED building and has set the bar
for campus around the world. The
platinum certified facility cost
approximately 60 million. It was
designed with a solar panel roof,
roof plantings, and an energy
efficient heating and cooling
system. Despite this high cost, the
energy efficient building will save
the university $300,000 a year.
Figure 11: Business Instructional Facility

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 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
The focus of this white paper is to discuss what Purdue University is doing to
become greener. This white paper will focus primarily on what Purdue is doing to its
buildings and facilities to increase their sustainability. A lot of the focus will be on the
LEED certification of the new Mechanical Engineering wing and how it is the first
building of its kind on campus. The report will touch on what Purdue can do in the future
to continue their move towards become greener. The sources listed in this annotated
bibliography include topics such as the LEED certification and the new ME wing. It also
includes changes to other Purdue facilities and other universities accomplishments.

Boiler Bytes: Students initiate Green Roof on Schleman Hall. YouTube, 2009. 12 July 2010.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ctah9TPVWQ&feature=related>

In this video various team members and faculty of BGI are interviewed as they work on
Schleman Hall‟s green roof. They describe what a „green‟ roof is. This shows the steps in
which the „green‟ roof was installed. This video also shows the importance of the
different features of the roof.

“Building Project Certification”. U.S. Green Building Council, 2010. Web. 6 July 2010.
<http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=64>.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a department that provides the LEED certification for
building projects. The LEED certification verifies that the building meets green standards.
This source provides an overview of the LEED certification and what it requires. This
source will be used to explain the requirements that the new Mechanical Engineering
wing at Purdue has had to meet to become LEED certified. This new wing is the first LEED
certified building on campus explaining what that means will come from this source.

“Capital Projects with Sustainability Impact”. Housing & Food Services at Purdue and
Purdue U, 2010. Web. 11 July 2010.
<http://www.housing.purdue.edu/HTML/Sustainability/CapitalProjects.htm>

In this source, the Housing and Food Services department at Purdue describes many
changes that are being made to university residences around campus. It provides a
table of the list of changes to each residence and how those changes will help the
residences to become more “green”. This source will be very useful in looking at what
Purdue is doing outside of the ME building to make buildings more sustainable. This is
also a great source to show how Purdue is making changes to current buildings and
facilities in addition to new buildings.

11
 "Chemistry Building addition is first LEED-certified project on campus ". Michigan State
University News. 6 July 2010 <http://news.msu.edu/story/6730/>.

This article is focused on Michigan State University‟s first LEED-certified project, an

addition to the Chemistry Building. It explains some of the sustainable features and how
a project earns LEED points. This will also be compared with the Purdue‟s LEED building
and help us get a better understanding of what other Big Ten schools are doing.

“Green Roof Technology”. Boiler Green Initiative, 2010. Web. 5 July 2010.
<http://www.boilergreen.com/page2/page8/greenroof.html>

This source has information about Schleman Hall's „green‟ roof. This website also has
additional information about what BGI is doing to make Purdue more „green‟. This will
be utilized to show how Purdue‟s facilities are going green. This will also be used to
demonstrate how Purdue is utilizing the „green‟ roof concept.

Hill, Kelly. "Education Building serves as model for green projects". 2010. Web. University
of Wisconsin - Madison. 6 July 2010 <http://www.news.wisc.edu/17862>.

This source from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is about the new Education Building
on campus. It explains what has been done to this building to make it LEED certified
and other project information. This will be used to compare with the buildings at Purdue
that are going green. Specifically, it will be compared with the new Gatewood
Mechanical Engineering Addition.

Projects. Boiler Green Initiative, 2009. Web. 5 July 2010.

<http://epics.ecn.purdue.edu/bgi/projects.html>

This source shows how the BGI EPICS (Engineering Projects In Community Service) team
is trying to make Hillel (Purdue's Jewish Center) more "green". Also linked to this site
under „Documentation‟ is a more detailed explanation of the „rain garden‟ that BGI
hopes to implement in Hillel which is also a „green‟ concept. This will be used as an
example to show how buildings on campus are going “green”.

Purdue University Sustainability. Purdue University, 2010. Web. 6 July 2010.

<http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/pages/sustainability_initi.html>.

The Purdue Sustainability source covers everything that Purdue is doing to increase their
sustainability. It discusses different activities they have in regards to sustainability. It also
lists exactly what they are doing, especially in regards to buildings and facilities. This
source will provide a look at specific projects underway to facilities at Purdue. It
discusses additional green features at Purdue that will be included in the report. The
information provided on recycling at Purdue facilities will also be used.

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 Purdue Sustainability Strategic Plan Report . Purdue University, 01 10 2010. 12
Jul2010.
<http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/articles/Purdue%20Sustainability%20St
rategic%20Plan%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf>.

This source contains a PDF document of Purdue‟s strategic plan. The document is very
detailed in the plans and direction of Purdue‟s sustainability outreach. The group did
not utilize the entire document. Instead we found specific sections that pertained to the
project. Page 13 offers a view of Purdue‟s Sustainability Report Card. Detailed in pages
37-45 are the details about sustainability with respect to current and future buildings.

Martha, Filipic. "4-H Center Gains LEED Certification; First 'Green' Building on Campus".
Ohio State Univeristy.2008. Web. 6 July 2010
<http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=4891>.

The Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center is the first LEED-certified building on its
campus and this article explains the details of the project. We will review this article and
compare it to what Purdue is doing and what other schools are doing in the area of
sustainability.

Ridgway, Robin. Personal Interview. 8 July, 2010.

Mrs. Robin Ridgway is the Director of Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship at

Purdue University. She was more than willing to help with the interview and her answers
to the questions we had where great. Below are the interview questions and answers.
We contacted many relevant sources, but only heard back from Robin. We also asked
some questions specifically about the ME addition, but she did not have the answers to
those questions.

Figure 12: "Green" Buildings

13
 IMAGE CITATIONS

I. "Green Earth." The Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign. Web. 19 Jul 2010.
<https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5145/images/green%20earth.jpg>.

II. “Current View of Gatewood Wing.” Roger B. Gatewood Photos. Web. 19 Jul
2010.
<https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME/AboutUs/Gatewood/Photos/index.html>

III. “Schleman Roof.” Purdue Celebrate Sustainability with Green Week . Web.19 Jul
2010
<http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2009/RidgwayGreen.html>

IV. “Detailed Schleman Roof.” Boiler Green Initiative Web. 19 Jul 2010.
<http://www.boilergreen.com/page2/page8/assets/GR%20monitoring%20equip
ment%20locations.bmp>

V. “LEED Logo” Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Web. 19 Jul 2010
<http://www.interstatebrick.com/images/LEED_logo_USGBC.jpg>

VI. “Rendering of Gatewood Wing.” Mechanical Engineering Celebrates Gatewood

Wing. Web. 19 Jul 2010
<http://news.uns.purdue.edu/mov/2007/071025CelGatewood.png>

VII. “Hillel Rain Garden Layout.” Epics. Web. 19 Jul 2010

<http://epics.ecn.purdue.edu/bgi/Documents/rain_garden.jpg>

VIII. “Recycling Receptacles” Purdue University Residences Expands Recycling Efforts.

Web. 19 Jul 2010
<http://www.sflorg.com/ear/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/reshalls-recycle.jpg>

IX. “First Street Towers.” First Street Towers, Purdue University. Web. 19 Jul 2010
<http://www.ascribehq.com/assets/photos/large/775c92120d5a517fa605ad4926
9153179897a787.jpg>

X. “Robin Ridgeway.” Environmental Stewardship. Web. 19 Jul 2010

<http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/general/2009/RidgwayGreen.html>

XI. “Big Ten Logo.” Web. Breaking Down the Bubble Teams from the Big Ten. 19 Jul
2010
<http://oversigning.com/testing/wpcontent/uploads/2010/02/BigTenLogo.jpg>

XII. “Business Instructional Facility.” Dewberry. Web. 23 Jul 2010

<http://www.dewberry.com/news.asp?id=879>

XIII. “Green Buildings.” Go LEED! Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a

No Brainer. Web. 19 Jul 2010
<http://paradigms4progress.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/greenbuilding.jpg>

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