College Planning & Management

FEB 2013

College Planning & Management is the information resource for professionals serving the college and university market. Covering facilities, security, technology and business.

Issue link: https://collegeplanning.epubxp.com/i/109241

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 64 of 71

Thinking Green in the Bluegrass State W HEN KENTUCKY Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) began its wide-scale energy upgrades last year, Director of Maintenance and Operations Tracy Royse knew the product he wanted for campus bathrooms — XLERATOR hand dryers. Royse had used Excel Dryer's XLERATOR during a vacation to South Carolina. "Every rest stop had them," he says. "They really worked and did a great job." Despite past negative experiences with hand dryers, Royse knew that XLERATOR would function well in KCTCS' demanding environment. Years ago, KCTCS decided to install "wimpy" hand dryers, which were subsequently removed in favor of costly paper towels. The energy expelled during one XLERATOR hand drying session (76 kilojoules) amounts to less than the amount used for drying hands with two paper towels (200 kilojoules), according to an independent study conducted by Environmental Business News. After incorporating energy efficiency into his gubernatorial campaign, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear introduced a comprehensive energy plan in 2008, a first for Kentucky. "To keep up with energy demand, he calls for maintaining current per-capita energy use, energy independence, the production of large amounts of alternative fuel, as well as a 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions. XLERATOR uses 80 percent less energy than conventional hand dryer and represents a 95 percent cost savings when compared to paper towels. XLERATOR also offers the only certified HEPA filtration system proven to remove 99.97 percent of potentially present bacteria and particulates Hand dryers were recommended when KCTCS was looking for energy-efficient updates during its 2011 project to overhaul outdated and less efficient infrastructure elements including lighting, water, mechanical, and electrical systems. from the air, and the only one with a washable pre-filter for reliable performance and extended filter life. XLERATOR with HEPA settles the debate about hand dryer hygiene by delivering clean, filtered, purified air fast and efficiently. www.exceldryer.com Furniture Renovation Offers Savings M any facility managers assume that refinishing is a substandard solution to addressing worn furniture and are unaware of the potential economic and environmental benefits that furniture asset management offers. But cost analyses reveal institutions that choose furniture restoration over furniture replacement benefit from huge financial and environmental gains. Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisburg, VA, completed a LEED-certified dormitory renovation program that made use of furniture refinishing — and it saved more than 78.6 percent on costs and close to 100 percent on carbon emissions. EMU is one of many universities going green through furniture asset management and other campus initiatives. EMU's dormitories contained built-in wardrobe and mirror units, which made replacement a daunting process that would have involved the extensive restoration of dormitory walls. In 2011, EMU began an ambitious furniture asset management program which was part of Harrisburg's first-ever LEEDcertified building. EMU pursued furniture refinishing as a means to update its student dormitories. The project was completed on-site, using non-toxic, low-VOC, dustless operations to refinish 75 remanufactured wall units comprising wardrobes, drawers, mirror frames, and sliding doors. After completion, the refinished built-ins contributed to the attractive, high-quality green design of the student dormitory, which incorporated natural lighting and use of recycled materials throughout the building. As higher education institutions strive to become more eco-friendly, furniture Expert furniture renovation teams can enter a facility and complete more than 10 rooms of furniture refinishing and upholstery in less than one day, working on-site to leave spaces clean and ready for same-day re-occupancy. Environmentally safe procedures are used, sanding equipment meets dustless HEPA requirements, and buildings remain odor-free during and after the refinishing process. restoration has emerged as the leading solution to the economically efficient and environmentally sustainable management of furniture assets on college campuses. CPM www.therefinishingtouch.com Look for more Case Histories online at www.webCPM.com FEBRUARY 2013 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 57

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of College Planning & Management - FEB 2013