Executive Summary
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating and certification program for buildings emphasizes energy efficiency through conservation and innovative technologies. Points toward certification are earned on the basis of designed building performance compared to a baseline model. While there are performance models for all LEED buildings, there is currently no comparison of predicted results with actual performance for the University's LEED projects. In order to have an effective adaptive management approach to capital projects at the University, this comparison must be made. Interns will be hired to perform the energy use analyses of University LEED-certified buildings and other capital projects. The project will entail the collection of actual energy performance data for the University’s completed LEED projects, and the predicted performance data for planned projects. Other comparisons of design baselines to actual performance will be included in this position (i.e., water, product performance comparison, etc.). Creation and maintenance of a database from this information will serve as the basis for evaluation of the effectiveness of LEED building standards on campus as well as the efficiency of other renovations and new constructions. Case studies will be developed, posted on the CPO website, and linked to other sites across the University domain.
The interns will work in the Capital Projects Office, and fall under the guidance of the Sustainability Manager, Clara Simon. The internship will be open to any student with a suitable educational background and personal interest, and will be available for four quarters, preferably filled by a new student each quarter. Priority will be given to students in a Capstone or similar program, so that the results of their efforts are shared with other students via a student-designed presentation. Advertising of this opportunity to the College of the Environment and College of Built Environments will make this emphasis clear.