Episode 18: University of Virginia's Delta Force Program

in , , , ,
Andrea Trimble (left), Jesse Warren (right)

Andrea Trimble (left), Jesse Warren (right)

Guests:
Andrea Trimble, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, O+M
Office for Sustainability Director
University of Virginia

Jesse Warren PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, O+M
Sustainability Program Manager for Buildings & Operations
University of Virginia

Host: Dave Karlsgodt
Principal, Fovea, LLC

The focus of this episode is the University of Virginia’s Delta Force, a self-funded building energy efficiency and sustainability program. You’ll hear how UVA has taken a $400,000 seed fund to yield $42M dollars in energy related cost savings to the University. We get into the nuts and bolts of the program but also zoom back to talk more generally about their sustainability programs and collaboration with their city and regional governments.

Resources:

Episode 14: Solar carport and Energy Transition at Michigan State University

in , , , ,
Wolfgang Bauer (left); Gary Farha (right); Solar Carport Installation at MSU (bottom)

Wolfgang Bauer (left); Gary Farha (right);
Solar Carport Installation at MSU (bottom)

Guests:
Wolfgang Bauer
University Distinguished Professor and Associate Vice President for Administrative Services
Michigan State University

Gary Farha
Founder, President and CEO
CustomerFirst Renewables

Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

The focus of this episode is a large, on-site solar carport installation that recently came online on MSU’s campus. At the time it came online, this was the largest carport solar installation in the United States.  As background, Wolfgang shares the rich history of the MSU energy system dating back to the 19th century. We discuss the role of MSU’s Energy Transition Plan as a catalyst for this project. This plan lays out aggressive goals for the use of renewable energy and the reduction of GHG emissions.  We talk through the decision-making process that led up to this project and end by discussing possible next steps in MSU’s energy transition.

Resources:

Episode 13: The Challenges and Opportunities of Aggressive Climate Action

in , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The panel at CHESC 2018 ( Left to right)  Tyler Durchslag-Richardson, Fletcher Alexander, Lindsey Kalkbrenner, Eric Eberhardt, Dave Karlsgodt

The panel at CHESC 2018 (Left to right) Tyler Durchslag-Richardson, Fletcher Alexander, Lindsey Kalkbrenner, Eric Eberhardt, Dave Karlsgodt

Guests:
Eric Eberhardt
Director of Energy Services
Energy & Facilities Management Services
University of California, Office of the President
Lindsey Kalkbrenner
Director, Sustainability, University Operations
Director, Center for Sustainability
Santa Clara University
Fletcher Alexander
Sustainability Programs Manager, Institute for Sustainable Development
California State University, Chico
Tyler Durchslag-Richardson
Senior Analyst, Facilities Services and Integrated Planning
California Institute of Technology
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

This episode was recorded live on July 10th at the 2018 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) which took place on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dave Karlsgodt moderated the session: “The Challenges and Opportunities of Aggressive Climate Action.” Panelists from a cross-section of California institutions answered questions about their climate action efforts.  You’ll hear both success stories from these leading institutions, but also some honest discussion on where they have more work to do. Topics include the nature of their climate action strategies, making the business case for sustainable practices, the dual role of higher ed. to lead and to educate, carbon neutrality, 100% renewable energy and more.  Audience members bring up some challenging questions including how to consider equity, social justice, and the stratification of resources to address these challenges.  The discussion includes a combination of inspiring success stories and honest self-reflection from sustainability professionals working in the trenches.

Resources:

Episode 11: Putting a Price on Carbon - Nathan Graf, Swarthmore College

in , , ,
Nathan Graf Climate Action Senior Fellow, Swarthmore College

Nathan Graf
Climate Action Senior Fellow, Swarthmore College

Guest: Nathan Graf
Climate Action Senior Fellow, Swarthmore College

Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

My guest in this episode is Nathan Graf from Swarthmore College, a small liberal arts college located just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Nathan and I discussed Swarthmore’s carbon charge program. Nathan explains the origin of their policy, the nuts-and-bolts of how the charge is calculated, and how the funds from the program are used. We go on to discuss how putting a price on carbon has impacted students, faculty and staff as well as the reputation of Swarthmore as a leader in sustainability.  We explore Swarthmore’s use of a shadow price on carbon when evaluating larger capital projects and the challenges of calculating a specific cost for impacts of carbon emissions on society at large.  Nathan explains how Swarthmore’s program compares to alternative approaches used by other institutions that are also working to put a price on carbon emissions.

Resources:

  • Swarthmore's Carbon Charge Program:
    https://www.swarthmore.edu/sustainability/swarthmore-carbon-charge-program
  • For questions email sustainability@swarthmore.edu

 

Episode 9: The New Grand Strategy

in , , , , ,
Colonel Mark “Puck” Mykleby, USMC (Ret)

Colonel Mark “Puck” Mykleby, USMC (Ret)

Guest:  Mark "Puck" Mykleby
Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer
Long Haul Capital Group

Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

In this November 2017, interview I’ll talk with retired Marine Colonel Mark Mykleby about a book he recently co-authored with Patrick Doherty and Joel Makower, called “The new Grand Strategy, Restoring America’s Prosperity, Security and Sustainability in the 21st Century.”  Our discussion covers a wide range of topics including the history of Grand Strategy in the United States including the lead-up to World War II, the Post-war recovery and the Cold War.  He talks about how our current systems are based on a now obsolete grand strategy and goes on to outline a vision for how America can reinvent itself using sustainability as a core, organizing concept.

book.jpg

Web Resources:

Episode 7: Fuel Switching and Sustainability at Iowa State University

in , ,
Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities and Merry Ranking, Director of Sustainability at Iowa State University

Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities and
Merry Ranking, Director of Sustainability
at Iowa State University

Guests:  Merry Ranking, Director of Sustainability and Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities at Iowa State University
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

In this interview, we get an inside look inside look at the decision-making process for an on-site power plant and how a land grant institution pursues sustainable energy while balancing institutional energy demands and fiscal responsibility.  Merry and Jeff describe the roles on campus and how they work together to advance the three facets of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) on their campus.

Episode 6: Bronte Payne, Environment America - 100% renewable energy commitment

in , ,

Guest:  Bronte Payne, Environment America
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

Bronte Payne, Clean Energy Advocate, Environment America

Bronte Payne, Clean Energy Advocate, Environment America

In this interview, we’ll discuss a recent report Bronte co-authored with the Frontier Group called: Renewable Energy 100, The Course to a Carbon-Free Campus We also discuss an ongoing campaign by her organization Environment America, that aims to move colleges and universities to commit to 100% renewable energy. We’ll talk through some of the examples from this report but also how students, faculty and staff can get involved with this campaign at their own campus.

 

Web Resources:

Episode 5: Exploring the nexus of sustainability and research with My Green Lab

in , ,

Guest:  Allison Paradise, My Green Lab
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab

Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab

In this episode, Dave interviews Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab. Allison explains the history of the organization, their recent efforts to get an ENERGY STAR designation for Ultra-low temperature (UTL) freezers, an exciting new nutrition-like labeling program for research products and equipment as well as My Green Lab's broader work promoting sustainable practices in the scientific research community.