Quick Facts 2009
San Diego State Points of Pride
- SDSU was named the San Diego Recycler of the Year in 2007 & 2008
- SDSU diverts 52% of all waste from the landfills through various programs.
- SDSU utilities operate at 72% efficiency. Many utilities operate at 30-40 %.
- In 2008 students approved fee referendum generating $250,000 a year a portion of which is dedicated to fund new “green” programs and facility upgrades.
- SDSU sent the city of San Diego 2 megawatts of power during 2007 fires.
- State of the art irrigation controls save enough water annually to serve 5,000 homes. SDSU has also decreased irrigated acres of grass by more than half.
- SDSU named The Best Urban Campus from the Professional Grounds Management Society in 2008 in part for conservation efforts.
New in 2008-09
- Center for Regional Sustainability launched in summer 2009
- ModernSpace Student Union Building to be LEED Platinum construction 2010-11
- New Sustainability major launched in spring 2009
- Faculty Committee on Sustainability in the Curriculum formed in 2008
- Associated Students Green Love Initiative launched a campus education campaign in spring 2009
- Senate Sustainability Committee on campus policy organized spring 2008
- 2008 Expansion of Photovoltaic and Solar Power Pilots on campus
- T8 Lighting Pilot in the Administration Building installed in fall 2008
- California native plant heritage garden coming in 2009
SDSU Community Partnerships
- San Diego Sustainability Partnership
- EcoLife Foundation
- CleanTECH San Diego
- Energy Innovation Small Grants Program
- Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP)
- National Energy Center for Sustainable Communities
- SDSU Center for Energy Studies
- SANDAG Energy Working Group
- US Good Neighbor Environmental Board
- SDSU-UCSD Cooperative Programs on Sustainability
- Environmental Engineering and Environmental Sciences undergraduate degree programs
- ISCOR concentration in Environment and Security
Energy Generation, Conservation, and Solar Projects
Co-Generation Plant—Uses waste heat from gas turbines to fire boilers that heat & air condition campus. It is a 15 Megawatt plant, $22 million dollar investment.which saves $6.5 million/year in energy costs and is one of only five large Co-Gen Plants at US universities.
LED Campus Sign—As of June 2008 fully Campus Marquee Sign is fully LED lit. this has reduced energy consumption by 78%
Solar hybrid lighting – SDSU has one of nine demonstration projects in the country that is lighting the offices with solar hybrid lighting that uses filtered and reflected sunlight to light office building. Partnership with Sempra Utilities and Sunlight Direct. Plans are in the works to expand the program and rehabs of some of our buildings with this technology. More information available at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/solar/pdfs//tf_hybridsolar.pdf
Solar Cogeneration—A demonstration project with one unit on top of the Physics Building produces 1 KW of energy daily at 70% efficiency through a partnership with EDTEK in and California Energy Commission. More information available at http://www.edtekinc.com
Waste Reduction
Waste Diversion—SDSU diverted over 51 percent of all waste generated in 2006-07. Average yearly waste is 11,500 tons. Average yearly recycling diverts 6000 tons of waste from the Landfill.
Food Waste Diversion Program—will divert 65 tons of waste from the landfill in 2008 and saves the University $1,365 in landfill cost. The program has diverted 28 tons of food waste from Oct. 2006 through Feb 1, 2007 and has saved the University $588.00 in landfill cost.
Grass Waste Program—diverted 184.5 tons yearly of waste from the landfill and saved the university $7,933 in landfill costs. Landscape material recycling saved an additional $902.
Water Conservation
Irrigation--Campus landscape irrigation is regulated by constantly updated soil humidity and weather information from weather stations. SDSU irrigation controls save water annually to serve 5,000 homes. The system detects and automatically shuts down if pipes are broken or if it is raining.
Associated Students—In 2008 Associated Students used sustainability fee referendum funds to replace bathroom fixtures with low water use fixtures in Aztec Center and Cox Arena.
Recycling Programs
Single Stream Recycling has reduced the number of yearly “tips” of Trash dumpsters by a total of 6,121 tips. Had these dumpsters been tipped as trash they would have cost $68,555.20 yearly for trash service. As a result of the recycling program the cost of emptying the containers is $25,708yearly, a savings of $42,847.
Cost Savings- SDSU recycling programs have been successful in reducing the
frequency and/or cost of trash disposal in every area. Some of the programs are cost neutral, an example would be the construction demolition program which has reduced that amount of materials going to the landfill yearly by 4,812 tons.
Beverage Containers- Beverage containers are collected at 75 recycling sites
located outside of buildings throughout campus. The containers are collected co-mingled and each site is serviced by a Physical Plant employee and taken to the new SDSU Recycling Center where they are separated and sold to a certified recycler for the CRV value. The recycling center is open to Faculty, Staff and Students, to recycle beverage containers and the customer’s are paid with Aztec Shop vouchers. The Center generated $12,000 in 2007-08. $5,000 of seed money for the Center was provided by Allied Waste Services Inc.
Cardboard- Cardboard is collected daily from within the dumpster enclosures, and at several of the stores and dining facilities located on campus. Cardboard is picked up daily and recycled locally by Allied Waste Services to a Material Recovery Facility.
Mixed Paper- Mixed paper is collected in offices using 28qt containers located at each desk-side. There are mixed paper containers located in hallways throughout the Buildings. The paper is picked up by the custodial staff and transported to the nearest dumpster enclosure. Every dumpster enclosure on campus has at least one dumpster for trash and one dumpster for “Single Stream” recycling. The recyclable materials are transported by Allied Waste Services to a MRF.
Food Waste Composting- The staff working in the Cuicacalli dining complex collect food prep waste and food that is not sold by the end of the day. They collect the food waste in 32 gallon wheeled carts and they transport the materials to the food waste compactors located in the rear of the building. The compactor is transport to the Miramar Landfill greenery by Allied Waste Services.
Construction Demolition Waste- Construction Demolition Waste including
asphalt, concrete, wood, metal, and other materials resulting from repairs, renovations, and new construction is diverted to various MRF’s by Self Haul and Waste Service providers.
Automotive Products Program- diverts tires, batteries, oil and antifreeze from the landfill.