Sustainability
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College of Health and Human Services
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KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University has been awarded a $15,000 federal grant to help its College of Health and Human Services Building meet national energy efficiency standards and put it among one of the highest performing buildings in Michigan.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings, or LEED-EB, award from the U.S. Department of Energy will go toward evaluating current energy efficient systems in the three-year-old building and installing new systems to improve airflow. The work supported by the grant will be conducted during the next 12 months.
Besides fine-tuning the building's current equipment, WMU will pursue improvements to heating and air conditioning systems and look to reduce the amount of outside air that is being brought into the building while maintaining air quality standards.
Carl Newton, WMU energy reduction manager, is working on the project with Jim Nicolow, senior associate with Lord-Aeck-Sargent Architecture in Ann Arbor. Nicolow is married to Dr. Amy Curtis, WMU associate professor for interdisciplinary health studies, who works in the 240,000-square-foot Health and Human Services building.—WMU News (Oct. 5, 2007)
WMU is currently applying for sustainability credits under the LEED-EB standard. ‘EB’ stands for existing building. The review process is underway for CHHS and will be completed at the end of July. During the review process, a panel of LEED experts will tour the facility and review support documentation for the LEED-EB points being attempted by Western. This is known as the Certification Process and must be completed before Western may apply to the United States Green Building Council [USGBC] for final certification.