Successful 2009 CSU Sustainability Grant applications
Applications from University staff members were invited for projects, up to a maximum of $15,000, to further the sustainability values and commitments of the University.
Successful applications from 2009 are outlined below. (2010 Successful applications here)
| Project title | Team |
|---|---|
| 2009 projects | |
| Educating campus users and visitors about the nature and appropriate use of the Thurgoona campus | School of Environmental Sciences (Albury-Wodonga) |
| Green lighting for television studios | School of Communication & Creative Industries (Wagga) |
| Transport water tank | Division of Finance (Bathurst) |
| Implementing a social marketing energy saving program across student residences |
School of Environmental Sciences (Albury-Wodonga), Division of Student Services (Bathurst and Wagga), and St Martin's College (Wagga) |
| Facilitating energy saving behaviour among students living in Halls of Residences |
School of Environmental Sciences (Albury-Wodonga) and Division of Student Services (Albury-Wodonga) |
| CSU resource recovery project and education campaign | Division of Facilities Management (Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange and Wagga), and RivServices (Wagga) |
| Development of a sustainability garden on the student residences site through a participatory learning model | School of Environmental Sciences (Albury-Wodonga), Green Adventure People (Albury-Wodonga), Division of Facilities Management (Albury-Wodonga), and Division of Student Services (Albury-Wodonga) |
| How green is your School? Metering for behaviour change | School of Education (Wagga) |
Project descriptions
Educating campus users and visitors about the nature and appropriate use of the Albury-Wodonga campus
Team:
- Jonathon Howard (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Ben Wilson (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $14,300
Project summary: This project aims to increase the frequency of environmentally responsible behaviour bypeople who use the Albury-Wodonga campus. The campus has an environmentally sensitive design that requires campus users to play an active role in its management. At present getting users to play an active role is limited to ad hoc tours and induction processes. A more systematic approach is required if campus users are to be better oriented and appreciate the design, and behave in ways consistent with the design.
This project will place signage and other media in critical areas around the campus in order to create a unity of vision between campus design and user/visitor behaviour. In doing so, we aim to increase responsible environmental behaviours on campus. A secondary benefit is that we will also give visitors the opportunity to learn about sustainable design and how to apply this in other places. We will test this aim by monitoring some behaviours, in order to demonstrate behaviour change.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "Educating Campus Users and Visitors about the Thurgoona Campus" project [.pdf]
Green lighting for television studio
Team:
- Patrick Sproule (School of Communication & Creative Industries, Wagga)
- Bruce Gater (School of Communication & Creative Industries, Wagga)
- John Jones (School of Communication & Creative Industries, Wagga)
- David Hawke (School of Communication & Creative Industries, Wagga)
- Andrew Harris (School of Communication & Creative Industries, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $15,000
Project summary: This project involved changing the lights in the Performing Arts television studio (Wagga) to fixtures utilising 'cool lighting' fluorescent technology, that consumes approximately 80% less power and generates 90% less heat than the tungsten lights previously used. The project successfully replaced the tungsten lighting, and around 80% of projects now utilise only the newly installed cool lighting. While a project would previously have required the use of more than 21,000 watts, a similar production now utilises only about 2,500 watts.
An additional advantage resulting from the new technology is the fact that the entire grid can now be turned off remotely from the control room, with the push of a single button. This means that lighting is far more readily able to be turned off, thus reducing the operating time of the load. The reduction in heat output associated with the new lighting has also had a positive effect on energy use, through reduced air-conditioning requirements.
Whilst expensive in initial outlay, this project has clearly reaped rewards in multiple areas. Students now have more flexibility, and are working with current technology, meaning operating practices are more in line with industry standards. The project has delivered real benefits to the University, our students, and the environment.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "Green lighting for television studios" project [.pdf]
Transport water tank
Team:
- Mike Smith (Division of Finance, Bathurst)
- Brett Chaplin (Division of Finance, Bathurst)
- Bryan Baillie (Division of Finance, Bathurst)
Amount awarded: $5,000
Project summary: The project involved the purchase and installation of a 22,700 L rainwater tank, and associated infrastructure, at the Transport Office on the Bathurst campus. Previously, vehicles in the University fleet were washed using water supplied from the city water supply, or using commercial facilities off campus.
In the first year of operation (Dec 2009 to Dec 2010), the rainwater tank supplied 38,000 L of harvested water for washing vehicles. In addition, project staff purchased a high pressure wash unit. This has reduced the volume of water used to wash each vehicle to around 20 L, compared to the 100 L required to clean a vehicle using a hand held hose and broom.
Transport staff have pro-actively communicated the project and its objectives to other members of the team, as well as to the wider University community.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "Transport Water Tank" project [.pdf]
Implementing a social marketing energy saving program across student residences
Team:
- Rosy Black (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Penny Davidson (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- James Kelly (Division of Student Services, Bathurst)
- Peter Bell (Division of Student Services, Wagga)
- Jenny Willsher (St Martin's College, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $12,000
Project summary: This project is an extension of recently completed work by Black, Davidson and Retra trialling methods to reduce student energy consumption in their on-campus residences. The social marketing tools in this project have been shown to result in up to 23% reduction in green house gas production and up to 28% reduction in electricity use. We are recommending the installation of the most cost-effective tools: the social marketing tools (based on McKenzie-Mohr & Smith's approach, (1999) across similar residential cottages on four CSU campuses in 2010. This will involve the purchase of equipment, modification of information poster, installation and ongoing support, auditing of the program throughout 2010, and collection of student feedback. We are confident of a minimum of 13% reduction in green house gases but expect that the reduction will be higher, up to 23%, greatly aiding CSU to reach its green house gas neutral target by 2015. We also expect an electricity reduction of up to 28% that will assist in achieving the CSU target of 10% reduction in energy consumption by 2011.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "Social marketing energy saving" project [.pdf]
Facilitating energy saving behaviour among students living in halls of residences
Team:
- Rosy Black (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Penny Davidson (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Kurt Neville (Division of Student Services, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $11,450
Project summary: The aim of this project is to develop, trial and evaluate behaviour change strategies that will result in energy and green house gas reduction among students living in the on-campus halls of residence at Thurgoona. The project, based on social marketing theory, assumes that different populations will have different barriers and perceived benefits to behaviour change. The project is an extension of recently completed work by Black, Davidson and Retra trialling methods to reduce student's energy consumption in the on-campus self-catering cottages on the Wagga Wagga campus and although both projects involve students the living situation and building types are quite different, therefore we cannot assume that the same types of tools will be appropriate for the students in the halls of residences. Focus groups will be conducted with the students to determine the barriers and benefits to behaviour change. Using this data we will develop social marketing tools specifically for this group. The tools will be implemented over 2010. At the end of the project feedback will be sought from the students through focus groups and an on-line survey. Base line electricity data will be collected prior to and at the end of the project to determine if electricity consumption has changed. In the recently completed study at Wagga Wagga the social marketing tools resulted in up to a 23% reduction in green house gas production and up to 28% reduction in electricity, however reductions may be less for the halls of residences as sustainability features have been incorporated in their design.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "Facilitating energy saving behaviour" project [.pdf]
CSU resource recovery improvement project and education campaign
Team:
- Ed Maher (Division of Facilities Management, Wagga)
- Chris O'Connor (Division of Facilities Management, Wagga)
- Barry Peel (Division of Facilities Management, Wagga)
- Mark Chapman (Division of Facilities Management, Orange)
- Richard Overall (Division of Facilities Management, Albury-Wodonga)
- David Scott (Division of Facilities Management, Bathurst)
- Martin Dooner (RivServices, Wagga)
Amount awarded: $15,000
Project summary: This project involved the development of a University-wide waste management education program and implementation of improved waste infrastructure (such as recycling bins and signage) in high waste-generating areas across all major CSU campuses. The project also involved a thorough waste audit at the Wagga Wagga Campus, to improve understanding of waste composition and highlight resource recovery opportunities.
A comprehensive waste education campaign was also conducted, to assist staff and students to effectively utilsie the new waste infrastructure. This campaign included the development of an online waste tutorial on the CSU Green website; prominent signage on display at the waste disposal points; and presentations to staff in key target areas (such as kitchens and student residences).
There has already been a small increase in the proportion of waste recycled across CSU, and it is anticipated that further improvements will be observed as the project is fully implemented.
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "CSU Resource Recovery" project [.pdf]
Development of a sustainability garden on the student residences site through a participatory learning model
Team:
- Ben Wilson (School of Environmental Sciences, Albury-Wodonga)
- Erin Raggatt (Green Adventure People, Albury-Wodonga)
- Peter Jones (Division of Facilities Management, Albury-Wodonga)
- Kurt Neville (Division of Student Services, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $14,000
Project summary: This proposal has been developed in conjunction with academic staff, students, facilities management staff and student services and demonstrates broad support from many sections of the University. We propose to apply a participatory learning approach to the development of a sustainability garden integrated into the new student residences on the Thurgoona campus to address environmental, social and economic sustainability. The garden will combine the principles of organic food production, biodiversity, self sufficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased social outcomes through a community developed and run project. The high visibility project will incorporate residents, Student Services, DFM, the School of Environmental Sciences, Riverina TAFE and the wider community. The project will integrate current research being undertaken by staff of the School of Environmental Sciences on participatory learning practices. The longevity and durability of the project is enhanced because participatory learning techniques increase ownership of projects increasing the likelihood of success.
Click here for the Final Report on the "Student Garden Participatory Model" project [.pdf]
How green is your school? Metering for behaviour change
Team:
- Stephen Kemmis (School of Education, Wagga)
- Adele Rosser (School of Education, Wagga)
- Maggie Lipu (School of Education, Wagga)
- Barbara Conlan (School of Education, Wagga)
- Penny Cooke (Institute for Land, Water and Society, Albury-Wodonga)
Amount awarded: $750
Project summary: This project was designed to motivate School of Education staff to reduce their energy use via individual metering devices. It also aimed to raise student awareness about the energy saving project being conducted in the School of Education, to hopefully flow on to encourage energy saving behaviour in students and within the education institutions in which they will ultimately work.
Staff and research students in the School of Education were engaged to reduce the energy consumption of their computers and monitors, through a simple two week metering process. Seven inexpensive meters were installed on different volunteers' machines. Participants received information on their energy use, and two easy actions to reduce use after an initial week of monitoring.
Energy savings during the project averaged 32% across the 30 participants. Through involvement in the project, and discussions about how energy reductions could be achieved, it is hoped that participants will continue to incorporate energy saving measures into their everyday work practices.
The meters used in this project are now available for loan to any staff member. Please contact CSU Green if you would like to monitor your energy use!
Final Report: Click here for the Final Report on the "How Green is your school?" project [.pdf]