Next Generation Sustainability at UBC

Transcription

1 Next Generation Sustainability at UBC John Robinson UBC Presentation at International STEM in Education conference UBC July 13, 2014

2 STEM and Sustainability Many points of connection Key point: STEM is crucial but STEM alone is not enough So would like to broaden focus a bit: From STEM to MES 3 H IT (Math, Engineering, Social Science, Science, Humanities, Interdisciplinarity, Technology)

3 The Sustainability of Limits

4 Limits & Boundaries at Multiple Scales Stream carrying capacity exceeded Resource dependent community lost Homes and savings lost through sub-prime mortgage disaster Financially troubled EU Planetary ecological boundaries

5 The Sustainability Discourse Limits Storyline Harm reduction Damage limitation Mitigation Cutting back Sacrifice

6 Four Problems Not motivating Doesn t go far enough Only environmental Scientistic People don t jump onto the bandwagon of sacrifice We have to go beyond net zero Sustainability is about both environmental and human wellbeing Unproblematic view of role of science and technology

7 From less bad to more good From reducing damage to creating benefits From sacrifice to contribution From net zero to net positive

8 Regenerative Sustainability Goal: To simultaneously increase human and environmental well-being Questions: For what processes? At what scale? Role of university...

9 Campus as Sustainability Test-Bed Universities uniquely suited for this role: Single (owner-) occupiers Public mandate Teaching Research Develop integrated campus-scale systems: Demonstration and research Engage and train students; develop new curricula and programs

10 UBC Campus as a Living Lab

11 UBC Campus Steam System ~14 million sq. ft. ~270 core buildings ~ 300 hectares UBC s Size of Climate energy Change challenge: goals (Mar, 2010) achieved Kyoto targets (-6%) for core academic eliminate buildings fossil fuels in 2007 (with 35% growth no new in floorspace) electricity transmission lines to campus 100 New ~35% targets: growth in research 80 and - 33% by residential floorspace by 2030 CIRS 40-67% by % by

12 Current Signature Projects Demand-Side Supply-Side Continuous Optimization of Campus Buildings Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) Steam to Hot Water Conversion of Campus District Energy System Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project $150 million of capital investment

13 Continuous Optimization in Buildings $3 million Partnership with BC Hydro and Pulse Energy 72 large academic buildings completed in 4 phases % GHG savings

14 UBC Bioenergy Research & Demonstration Facility $28 million Four story CLT building Heating mode: 6 MW Cogen mode: 2MW(elec) + 3MW(heat) + 1MW (waste) GHG Savings: 9% (cogen); 15% (heating)

15 Steam to Hot Water Conversion $88 million Multiple phases MW hot water peaking plant (gas); future: cogen + green gas 22% GHG savings

16 UBC-V GHG Emissions and Drivers GHG Emissions (tonnes CO2e) Student Enrolment (FTE) Floor Space (square meters) Students +7% Floorspace +11% GHG - 14% 2014: - Ph 2 of C-OP - 2 MW cogen (RNG) - ADES Energy Centre

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18 A Regenerative Building Process All water from the sky All liquid waste treated on site All heating and cooling from the ground/neighbours/sun All light (when avail.) from the sun Green electricity (25 kw PV) Natural/displacement ventilation Wood building Continuous net research: positive on water quality technical performance net of building positive on systems energy and GHG emissions behavioural interface of building & inhabitants net positive on structural carbon A building that restores the environment around it

19 Energy Balance - Summary -860 MWh nat. gas -154 t CO2e = MWh 990 MWh UBC Steam Plant = 275 MWh Net positive energy use EOS 600 MWh CIRS 306 MWh 585 MWh elec.

20 Occupant to Inhabitant Occupant Passive recipients of conditions provided them" Inhabitant Play an active role in maintenance & performance of their buildings" Metrics: productivity, health and happiness?

21 Regenerative in Environmental and Human Terms Net positive on: Energy Operational carbon Water quality Structural carbon Net positive on: Health Productivity Happiness

22 CIRS Modelled & Actual Energy Flows Estimated Actual Heat Recovered from 906 MWh 129 MWh EOS Heat Sent to EOS 600 MWh 129 MWh Heat Received by EOS 600 MWh 1 MWh Electrical Use 585 MWh 755 MWh Source: Fedoruk, 2013

23 Key Lessons Learned Barriers are not technical or economic but institutional Extend IDP to whole building lifecycle Limitations of simple measures (e.g. EUI) Importance of system boundaries Communication, feedback and monitoring are essential

24 Integrated Campus Systems Energy, Water, Waste

25 District Energy Centre hot water plant (thermal) future expansion (cogeneration) potential integration of bioenergy plant, HW distribution, electrochemical storage and biomass-to-h2 projects

26 UBC s Vancouver Campus will be transformed into a zero waste community

27 Zero Waste Efforts at the University of British Columbia: Examining Waste Goals, Processes and Opportunities to Educate the Campus Community Latika Raisinghani, Ivana Zelenika & Kwesi Yaro Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education & Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability University of British Columbia LOCATION: SWING building #305 TIME: 10am - 11:10

28 Social Sustainability ß à Human Wellbeing UBCO Sustainability Office Access and Diversity Vice- President Students First Nations Perspectives University Sustainab ility Intercultural Initiative Understanding Wellness Plan Sport and Sustainability Community Learning Initiative Healthiest Campus Initiative

29 Ponderosa Commons ~600,000 ft beds $167 million LEED GOLD First of five academic offices classrooms & meeting rooms cafe convenience store Collegium fitness centre informal learning spaces child care centre end-of-trip bicycle facilities art gallery

30 UBC Neighbourhoods From commuter campus to sustainable community More affordable housing for students & families to live on campus Enhance academic engagement, campus life and the environment

31 UBC Neighbourhoods 2001 ~11,000 people 2010 ~18,000 people 2041 ~40,000 people Students & family Faculty, Staff and other

32 Sustainable Community Indicators Daytime Population Transit Residents Auto Trips Parking

33 The Role of the University as an Agent of Change New forms of partnership between the private, public and NGO sectors should be a critical component of the sustainability agenda... identify and flesh out new, more integrated models of interaction... transform the institutional rules and processes that govern the universities relationships with the outside world. (Stephen Toope, Submission to Secretary-General s Global Colloquium of University Presidents, New York University, Nov 28-29, 2007)

34 Strategic Alliance Partnerships Energy systems, decision support Energy, engagement, mobility Residential sustainability as living lab

35 UBC/COV Sustainability Collaborative UBC Sustainability Initiative Shared Sustainability Goals Greenest City Action Plan Operational and Research Collaboration 35

36 Areas of Focus - UBC/COV Collaborative Regional Collaboration on District Energy Institutional Local Food Procurement Greenest City Scholars Program Sustainable Behaviour Change Research

37 Greenest City Scholars Program 5 YEARS 2010 to GRADUATE STUDENTS in GC Scholar positions Nearly 15,000 HOURS of work completed 59 PROJECTS total to advance GCAP goals under City staff mentorship 8/40 Scholars ( ) hired by City

38 Greenest City Scholars,

39 Sustainability Scholars City of Vancouver 18 BC Hydro 6 Fortis 1 Musqueam 1 UBC 4 Total 30

40 Teaching & Learning Vision: Integration across the University Each student, regardless of their degree program, should have access to an educa6on in sustainability via a sustainability learning pathway (UBC Sustainability Academic Strategy, 2009) Sustainability Pathways

41 Sustainability Learning: Pathways and Student Attributes

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43 Pathways programming Insert sustainability sections into big first year courses Psychology, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Math, Applied Science Work with units on 2 nd and 3 rd year content courses (e.g. SCI 220) Work with Faculties on 4 th year capstone leadership courses

44 Faculty of Science Sustainability Pathway

45 Select UBC Student Initiatives Bike Co- op Common Energy Friends of the UBC Farm Sustainability in Residence AMS Sustainability Chemical & Biological Engineering Sustainability Ambassadors Commerce Undergraduate Students Geography Students Associa?on

46 Extensive consultation process (>2000 individuals, 4500 unique website visits, meetings, booths, presentations, workshops, Open House) 3 components (Teaching, Learning and Research; Operations and Infrastructure; UBC Community)

47 Draft Vision Statement At UBC, sustainability means simultaneous improvements in human and environmental wellbeing, not just reductions in damage or harm. By 2035, such regenerative sustainability is embedded across UBC throughout teaching, learning, research, partnerships, operations and infrastructure, and the UBC community. UBC is a vibrant, healthy and resilient community, deeply engaged with its neighbours, surrounding region, partners around the world, and in a supportive and mutually respectful relationship with the Musqueam people.

48 Commit Integrate Demonstrate Inspire

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