·Green roof, having vegetation or special plants to absorb rain water runoff and also helps maintain cooler temperatures on the roof during summer months;

·Compact high tech Variable Air HVAC system yields greater energy efficiency to heat and cool the building versus more conventional systems;

·Exterior wall and roof systems are well-insulated for greater energy efficiency to heat/cool building;

·Windows are insulated with low-E and also have reflectance properties to minimize unwanted solar heat during summer months and still allow some desired solar heat during winter months;

·Programmable lighting controls also control the solar shades to position in ideal position for sun light conditions;

·Roof membrane is pure white to reflect sunlight versus absorb the sun’s energy;

·Daylight harvesting was designed to react to the sun’s light in the larger spaces, turning off certain fixtures automatically to utilize the sun’s light in lieu of power to light the space;

·Low off gas materials and products were used on the interior to minimize or eliminate extensive off gassing of synthetic chemicals found in conventional products;

·¼ of Lot 6 was reconstructed to be a pervious lot that allows water to drain through it and essentially helps clean the water and trap oils or grime from cars beneath he ground locally. Pervious lots do two things: they help maintain water runoff during rains and also help filter or trap particulates in the water runoff before it reaches outfalls that empty into creeks and rivers;

·Energy efficient vehicle parking spaces nearby the building;

·Building structure, skin and interior is largely made of materials that can be recycled at the end of the building’s life cycle;

·Occupancy sensors and dimming controls throughout to effectively minimize burning time of lamps when the spaces within the building are not in use;

·Efficient plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchen area minimize water consumption and power;

·Building has smart metering for easy tracking and measuring building performance related to its energy consumption;

·Exterior skin of the building is designed to be sustainable for at least 50 years without requiring any form of major maintenance or restoration;

·Laundry utilizes high efficiency washers and dryers and is design to utilize 100% fresh outside air intake for dryers;

·Building is designed to have high efficiency supply of fresh outside air consistently throughout the building;

·Carpet is comprised of 70-90% recycled materials with little to no off gassing;

·An abundant of windows were designed to provide an abundant of light within the high use spaces;

·Renewable energy is being purchased by Residential Life to power the building that will help contribute and promote advancement of solar and wind power sources supplying the grid at locations throughout the US.

11 AM to 1pm, Commons Breezeway

PowerShift Bake Sale Fundraiser

Students for Environmental Awareness are raising funds to attend a youth climate and social change/ social justice conference: PowerShift

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Noon to 1:30pm, AOK Library Gallery

Empowering Students to Transform the Food System

Anim Steele, founder and Director of the Real Food Challenge will speak about students leading change toward an ecological, humane and just food system.

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2pm to 3pm, Technology Research Center
CUERE Lecture by Dr. Richard Feiock of Florida State University
"The Influence of City Government Structure and Collaboration Networks on Adoption of Sustainability Programs"

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12pm, Environmental Task Force (community service student org) hike- meet at Math/Psych Building in front of room 104 then walk the CERA trail- Conservation and Environmental Research Area
Environmental Task Force meeting will be taking place outside today. We will meet in front of MP 104 at 12pm and then head out to explore the CERA trail around 12:05pm! We will possibly be working on the CERA trail next semester so here's a great chance to check it out beforehand.

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6pm, Room 105, Public Policy Building

UMBC Outdoor Recreation Club Weekly meeting

The Outdoor Rec club meets weekly at 6PM in the Public Policy Building Lecture Hall (room PUP105) to plan hiking and camping trips.

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6pm, Meet in front of AOK Library and Gallery

Friday Fun Ride (Oct 4)

Join UMBC Cycling for a casual ride around campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. This is a social ride with a relaxed pace and plenty of rest.

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BONUS EVENTS! We're also excited about....

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Noon to 1pm, UC Terrace (the steps in front of the University Center by Starbucks, on Academic Row)

The Return of the UMBC Drum Circle!

Drummers and dancers are welcome every Friday by the UC for an improvisational jam. Bring a drum or drum-esque object and join us!

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1pm, Womens Center (Commons 004)

Peace@UMBC Meditation Launches October 4th!

Weekly Meditation Hour for Faculty, Staff, and Students

Peace@UMBC is a weekly meditation hour open to faculty, students, and staff who want to cultivate greater peace in their lives and relationships through the development of a meditation practice.

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3pm, Commons Room 331

UMBC Vegetarians First Meeting of the Semester

Join UMBC Vegetarians for our first meeting of the semester! Everyone is welcome to come learn about our exciting plans for the upcoming year. We will be meeting on the third floor of The Commons Room 331.

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Stay well and enjoy all that UMBC has to offer!

As part of the Maryland Bikeways Program, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced a $79,600 grant to fund improvements in the bicycle system near University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

The grant was part of a $3.2 million announcement to fund 23 projects in four counties, according to a press release from the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The grant will provide increased signage, bike lanes and shared road arrows in the southwest part of the county, providing a safer environment for residents to use cycling as a greener form of transportation.

FAQ's: Here are some frequently asked questions about the new MARC Penn Line weekend service.
 
How many trips will operate on the weekend?
There will be 9 round trips on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.
 
Will there be weekend service on the Camden Line?
No. Camden Line passengers are welcome to use the new Penn Line service.  One-way, weekly and monthly tickets on the Camden Line are always honored on the Penn Line.
 
Will there be weekend service on the Brunswick Line?
No. Brunswick Line passengers are reminded of the MTA Commuter Bus 201, which provides 7-day a week, hourly service between Gaithersburg Park and Ride, Arundle Mills Mall, and BWI Marshall Airport and Rail Station.
 
Can I use my MARC weekly or monthly pass that I use Monday through Friday for the new weekend service?
Yes! You will need to purchase single ride tickets for anyone in your party that does not have a MARC pass. Weekly tickets are good for unlimited use beginning on the Saturday of the designated week until midnight of the following Friday.

Will select Amtrak trains still honor MARC weekly and monthly tickets on the weekend?
No. MARC tickets will no longer be honored on Amtrak weekend trains.  Funds used to pay Amtrak for this priviledge have been shifted to pay to operate the weekend service. 

Sustainability Outreach and Communications Intern:

Intern will report to Sustainability Coordinator. The position will be 8 hours per week.  Hours may vary to accommodate meetings, events, and interviews. Additional tasks may be assigned.

Intern must demonstrate evidence of interest and background in sustainability and must feel comfortable reaching out to professionals, peers, and faculty. Intern must be a current UMBC student.

Email tanvig1@umbc.edu with a resume and cover letter detailing:

1. Why this position interests you
2. Related skills and experiences you possess
3. Any groups, activities, jobs or time commitments you are currently engaged in

The sustainability outreach and communications intern will assist in developing communication and outreach efforts on the following topics in coordination with staff, groups, and committees on campus under the direction of the Sustainability Coordinator:

1. Sustainability Related Accomplishments and Champions
2. Energy Conservation Efforts
3. Transportation
4. Research and Education
5. Recycling, Waste, and Compost

Desired skills and qualifications:

•  Strong writing and communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn HMTL, wordpress, and understanding of basic web design
• Ability to work independently
• Creativity and design skills
• Related coursework in related area such as Environmental Studies, Communications and Design
• Awareness of environmental issues
• Involvement in campus sustainability

Examples of Tasks and Responsibilities:

Website:

- Increase number of hits to UMBC Website and track analytics

- Develop, format, update and edit web content

Events:

- Event planning and logistics

- Assisting with activities including tabling, coordinating sign-up sheets, pledges, and photo booths

Writing:

- Assist with writing press releases, articles and event summaries

- Assist with conduct interviews and drafting articles

Design:

- Assist with posters, designs and fliers

Social Media:

- Assist with drafting updates to myUMBC and Facebook Events Calendar

- Assist with creating and posting spotlights

- Assist with posting photos and updates following events

- Expanding followers on myUMBC and social media

Photography:

- Assist with taking photographs and editing, organizing and uploading content

UMBC Plans Energy and Water Conservation Upgrades; Upgrades will be Completed Through a $5.4M Deal with the Maryland Clean Energy Center Financing Program

Contact:
Chelsea Williams
Communications Manager
410-455-6380
chelseah@umbc.edu

The Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) today announced it has closed a $5.4 million Maryland Clean Energy Capital (MCAP) deal to fund lighting, irrigation, and energy management system upgrades at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). NORESCO will serve as the energy service company (ESCO), designing and installing the upgrades, and the Maryland Clean Energy Center is the bond issuer financing the debt. The end result will be energy savings and greater efficiency on the UMBC campus.

UMBC utilizes a prioritized approach for managing energy and utilities whereby energy projects are selected based upon their cost-effectiveness. After performing a campus-wide energy audit and considering numerous energy conservation measures (ECMs), the project was carefully developed. It includes interior lighting upgrades throughout most campus buildings, LED lighting for three parking garages, web-based/weather-optimized irrigation controls, and demand control ventilation for several lecture halls.

Shawn Blum, UMBC’s Energy Manager said, “This project will generate tremendous savings in energy and water consumption. We predict annual savings will be more than 7,000,000 kWh of electricity and 3,000,000 gallons of water. Within ten years, the project will pay for itself via the associated utility savings. The environmental benefits are impressive as well. UMBC’s greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by over 3,800 MTeCO2 per year, which represents a 4.3% reduction in UMBC’s carbon footprint versus the baseline.”

“UMBC is pleased to implement these lighting, irrigation, and control systems upgrades,” said Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management at UMBC. “By working with the Maryland Clean Energy Center through its MCAP program, we have been able to undertake this project for the University.”

The Maryland Clean Energy Center MCAP program is available to all Maryland universities, hospitals, municipalities, and schools (MUSH market). MCAP enables non-profit organizations in Maryland to replace inefficient infrastructure assets and avoid incurring this additional debt.

Jeffrey Eckel, Chairman of the MCEC Board and President & CEO of Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure said, “We commend the leaders of UMBC for taking advantage of the new MCAP financing program that was created from the vision of Governor Martin O’Malley, without tax-payer support, and allows MCEC to accelerate otherwise stalled capital projects. Through this program, MCEC can foster savings for Maryland institutions, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“It is a win-win-win program and a remarkable model for public-private partnerships. To date, both Coppin State University and UMBC have taken advantage of MCAP financing program,” said Katherine Magruder, Executive Director of the Maryland Clean Energy Center. “Our tax exempt financing capabilities are available to municipalities, hospitals, and not-for- profit entities as well as schools and universities in Maryland.”

Randy Clark, senior vice president, NORESCO, added, “NORESCO is honored to enter into a contract to help UMBC achieve its energy efficiency and cost reduction goals. We are also proud to be among the first to develop an energy performance contract under MCEC’s unique financing approach whereby the University benefits from important upgrades to its facilities.”

MCEC is a self-financing driver of clean energy, economic development, energy innovation, and clean tech jobs in the State of Maryland. Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure (NYSE: HASI), an Annapolis-based energy investor, helped create the MCAP structure and arranged the financing for MCEC on a pro bono basis. To learn more about MCEC’s MCAP program and other initiatives of the MCEC visit www.mdcleanenergy.org.

About Maryland Clean Energy CenterThe Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC) is an instrumentality of the state, created by the legislature in 2008 to advance adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices as an economic development strategy. MCEC assists consumers, supports businesses and advises policymakers. MCEC operates the Maryland Home Energy Loan Program (MHELP) to assist residential property owners finance energy efficiency measures, and manages the Maryland Clean Energy Capital (MCAP) program to finance projects for municipal, university, school, hospital and other not-for-profit organizations. To learn more, visit www.mdcleanenergy.org. Contact MCEC at 443-949-8505

About UMBC UMBC combines the emphasis on teaching found at the best liberal arts colleges with the innovation of a research university. UMBC’s 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students come from more than 150 countries and take full advantage of the educational, business, cultural, and recreational resources of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. UMBC students work alongside faculty who are leaders in their fields; think about the hard questions of society, science, and creative expression; and then move beyond the classroom to make a difference. UMBC is a member of the University System of Maryland and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. For more information, please visit http://www.umbc.edu.

About Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure (“Hannon Armstrong”) (NYSE:HASI) makes debt and equity investments in sustainable infrastructure projects. We focus on profitable projects that increase energy efficiency, provide cleaner energy, positively impact the environment, or make more efficient use of natural resources. With over 30 years of experience, Hannon Armstrong works primarily with Global 1000 clients on essential infrastructure projects involving the U.S. federal, state and local governments as well as institutions and private developers. We target projects that have high credit quality obligors, fully contracted revenue streams and inherent economic value. To learn more, visit www.hannonarmstrong.com.

About NORESCOAs one of the largest energy services companies in the U.S., NORESCO utilizes design-build, performance-based contracting vehicles and asset monetization solutions to deliver energy and maintenance savings and significant infrastructure upgrades to existing facilities. NORESCO has guaranteed more than $3 billion in energy and operating cost savings at more than 7,000 facilities throughout the U.S. and abroad. NORESCO also offers a full suite of consulting services to integrate sustainable design strategies into new construction and existing buildings. NORESCO is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies, a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide.

UMBC forges ahead with sustainability

Sustaining the energy

By Patrick Hixenbaugh, Contributing Writer

Published: Thursday, September 19, 2013

More than ever, UMBC student groups are coming together to develop sustainability interests, such as the community garden and composting. This is a recent outgrowth of UMBC’s deep commitment to climate neutrality. By fostering connections between people, UMBC is definitely moving in the right direction when it comes to sustainability.

Already this month, UMBC has seen composting in The Commons, as well as behind the scenes work on a new Community Garden initiative and a bike share program.

“Students come in every year with ideas,” says Donna Anderson, Manager of Landscape, Grounds and Recycling, “The Climate Commitment Task Force [CCTF] has been around since 2007, and there’s a lot that has already happened.”

In 2007, Dr. Hrabrowski signed a commitment with 330 other universities to reduce our climate impact and lead the drive to develop new sustainable technologies.

“We’re making a great deal of progress [in sustainability],” says Dr. Hrabrowski. “If people look, they can see all our progress in teaching, research and practices on campus.”

To further that goal, the administration is increasingly encouraging student involvement, which had prior been somewhat fragmented across different groups. “There are so many groups interested in the same thing,” said Anderson. “They need to be connected to each other, so we can get the full picture of what can be done.”

In November 2012, the administration created a new position, the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, and brought on Tanvi Gadhia, UMBC alumni ’09 and an environmental studies graduate student at Johns Hopkins.

“Having Tanvi here makes a difference. We’ve always needed a link between the CCTF and what students are doing,” said Anderson.

On August 30, Gadhia hosted the Sustainability Leadership Summit, a gathering of student leaders in sustainability with representatives from many student and staff groups.

“What I liked most [about the Summit] was the opportunity to meet people that both shared an interest in the field, but who also were already involved in different student orgs,” said Allie Henn, a junior environmental studies and economics double major. “It also gave me a better idea as to how to voice my ideas and opinions in a constructive way.”

For composting, students, rather than the administration, play the main role in educating the campus. “My role is disseminating information to student leaders,” said Anderson. “It’s important for student leaders to get information out to their groups.”

The Community Garden is also a student-led initiative. “As a culture, Americans have become very separated from their food,” says Julianna Brightman, junior environmental science major. “A garden at UMBC is a way for us to bring one another back to where our food comes from.”

It’s not easy to overcome inertia. “A lot of things we try, people aren’t for,” said Jasmine Wands, junior environmental studies major, and president of Environmental Task Force.

But this year, the sustainability groups are coordinating more to get things done. “We wanted to do a zero-waste policy, but composting and the bike share took precedence,” said Wands.

Much of this new productivity and interconnection can be directly traced back work done by the Sustainability Coordinator. “[My role] is to coordinate the many aspects of the campus’s environmental footprint,” said Gadhia.

Gadhia said, “[I] work to empower the campus community, to catalyze new initiatives, and develop new programs that help improve [our] environmental impact.”