Green Grants
NYU's Sustainability Task Force is now accepting proposals for the 3rd annual round of Green Grants - competitive funding awards for faculty-, student- and staff-led projects that spark the imagination of the university community and advance our leadership in local and global environmental scholarship and practice.
Green Grants support projects that improve operational environmental performance, foster eco-literacy and community engagement, advance applied research goals, and demonstrate the viability of best practices and technologies.
2009-2010 Application Forms and Guidelines
Submission Guidelines - eligibility, FAQ, application timeline
Expression of Interest (EOI) Application Form - Still being accepted! (Feedback not guaranteed after Mon June 15th, 2009)
Publicly-Posted EOI Submissions - ideas, partnership opportunities, help requests
Full Application Form - Due Mon July 27th, 2009
Current and Past Supported Projects
(Browse updates, links, photos, video, and more)
View All Projects | Hide All Projects
Press Release on the launch of 23 new projects
View Project Slideshows: 2008-2009 | 2007-2008
2008-2009
"Step Change" Video Project
Led by A.J. Jastrzembski, Production Coordinator, Department of Media Production
Description
"Supports the creation of wide ranging video content for NYU Sustainability projects - "how to green" clips, online videos, coverage of campus events, and more!"
Updates
Substantial footage has been taken of other Green Grant projects, major events, and information about the workings of NYU's facilities and their environmental impacts.
Links
Step Change Project
AQUS Greywater Reuse
Led by Daniel Bowman Simon, Student, Wagner School of Public Service
Description
AQUS is the first east coast pilot test of this greywater recycling system design, which captures and reuses sink water in order to flush the toilet. Student volunteers host AQUS in residence hall bathrooms, and detailed evaluation of the system will provide a case study for widespread implementation beyond NYU.
Updates
The AQUS system was installed in three bathrooms in the Alumni residence hall in spring 2009. Testing and evaluation of the system is underway.
Copy Central Document Imaging Service
Led by Scott Lewis, Manager, Admistrative Services
Description
Assists NYU Copy Central in establishing a professional scanning and archiving service, enabling the department to internalize document digitization responsibilities for other areas of the university. Resulting benefits will include cost savings, less physical transportation of documents, and improved utilization of substantial wasted file cabinet space throughout the university.
Updates
Digital imaging equipment was purchased, and Copy Central is moving forward with procedures and outreach to university administrative units, to enable them to begin using the new in-house system.
Electricity Monitoring Kit
Led by Jeffrey LeBlanc, Researcher, Interactive Telecommunications Program, Tisch School of the Arts
Description
NYU thesis project that will be developed as a campus tool for Sustainability Advocates, student groups, and others to track their energy use. The kit allows wireless power monitoring of a suite of individual home or office devices in real-time over the internet.
Updates
"The monitoring kits have been built, and implementation and "lending" of kits to staff Sustainability Advocates, student groups, and others is anticipated for summer 2009. "
Links
Electricity Monitoring Website
GRAPES
Led by Jean Phifer, Adjunct Professor, FAS Fine Arts, and Natalie Jeremijenko, Assistant Professor in Art, Steinhardt
Description
This multidisciplinary project will draw upon faculty expertise in design, architecture, sociology and psychiatry in order to evaluate solutions to the challenge of public safety for rooftop environmental projects such as renewable energy installations and green roofs. The project will include a set of perimeter barrier designs and analysis, as well as a publication documenting the research and conclusions of the study.
Updates
Preliminary renderings and materials analysis research have been developed, with additional analysis and prototypes proceeding in the summer 2009.
Green Fieldwork Initiative
Led by Will Thomson, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Anthropology
Description
This pilot program begins with the measurement and tracking of faculty travel distances and means in the Anthropology Department, in order to better understand the carbon emissions resulting from this travel. A second phase will involve development of a local carbon offsetting system to give participating faculty a direct stake in their 'green' actions by supporting on-campus carbon reduction projects.
Updates
Green Light System
Led by Natalie Jeremijenko, Assistant Professor in Art, Steinhardt
Description
The GreenLight is a lighting fixture that uses vegetation to remove indoor air pollutants, coupled with a solar photovoltaic awning that exploits vertical building surfaces, making it ideal for urban campuses. Funding will support the research, design, computer modeling, analysis, production, and installation of the system, which has been developed as a 'prescription' for the NYU Environmental Health Clinic. The GreenLight could be applied on a larger campus scale in the future.
Updates
Press
Green Light Botanical Lamp and Air Filter
Links
Greenlight Website
Green Map Project
Led by Andy Rutkowski, Reference Associate, Bobst Library
Description
"This project brings together NYU's Bobst Library and the Green Map System, a New York City-based international mapmaking organization that will help introduce the NYU community to a vibrant collection of diverse, locally-authored Green Maps and related tools via workshops, classes, and presentations. This project aims to create a "gateway" for shared knowledge about green places, environmental resources, and sustainable practices that provide the opportunity for practical, local, and replicable responses from students, faculty, and the community to our current global environmental crisis."
Updates
Spring 2009 events include preliminary scanning of Green Maps from around the world, workshops with faculty and students to facilitate the use of green mapping resources, and launch of an NYU Open Green Map, using user input, during Earth Week in April.
Links
NYU's Open Green map
H204U : Water purification and research
Led by Max Liboiron, Doctoral Candidate, Visual Culture, Steinhardt
Description
A volunteer training program to measure water quality at sources in NYU buildings, and a signage campaign about the quality of NYC tap water, to encourage alternatives to purchasing bottled water.
Updates
"Water meters were installed on fountains in 3 prominent NYU buildings in the fall 2008. Use monitoring and water testing are proceeding, and results of tap and bottled water tests will be posted.
Lighten Up & Go Green
Led by Pamela Bolen, Director of Kimmel Operations
Description
Supports a study to plan and implement an LED lighting system for the 10th floor of the Kimmel Center, which will serve space lighting needs while substantially reducing energy use.
Updates
The lighting study is underway.
NYU Bike Share Program
Led by Lindsi Seegmiller, Julia Ehrman and Timothy McNerney, Students, College of Arts and Science and Tisch School of the Arts
Description
"The first bike-sharing program in NYC begins at the Tisch Hall bike storage area and 7th St. "Green House" residence hall. Students who attend a required safety training will be able to reserve and "check out" bikes online for use in getting around the city. The Bike Share builds on 2007-08's bicycle infrastructure and recycling research Green Grant, and the project partners with key neighborhood organizations like Transportation Alternatives and Times Up."
Updates
Purchase of bike racks, bicycles, and other equipment is complete, and safety training workshops have been held, with more than 100 students completing training in 2008. The web-based reservation system and card-swipe interface is also complete. A "soft launch" of the pilot system will unfold through the spring and summer 2009.
Press
NYUs Bike Share Program Finally in Gear
Links
Bike Share
NYU Community Agriculture Club
Led by Zoe Abram and Rachel Greenspan, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Description
"Provides tools and resources for a new student club, Community Agriculture at NYU, which will work in conjunction with the "Grow, Cook, Eat, Learn" Green Grant garden plot near Washington Square Village. "
Updates
"The Community Agriculture club has built new cold frame boxes, and installed them adjacent to the Grow, Cook, Eat, Learn garden near Washington Square Village. The club also hosted a major event, "Room to Grow," about NYU and the potential for urban agriculture on campus. Planting will proceed during the summer 2009.
Press
Theres Room to Grow in This City
NYU students grow veggies in the Village
Urban Agriculture Takes Root on NYC Campuses
Links
Garden Website
Outdoor Environmental Leadership Program
Led by Adam Ebnit, Program Administrator, Office of Student Activities
Description
Provides additional support for a new NYU Student Activities Office program that engages students in leadership training through hiking, camping and other experiences in nature.
Updates
Equipment was purchased, with students embarking on multiple outdoor trips in the winter and spring 2009. Wilderness safety and skills training programs are also underway.
Links
Outdoor Environmental Leadership Initiative
NYU Camping Equipment Rentals
Painting the Campus Green: Public Art
Led by Sarah Burkhart, Student, College of Arts and Science
Description
Sponsors a public competition to develop an environmental art installation near Washington Square Village, with a faculty/expert jury to develop project parameters and evaluate student art proposals.
Updates
A preliminary jury and scope of the competition has been planned, with the actual request for submissions to unfold over the summer and fall 2009.
Perennial Greens: NYU Medical Center
Led by Jeffrey Shyu, Student, NYU School of Medicine
Description
The student-led NYU Medical Center sustainability group will partner with NYU-MC Facilities staff to launch energy saving and recycling efforts, as well as an informational website to begin community outreach.
Updates
Putting the Green in Greene Street Part 2
Led by David Holland, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Courant Institute
Description
A continuation of last year's Green Grant to construct an NYU rooftop weather monitoring station powered with solar and wind energy. Along with a similar installation in Greenland, the station will perform global warming research and yield valuable data.
Updates
Additional equipment for the energy production and weather monitoring system has been purchased.
Radishes and Rubbish
Led by Annie Myers and Carla Fernandez, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Description
Sends groups of NYU students on 'field trips' to key NYC-area sites for food production (urban farms, community gardens) and waste disposal (transfer stations and composting facilities). Participating students will be able to apply new knowledge of these systems by collaborating with NYU faculty and staff experts on related campus food and waste management sustainability projects.
Updates
"14 trips were held in 2008-09, with near-maximum attendance on each outing by a diverse range of students.
Press
College Students Learn Where Their Food Comes From (and Goes To)
Links
Radishes and Rubbish Website
Residence Hall Composting Pilot
Led by Andrew Breck, Frances Felske, and Emily Sun, Students, Wagner School of Public Service and College of Arts and Science
Description
Experimentation with several approaches to composting NYU's biodegradable waste stream within residential locations on campus. Students partner with the NYU Dining and Recycling Departments to roll out a collection and pickup system through NYU's waste hauler, as well as a set of educational events and outreach to the campus community. Methods tested include waste hauler pick-ups, central location digester composting, and vermicomposting.
Updates
Composting collection has proceeded at Mercer St. Residence Hall, with daily pickups of food waste on every floor of the building. 7th Street "Green House" residence hall composting using a digester unit and a set of student-maintained vermicompost (worm) bins is anticipated in the fall 2009.
Composting at NYU from NYU Stepchange Green Grant on Vimeo.
Links
NYU sends its compost to McEnroe Farm
NYU School of Law Residence Hall Composting webpage
SCGI High-Efficiency Hand Dryers
Led by Jake Berlin, Adam Gromis and Jorge Esteban, Students, Stern School of Business
Description
New high-efficiency hand dryer pilot-testing in restrooms at the Stern School of Business. The Stern Campus Greening Initiative will monitor environmental and cost savings and report on the feasibility of implementing the dryers across the campus.
Updates
"The popular hand dryers have been installed, and comrpehensive evaluations performed on their life cycle costs and environmental benefits.
Jake Berlin from the Stern Campus Greening Initiative from NYU Stepchange Green Grant on Vimeo.
Sprucing Up the Green House
Led by Molly Anderson and Hannah Weddle, Students, College of Arts and Science
Description
"A package of related student projects to support the "Green House" a new sustainability-themed residence hall community in NYU's building on 7th St. Projects will include a green lending library, composting, a speaker series, and other fun resources that support environmentally friendly lifestyles."
Updates
The Green House lending library and speaker series are well under way. Composting efforts are expected to begin in fall 2009.
Swap Shop
Led by Evrim Sahin, Student, Interactive Telecommunications Program, Tisch
Description
"A complement to this year's successful Green Apple Move Out project in residence halls, the Swap Shop will give students a year-round way to reuse. This new online platform will enable students to directly exchange used goods - similar to an NYU-exclusive version of "Craigslist"."
Updates
Work developing and coding the Swap Shop website for students is proceeding.
Technoscrap Recycling Program
Led by Emily van Geldern, Student, College of Arts and Science
Description
"A student- and Recycling Department-led expansion of the "technoscrap" recycling program at Residence Halls, facilitating student recycling of CDs, cell phones, batteries, and more."
Updates
Wagner Water Project
Led by Andrea Mayer, Associate Research Scientist, Wagner School of Public Service
Description
Wagner Greening Committee project to survey occupants' behavior, upgrade drinking fountains and set up water bottle refilling stations for the Puck building.
Updates
Water sources have been evaluated, and water testing and needs assessment is ongoing. A detailed water knowledge, attitudes and behavior survey was administered to the Wagner and broader NYU communities, with analysis underway.
2007-2008
Bike to School
Led by Emily Allen and Mark Simpson, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Description
A dynamic collaboration between NYU students, staff and faculty, and Time's Up!, a 20 year old nonprofit environmental group. The project was focused on salvaging and repairing abandoned bicycles, as well as conducting a bicycle use and parking study on campus.
Updates
The first phase of the Bike to School grant was completed successfully in September 2007. 50 abandoned bicycles were removed and reclaimed from various locations on campus. Times Up! Environmental Group volunteers, led by Mark and Emily, refurbished the bicycles.
Two workshops were held on Wednesdays during the first and second weeks of class. The first covered bicycle basics, including the parts of a bicycle, the pros and cons of different bicycle types, how to lock properly in New York City, and an overview of local bicycle laws. The second workshop demonstrated basic bicycle maintenance skills, such as changing a flat and adjusting brakes and gears. At the end of the workshops, 25 bicycles were given away to freshmen.
The second phase of the grant involved research, data-gathering and drafting of a comprehensive Bike Infrastructure Study report. This document includes all of the findings and analysis performed under the grant, as well as a number of valuable recommendations for institutionalizing efforts to recycle abandoned bikes, as well as to improve bike access and usability throughout the campus.
Press Links Led by Jennie Tichenor, Administrator, Department of Anthropology, and Patricia Kiernan, Recycling Shop The involvement by students, staff and faculty led not only to the sought-after outcome of collecting items for charity and diverting them from landfill but also an increased awareness of the benefits of re-use and recycling. Outreach was accomplished through posters, email blasts, tabling at the Earth Week Street Fair, and project organizers' collaborations with countless students, faculty and staff. GAMO is now an ongoing university initiative, collecting student goods for donation annually through a collaboration between Housing and Recycling Department staff. Led by Linda Wheeler Reiss, Assistant Dean for Administration, Gallatin School of Individualized Study Led by Jennifer Berg, Director of Graduate Program in Food Studies, and Joy Santlofer, Adjunct Faculty, Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, Steinhardt Led by Julio Alvarez and Shane Crary-Ross, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study and Silver School of Social Work Led by George Reis, Supervisor, NYU Garden Shop Led by Adam Brock, Student, Gallatin School of Individualized Study Visit NYUnplugged Home Page" At the heart of the outreach strategy was a series of four campaigns that were rolled out every two weeks between early March and mid-April. Each campaign consisted of a poster on every floor, a mass email to students, and a page on the NYUnplugged website with detailed information and resources. NYUnplugged has now been adopted as an ongoing university program, operated by Facilities and Sustainability students and staff. Press Links Led by David Holland, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Courant Institute Press Led by Tom Igoe, Faculty, Interactive Telecommunications Program, Tisch School of the Arts Led by Charlie Strom, Director of Labs, Department of Chemistry Future plans include installation of diaphram pumps in all other laboratories. Led by Colin Leary and Sarah Wu, Students, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
NY Times: Giving Abandoned Bikes New Life So Students Can Ride
Time's Up!
Bicyling ReportGreen Apple Move Out
Description
The Green Apple Move Out is a collection project that gives students in NYU residence halls the opportunity to find a second life for numerous items that might otherwise be discarded during the annual May move out. Items ranging from linens to clothing to electronics are collected in designated locations and donated to non-profit organizations, benefiting the local community and the global environment.
Updates
NYU's 2008 Green Apple Move Out (GAMO) was a success, collecting over 16,300 pounds of used items for NYC-area charities and creating a model for future annual collections at NYU's residence halls. The first annual Green Apple Move Out donation and collection system was integrated into an already hectic time for residence halls but received an overwhelming amount of support and appreciation from the University and the receiving non-profits. Cost savings from reduced disposal at landfills were seen as well.Greening of Gallatin School
Description
Gallatin has undertaken a gut renovation of its facilities at 715/719 Broadway, pursuing Silver LEED certification (U.S. Green Buildings Council) for the project. Gallatin's green renovation has featured energy-efficient and non-toxic interiors, demolition waste tracking and recycling, use of recycled and renewable materials for interiors, and more. This project will document and publicize the efforts undertaken to promote a sustainable environment at Gallatin, informing the wider community of the potential for green renovation and capital project planning at NYU.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with final LEED certification of the Gallatin project expected in 2009. Grow, Cook, Eat, Learn
Description
A self-contained sustainable food system, GCEL creates the beginnings of an urban agricultural working laboratory. The ground-level garden near Washington Square Village incorporates the entire food cycle from production to harvesting, cooking, nutrition, consumption, waste and composting. This working 'lab' will be a microcosm of the new NYU Food Systems academic program. The project has two components: an initial street-level garden, and a K-5 agricultural science curriculum, with potential for graduate student research/collaboration.
Updates
Food Sustainability from NYU Stepchange Green Grant on Vimeo.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.Guide to Green Living
Description
The development of NYU's first-ever Guide to Green Living. The booklet and companion website will be a reference for students on how to live, work, eat and purchase more sustainably. It will cover such areas as: living in residence halls, computing, recycling, energy conservation, water efficiency, laundry, nutrition and dining, etc. It will be produced in conjunction with Housing and distributed to incoming first-year students.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with the Guide expected to be completed before fall 2009. Healthy Landscape Demonstration Garden
Description
The Healthy Landscape Demonstration Gardens, under the guidance of a top expert in sustainable urban gardening, is a pilot project and model for all NYU grounds. Three unused plots behind Coles Sports Center with a total area of over 3000 square feet was transformed into attractive, chemical-free demonstration gardens to display the methods and principles of sustainable gardening and organic land care. Native plant selections and soil fertility management will combine to create a self-renewing landscape. Students and faculty will have access to these gardens for research purposes.
UpdatesNYUnplugged
Description
"NYUnplugged was a month-long electricity conservation competition in NYU's residence halls, held during April 2008. The contest, one of the largest of its kind in the nation. It was promoted through a unique informational campaign, a 'street team' of dorm residents, and a website with informational resources and periodic updates of each building's usage.
Updates
The contest resulted in an average electricity reduction of 7.3 percent, while Greenwich Hotel, the winning residence hall, managed to cut by 24 percent. In all, NYUnplugged conserved a total of approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours, or 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Washington Square News:SUSTAINABILITY | Dorms duke it out, save energy
Campaign Posters: Click to enlarge.
Putting the "Green" in Greene Street
Description
A quantitative evaluation of the potential of the NYU main campus to generate wind and solar renewable energy will be determined through the establishment of a self-powered environmental monitoring station located atop the building at 244 Greene Street. The project, currently underway, is evolving in two phases.
Updates
Project continued in 2008-09; ongoing.
Washington Square News: Prof. puts solar panels on NYU roofRenewable Energy Generation
Description
The ITP Program at Tisch will use rooftop solar panels as teaching tools and design constraints to test students' creativity as they construct technology projects that are efficient and can thrive off of finite renewable energy.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with procurement of panels and installation proceeding during 2009.Replacement of Water Aspirators
Description
The common method of using water aspirators to provide low vacuum in university laboratories is wasteful and inefficient. The project substituted stand-alone diaphragm pumps in three laboratories to gauge their utility as a water-saving alternative, and assessed possibilities for institutionalization across other facilities.
Updates
The pumps were installed in three separate research labs in order to replace existing equipment that uses water aspirators. A log was set up at each location in order to track usage of the pumps. There was a wide variation of usage; in one lab, estimates ranged from 3-9 hours/day which corresponds to a water savings of roughly 540 gal/day to 1,620 gal/day for a monthly savings averaging approximately 32,400 gal. In another lab, recorded usage was much lower at about 15% of this figure. The third lab did not report their savings, but it lies somewhere in between these two totals. Wagner Existing Building Inventory
Description
A Wagner Urban Planning Capstone team worked with NYU's Office of Strategic Assessment, Planning, and Design (SAPD) to conduct an inventory of 12 university buildings using the LEED Existing Building rating system. After scoring each building, students worked with building managers and SAPD to identify planned renovations over a 5-10 year period and recommended opportunities to implement green building components.
Updates
The purpose of the analysis is to determine the current state of sustainability performance and the environmental impacts of NYU's building stock, and to recommend measures to improve performance utilizing the LEED EB system as its benchmark. With space utilization and building typology data, the Team identified 12 buildings to serve as a representative sample of all the building stock owned by NYU. The results of the building sample analysis will help to inform NYU's renovation and operation practices on a campus-wide level.
The team determined a variety of recommendations for NYU to implement a more sustainable building management program. The recommendations are developed for the overall university, are specific to the 12 individual buildings, are categorized by building types, and finally, if NYU chooses, they can be utilized to achieve LEED certification for individual buildings. The overall recommendations are based upon a determination that a number of policies and initiatives are better implemented University-wide rather than attempting to replicate building by building, as the analysis revealed a lack of coherent and system-wide sustainability initiatives. In the area of building specific recommendations it was observed that there are a number of overlapping issues for the 12 buildings, in terms of sustainable challenges or building inefficiencies, as well as each building having specific items that could be easily addressed.
Links
Wagner Report
Bike to School
Led by Emily Allen and Mark Simpson, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Description
A dynamic collaboration between NYU students, staff and faculty, and Time's Up!, a 20 year old nonprofit environmental group. The project was focused on salvaging and repairing abandoned bicycles, as well as conducting a bicycle use and parking study on campus.
Updates
The first phase of the Bike to School grant was completed successfully in September 2007. 50 abandoned bicycles were removed and reclaimed from various locations on campus. Times Up! Environmental Group volunteers, led by Mark and Emily, refurbished the bicycles.
Two workshops were held on Wednesdays during the first and second weeks of class. The first covered bicycle basics, including the parts of a bicycle, the pros and cons of different bicycle types, how to lock properly in New York City, and an overview of local bicycle laws. The second workshop demonstrated basic bicycle maintenance skills, such as changing a flat and adjusting brakes and gears. At the end of the workshops, 25 bicycles were given away to freshmen.
The second phase of the grant involved research, data-gathering and drafting of a comprehensive Bike Infrastructure Study report. This document includes all of the findings and analysis performed under the grant, as well as a number of valuable recommendations for institutionalizing efforts to recycle abandoned bikes, as well as to improve bike access and usability throughout the campus.
Press Links Led by Adam Brock, Student, Gallatin School of Individualized Study Visit NYUnplugged Home Page" At the heart of the outreach strategy was a series of four campaigns that were rolled out every two weeks between early March and mid-April. Each campaign consisted of a poster on every floor, a mass email to students, and a page on the NYUnplugged website with detailed information and resources. NYUnplugged has now been adopted as an ongoing university program, operated by Facilities and Sustainability students and staff. Press Links Led by Colin Leary and Sarah Wu, Students, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
NY Times: Giving Abandoned Bikes New Life So Students Can Ride
Time's Up!
Bicyling ReportNYUnplugged
Description
"NYUnplugged was a month-long electricity conservation competition in NYU's residence halls, held during April 2008. The contest, one of the largest of its kind in the nation. It was promoted through a unique informational campaign, a 'street team' of dorm residents, and a website with informational resources and periodic updates of each building's usage.
Updates
The contest resulted in an average electricity reduction of 7.3 percent, while Greenwich Hotel, the winning residence hall, managed to cut by 24 percent. In all, NYUnplugged conserved a total of approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours, or 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Washington Square News:SUSTAINABILITY | Dorms duke it out, save energy
Campaign Posters: Click to enlarge. Wagner Existing Building Inventory
Description
A Wagner Urban Planning Capstone team worked with NYU's Office of Strategic Assessment, Planning, and Design (SAPD) to conduct an inventory of 12 university buildings using the LEED Existing Building rating system. After scoring each building, students worked with building managers and SAPD to identify planned renovations over a 5-10 year period and recommended opportunities to implement green building components.
Updates
The purpose of the analysis is to determine the current state of sustainability performance and the environmental impacts of NYU's building stock, and to recommend measures to improve performance utilizing the LEED EB system as its benchmark. With space utilization and building typology data, the Team identified 12 buildings to serve as a representative sample of all the building stock owned by NYU. The results of the building sample analysis will help to inform NYU's renovation and operation practices on a campus-wide level.
The team determined a variety of recommendations for NYU to implement a more sustainable building management program. The recommendations are developed for the overall university, are specific to the 12 individual buildings, are categorized by building types, and finally, if NYU chooses, they can be utilized to achieve LEED certification for individual buildings. The overall recommendations are based upon a determination that a number of policies and initiatives are better implemented University-wide rather than attempting to replicate building by building, as the analysis revealed a lack of coherent and system-wide sustainability initiatives. In the area of building specific recommendations it was observed that there are a number of overlapping issues for the 12 buildings, in terms of sustainable challenges or building inefficiencies, as well as each building having specific items that could be easily addressed.
Links
Wagner Report
Healthy Landscape Demonstration Garden
Led by George Reis, Supervisor, NYU Garden Shop
Description
The Healthy Landscape Demonstration Gardens, under the guidance of a top expert in sustainable urban gardening, is a pilot project and model for all NYU grounds. Three unused plots behind Coles Sports Center with a total area of over 3000 square feet was transformed into attractive, chemical-free demonstration gardens to display the methods and principles of sustainable gardening and organic land care. Native plant selections and soil fertility management will combine to create a self-renewing landscape. Students and faculty will have access to these gardens for research purposes.
Updates
Putting the "Green" in Greene Street
Led by David Holland, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Courant Institute
Description
A quantitative evaluation of the potential of the NYU main campus to generate wind and solar renewable energy will be determined through the establishment of a self-powered environmental monitoring station located atop the building at 244 Greene Street. The project, currently underway, is evolving in two phases.
Updates
Project continued in 2008-09; ongoing.
Press
Washington Square News: Prof. puts solar panels on NYU roof
Grow, Cook, Eat, Learn
Led by Jennifer Berg, Director of Graduate Program in Food Studies, and Joy Santlofer, Adjunct Faculty, Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, Steinhardt
Description
A self-contained sustainable food system, GCEL creates the beginnings of an urban agricultural working laboratory. The ground-level garden near Washington Square Village incorporates the entire food cycle from production to harvesting, cooking, nutrition, consumption, waste and composting. This working 'lab' will be a microcosm of the new NYU Food Systems academic program. The project has two components: an initial street-level garden, and a K-5 agricultural science curriculum, with potential for graduate student research/collaboration.
Updates
Food Sustainability from NYU Stepchange Green Grant on Vimeo.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Green Apple Move Out
Led by Jennie Tichenor, Administrator, Department of Anthropology, and Patricia Kiernan, Recycling Shop
Description
The Green Apple Move Out is a collection project that gives students in NYU residence halls the opportunity to find a second life for numerous items that might otherwise be discarded during the annual May move out. Items ranging from linens to clothing to electronics are collected in designated locations and donated to non-profit organizations, benefiting the local community and the global environment.
Updates
NYU's 2008 Green Apple Move Out (GAMO) was a success, collecting over 16,300 pounds of used items for NYC-area charities and creating a model for future annual collections at NYU's residence halls. The first annual Green Apple Move Out donation and collection system was integrated into an already hectic time for residence halls but received an overwhelming amount of support and appreciation from the University and the receiving non-profits. Cost savings from reduced disposal at landfills were seen as well.
The involvement by students, staff and faculty led not only to the sought-after outcome of collecting items for charity and diverting them from landfill but also an increased awareness of the benefits of re-use and recycling. Outreach was accomplished through posters, email blasts, tabling at the Earth Week Street Fair, and project organizers' collaborations with countless students, faculty and staff. GAMO is now an ongoing university initiative, collecting student goods for donation annually through a collaboration between Housing and Recycling Department staff.
Replacement of Water Aspirators
Led by Charlie Strom, Director of Labs, Department of Chemistry
Description
The common method of using water aspirators to provide low vacuum in university laboratories is wasteful and inefficient. The project substituted stand-alone diaphragm pumps in three laboratories to gauge their utility as a water-saving alternative, and assessed possibilities for institutionalization across other facilities.
Updates
The pumps were installed in three separate research labs in order to replace existing equipment that uses water aspirators. A log was set up at each location in order to track usage of the pumps. There was a wide variation of usage; in one lab, estimates ranged from 3-9 hours/day which corresponds to a water savings of roughly 540 gal/day to 1,620 gal/day for a monthly savings averaging approximately 32,400 gal. In another lab, recorded usage was much lower at about 15% of this figure. The third lab did not report their savings, but it lies somewhere in between these two totals.
Future plans include installation of diaphram pumps in all other laboratories.
Renewable Energy Generation
Led by Tom Igoe, Faculty, Interactive Telecommunications Program, Tisch School of the Arts
Description
The ITP Program at Tisch will use rooftop solar panels as teaching tools and design constraints to test students' creativity as they construct technology projects that are efficient and can thrive off of finite renewable energy.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with procurement of panels and installation proceeding during 2009.
Guide to Green Living
Led by Julio Alvarez and Shane Crary-Ross, Students, Gallatin School of Individualized Study and Silver School of Social Work
Description
The development of NYU's first-ever Guide to Green Living. The booklet and companion website will be a reference for students on how to live, work, eat and purchase more sustainably. It will cover such areas as: living in residence halls, computing, recycling, energy conservation, water efficiency, laundry, nutrition and dining, etc. It will be produced in conjunction with Housing and distributed to incoming first-year students.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with the Guide expected to be completed before fall 2009.
Greening of Gallatin School
Led by Linda Wheeler Reiss, Assistant Dean for Administration, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Description
Gallatin has undertaken a gut renovation of its facilities at 715/719 Broadway, pursuing Silver LEED certification (U.S. Green Buildings Council) for the project. Gallatin's green renovation has featured energy-efficient and non-toxic interiors, demolition waste tracking and recycling, use of recycled and renewable materials for interiors, and more. This project will document and publicize the efforts undertaken to promote a sustainable environment at Gallatin, informing the wider community of the potential for green renovation and capital project planning at NYU.
Updates
This project is ongoing, with final LEED certification of the Gallatin project expected in 2009.