UNLV Sustainability Efforts
One of the goals of UNLV's Sustainability Initiative is to encourage the university campus to be a model of sustainability for the community through such efforts as recycling, construction of energy-efficient buildings, xeriscaping, and retrofitting facilities on our 335-acre campus. The following list describes some of the many efforts currently under way. To learn more about UNLV's energy- and water-saving efforts, visit the Facilities Management and Planning website.
LEED-Certified Buildings
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design,
construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Projects
are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending
on the number of credits they achieve.
- Greenspun Hall, which is currently under construction as the new home for the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, is targeting a LEED Gold rating, with a significant feature being a photovoltaic (PV) array as part of a shade canopy structure.
- The new Science and Engineering Building, scheduled to open in 2008, is seeking a LEED Silver rating.
- The campus is in the initial planning stage for an Instructional Lab Building, which will target a LEED Silver rating or higher.
Xeriscaping/Turf Reduction
UNLV has been striving for a 25 percent reduction in outdoor water use by the
year 2010. Since 1995, the university has reduced turf by 200,584 square
feet, with an estimated water savings of more than 9 million gallons and
over $20,000 annually.
- Watering of campus turf is done in compliance with Southern Nevada Water Authority guidelines and is computer-controlled. This enables automatic shutdown with the use of flow sensors, decoders, and automatic irrigation adjustment through an evapotranspiration database, which is linked to UNLV's weather station for automatic irrigation adjustment due to changes in weather. Subsurface or drip irrigation systems are used in nonturf areas.
- All landscaping around new buildings is now xeriscape.
- As a state arboretum, the campus features a 1.5-acre desert demonstration xeric garden adjacent to the Barrick Museum of Natural History. Take a self-guided tour of the arboretum. Learn more about the Xeric Garden.
- An additional desert xeriscape garden was added in 2006 north of the Central Desert Complex near the center of campus.
- More than 50,000 square feet of turf has been replaced with desert landscaping at the Shadow Lane Campus.
- A turf-reduction project is currently under way adjacent to Maryland Parkway, east of Beam Music Center.
- A landscape design is in progress to reduce the heat-island effect of parking lots through tree planting in a project being planned in partnership with the U.S. Division of Forestry.
Retrofitting
UNLV is committed to retrofitting campus buildings to increase energy efficiency. Energy
management systems are being implemented on existing buildings as appropriate.
- A new standard for lighting in campus buildings has been developed that eliminates incandescent lighting in favor of compact fluorescent lights, and lighting retrofits are being conducted in existing campus buildings.
- Programmable thermostats are being retrofitted to allow for set-point management of temperatures based on conditions and occupancy.
- Chiller retrofits are being conducted in certain facilities to install higher-efficiency chillers.
- Where motors exist on campus for building equipment, higher-efficiency motors are being installed.
- Hydronic HVAC equipment, where applicable, is being optimized to condition for a temperature differential as opposed to target flow rates.
- Facility controls are being reprogrammed to optimize HVAC compressor operation on rooftop split system units.
- Rock ballast roofing systems are being replaced with single-ply membrane roofing systems to improve system longevity and to reduce a heat sink with re-radiation on rooftops.
Solar Generation
- Unveiled Aug. 24, 2001, the solar dish power-generation system installed on the north side of campus along Flamingo Road serves as the focal point of a UNLV Center for Energy Research project.
- Solar panels located west of the Houssels Building are part of a joint project with Nevada Power Company.
- A significant feature of Greenspun Hall, currently under construction, is a photovoltaic (PV) array as part of a shade canopy structure.
Recycling
Since its inception in July 1995, the in-house Rebel Recycling Program has continued to expand its collection of recyclable materials, with
567 tons of materials processed in 2006. Learn more about the
recycling program.
- The Rebel Recycling program currently collects all grades of white and mixed paper, computer paper, telephone books, newspaper, books, cardboard, aluminum, #1 and #2 plastic, toner/ink jet cartridges, steel cans/scrap metal/appliances, cell phones, and reusable items (clothing, linens, furniture, binders, file folders, hanging folders, office supplies, etc.).
Rebel Recycling oversees a move-in/move-out program for UNLV residence halls and holds a semi-annual sale of reusable items.