Document story

Savings in energy efficiency off-set LEED certification costs in the CUB


In the spring of 2006, WSU began the renovation of what students now know as the "new CUB." According to the WSU Board of Regents write-up for approcal of the schematic design for the CUB, the cost to renovate the CUB totaled $86 million. However, the CUB may soon be making that money back through its energy efficiency and its sustainable design.

According to the write-up, the CUB renovation was paid for through a student tuition increase ($51.88 million), retial operations ($11.5 million), university funds ($9.68 million), S&A fee allocation ($8.44 million) and a one-time design cost allocation. CUB Director Sean Greene said because the new building achieved the Leadership in Energy and Evironmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification, the total cost of renocation was about two percent higher than normal. He said that is approximately $1.72 million more in capital construction.

Greene said the energy cost savings, material resource replacement and other utility savings from "green" amenities are about a 16 percent reduction of the CUB Operations Budget.

"This computes to about an annual savings of between $235,000 and $260,000 per year," Greene said. "You can see that the payoff for these construction costs is less than nine years."

Jeff Lannigan, WSU Capital Planning project manager who oversaw the CUB renovation, said a case study was developed highlighting some of the sustainable features of the CUB building to help people understand how it was sustainable. According to the case study document, a few of the CUB's "green" amenities include a recycled building shell and construction waste from the old CUB; radiant cooling and heating; displacement ventilation in areas of the building where there are more people; Carbon Dioxide detection; dual-flush toilets that reduce water use by 30 percent; "green" interior finishes and adhesives; and "green" power from solar energy.

Lannigan said the building received a LEED scorecard, which awards a certain number of points for each sustainable feature. For example, the dual-flush toilet handles are worth two points on the scorecard. These points are added together and determine which level of LEED certification a building has - the CUB having silver certification.

Dyonne Davidson, another WSU Capital Planning project manager, said the higher cost of the CUB because of its LEED certification really has nother to do with LEED itself. She said most of the time these kinds of buildings are more expensive to build because the products themselves are more expensive. For example, she said the floors in the CUB, which are made of linoleum, are a bit more expensive because linoleum is more expensive than vinyl. The same is true, she said, with the dual-flush toilets. Standard toilets are everywhere, but dual-flush toilets are unique and are therefore more expensive.

"Energy systems, building techniques and products may have been chosen with an agenda of achieving some of LEED's stated goals, but their pricing is independent and has to do with the state of the marketplace," Davidson said.

However, Davidson said LEED itself is indeed affecting the marketplace.

"As more and more building owners are either interested or mandated to build LEED certified structures, this does increase the demand and availability of products and systems that meet LEED requirements," she said. "In some cases this may raise a price and others lower it."


SOURCES

Sean Greene: 509-335-2305
smgreene@wsu.edu
Jeff Lannigan: 509-335-7221
lannigan@wsu.edu
Dyonne Davidson: 509-335-5974
dyonne@wsu.edu

**E-mailing my document request and document to you :)

QUESTIONS!!!

1) What do you feel is the biggest difference between being a journalist in Russia versus being a journalist in the U.S.?

2) What are some of the major restrictions on your freedom of the press in Russia?

3) What are some of the most dangerous situations you have been in as a journalist in Russia?

4) What are the most prevalent issues reported on in Russia?

5) If you knew that you would have to face such restrictions and dangers as a reporter would you still have chosen a life as a journalist?

Document story proposal

For my document story, I am writing about how much it cost to renovate the CUB and breaking it down into how much it was specifically for the "green" amenities. I will be writing about if it was more expensive to go this route, how much money it will save the university in the long-run and how long it will actually take for the university to "make up" the money spent to rebuild the CUB. Also, I will be looking at how the "green" features will help to better the environment.

Online Reporting Story

Departments and colleges at WSU use networking sites to promote and recruit


Whether they are used to promote world-class research, recruit eager college-bound kids to different majors or to simply share information within the WSU community, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are growing in popularity around the WSU campus.

Barbara Petura, associate vice president for University Relations, said the use of social networking for internal and external communication is a growing national trend and that WSU is a big part of that trend. Petura said the university has a Facebook page specifically for future students, a growing WSU YouTube channel and quite a few influential bloggers including President Elson S. Floyd and dean of the College of Education Phyllis Erdman.

Petura said there has also been a large increase in WSU units using Twitter. She said the WSU units communicating with Twitter has increased from 17 on May 27, 2009 to 65 as of today. The Pullman campus Twitter account - WSUPullman - currently has 901 followers.

"Students, faculty, staff, Cougar fans and others expect to find WSU active in social media so they can join if they choose to, and the university is on most of the major platforms," Petura said. "That is an element of success."

The College of Veterinary Medicine at WSU has had some success with its use of networking sites. Darin Watkins, communication coordinator for the veterinary college, said they currently have a Facebook fan page and use Twitter to get information out about the college. Watkins said some of the tweets posted on their Twitter account have really helped get the word out about events and research at the veterinary college.

Watkins said two of the biggest success stories from their Twitter account would have to be the story of the triplet bull calves born at the college last March and the story of an injured beaver that was at the college. He said a CNN reporter picked up on their tweet about the triplet calves and posted it on the CNN Web site, and a Shanghai newspaper put the story about the injured beaver on its front page because of a tweet.

Watkins said the veterinary college also uses social networking sites to recruit students and to promote online programs such as their Pet Memorial Program.

"(In the future) we are hoping to be able to better use these avenues to reach out the alumni and friends," Watkins said. "In the years to come, support from our college will rely greatly on private support and these pathways allow us to reach out to people individually."

The WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) has also joined the trend of using networking sites to recruit students and showcase research. Kate MIlraith, assistant director of recruitment and rentention, said CAHNRS Facebook page has seen a lot of growth, and it currently has 146 fans. She said the Facebook page also seems to be gaining more fans every month.

MIlraith said CAHNRS uses its Facebook page the recruit students to majors, inform fans about what research is being done and to advertise college events.

"Our hope is not only do we keep our current students, alumni and friends informed about and involved in things that are happening in the college, but also that prospective students will see how dynamic the college is and all the educational opportunities that are available," MIlraith said.

SOURCES

Barbara Petura: (509) 335-1980
petura@wsu.edu

Darin Watkins: (509) 335-4456
dwatkins@vetmed.wsu.edu

Kate MIlraith: (509) 335-5469
katem@wsu.edu

Beat update Dec. 1

1. From the Spokesman Review: "Unburied Treasure: 1896 mansion is theater owner's latest project" by Mike Prager. This story is about a woman who restores historic buildings.

2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Children's Center open house showcases renovations" by Kaleigh Clement.

Beat update Nov. 17

1. From USA Today: "Solar panel maker Suntech plans Phoenix-area plant" by Terry Tang.

2. From the Daily Evergreen: "Green careers are an option at WSU" by Sarah Linker.

Beat update Nov. 10

1. From the Daily Evergreen: "Council delays College Hill decision."

2. Also from the Daily Evergreen: "Yard of the Year awarded to house with the best lawn."