Next Generation Sustainability at UBC

John Robinson

UBC

Presentation at

International STEM in

Education conference

UBC

July 13, 2014

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 MES3H IT –  (Math, Engineering, Social Science,

Science, Humanities, Interdisciplinarity, Technology)

The Sustainability of Limits

1962 1966

1968

1972 1972

1973

1969

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

Limits Storyline •  Harm reduction •  Damage limitation •  Mitigation •  Cutting back •  Sacrifice

The Sustainability Discourse

Four Problems

Doesn’t go far enough

We have to go beyond net zero

Only environmental Sustainability is about both environmental and human wellbeing

Not motivating People don’t jump onto the bandwagon of sacrifice

Scientistic Unproblematic view of role of science and technology

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

Regenerative Sustainability

Goal: To simultaneously increase human and environmental well-being

Questions: For what processes? At what scale? Role of university . . .

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

UBC Campus as a Living Lab

CIRS

~14 million sq. ft. ~270 core buildings ~ 300 hectares

UBC’s Climate Change goals (Mar, 2010)

•  achieved Kyoto targets (-6%) for core academic buildings in 2007 (with 35% growth in floorspace)

•  New targets: - 33% by 2015 - 67% by 2020 - 100% by 2050

UBC Campus Steam System

Size of energy challenge: •  eliminate fossil fuels •  no new electricity transmission lines to campus •  ~35% growth in research and residential floorspace by 2030

0

20

40

60

80

100

2007 2015 2020 2050

Current Signature Projects

Continuous Optimization of Campus Buildings

Demand-Side Supply-Side

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

$3 million Partnership with BC Hydro

and Pulse Energy 72 large academic

buildings completed in 4 phases 2010-16

10% GHG savings

Continuous Optimization in Buildings

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)

Steam to Hot Water Conversion

$88 million Multiple phases 2012-15 54MW hot water peaking

plant (gas); future: cogen + green gas

22% GHG savings

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

1.10

1.20

1.30

2007 2013

GHG Emissions (tonnes CO2e)

Student Enrolment (FTE)

Floor Space (square meters)

UBC-V GHG Emissions and Drivers 2007-2013

Students +7% Floorspace +11% GHG - 14%

2014: - Ph 2 of C-OP - 2 MW cogen (RNG) - ADES Energy Centre

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

A building that restores the environment around it

net positive on water quality

net positive on energy and GHG emissions

Continuous research: §  technical performance of building systems

§  behavioural interface of building & inhabitants net positive on structural

carbon

Energy Balance - Summary

990 MWh

306 MWh

600 MWh

-860 MWh nat. gas

-154 t CO2e

CIRS EOS

UBC Steam Plant

860 – 585 = 275 MWh Net positive energy use

1600 MWh 1600-600= 1000 MWh

585 MWh elec.

Occupant Passive recipients of conditions provided them"

Inhabitant

Play an active role in maintenance &

performance of their buildings"

Occupant to Inhabitant

Metrics: productivity, health and happiness?

Regenerative in Environmental and Human Terms

Net positive on: •  Energy •  Operational carbon •  Water quality •  Structural carbon

Net positive on: •  Health •  Productivity •  Happiness

CIRS Modelled & Actual Energy Flows

  Estimated   Actual  Heat Recovered from EOS  

906 MWh   129 MWh  

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

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

Integrated Campus Systems – Energy, Water, Waste

District Energy Centre

•  hot water plant (thermal) •  future expansion (cogeneration) •  potential integration of bioenergy plant, HW distribution, electro-

chemical storage and biomass-to-H2 projects

“UBC’s Vancouver Campus will be

transformed into a zero waste community”

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

Social Sustainability

Access and

Diversity

Vice-President Students

University Sustainab

ility Initiative

Healthiest Campus Initiative

Wellness Plan

Community Learning Initiative

Sport and Sustainability

Intercultural Understanding

UBCO Sustainability

Office

First Nations Perspectives

ßà Human Wellbeing

•  academic offices •  classrooms & meeting rooms •  cafe •  convenience store •  Collegium

•  fitness centre •  informal learning spaces •  child care centre •  end-of-trip bicycle facilities •  art gallery

Ponderosa Commons

•  ~600,000 ft2 •  1116 beds •  $167 million •  LEED GOLD •  First of five

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

Students & family

Faculty, Staff and other

2001 ~11,000 people

2010 ~18,000 people

2041 ~40,000 people

UBC Neighbourhoods

Sustainable Community Indicators

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

1997 2012

Daytime Population Auto Trips Transit Parking Residents

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)

Strategic Alliance Partnerships

Utown@UBC as living lab

Energy systems, decision support

Residential sustainability

Energy, engagement, mobility

Operational and Research Collaboration

35

UBC/COV Sustainability Collaborative

UBC Sustainability

Initiative

Greenest City Action

Plan S

hare

d S

usta

inab

ility

G

oals

Regional Collaboration

on District Energy

Institutional Local Food

Procurement

Greenest City Scholars Program

Sustainable Behaviour Change

Research

Areas of Focus - UBC/COV Collaborative

Greenest City Scholars Program

5 YEARS 2010 to 2014

59 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 (2010-2013) hired by City

38

Greenest City Scholars, 2014

Sustainability Scholars

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

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

Sustainability Learning: Pathways and Student Attributes

Pathways programming

•  Insert sustainability sections into big first year courses – Psychology, Geography, Biology,

Chemistry, Math, Applied Science •  Work with units on 2nd and 3rd year

content courses (e.g. SCI 220) •  Work with Faculties on 4th year

capstone leadership courses

Faculty of Science Sustainability Pathway

Common  Energy  

Friends  of  the  UBC  Farm  

Bike            Co-­‐op  

Select UBC Student Initiatives

Sustainability  Ambassadors  

Geography  Students  

Associa?on  

Commerce  Undergraduate  

Students  

Chemical  &  Biological  Engineering  

AMS  Sustainability  

Sustainability  in  Residence  

•  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)

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.

Commit      Integrate Demonstrate      Inspire