Role of the Sustainability Task Force (STF)

Efforts towards achieving these goals will be formulated, evaluated, recommended, and coordinated by a Sustainability Task Force (STF), composed of staff and faculty members appointed by the president of BCTC and chosen to represent a broad spectrum of disciplines and backgrounds from all campuses of the college district.

The College is committed to the principle that energy must be used in the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. Further, it is committed to energy efficiency through the adoption of an energy management plan designed to reduce consumption of utility and fuel resources (electricity, natural gas, propane, petroleum, and water), promote conservation, and realize cost savings.

The Sustainability Task Force will:

Review, and provide input on, existing policies and procedures pertaining to the operation, maintenance, and use of buildings and facilities to determine if energy savings measures may be implemented and if energy savings might be realized.

Further, it will provide input and coordinate efforts to assess progress of energy savings and conservation strategies, preferably with web-based software, reports from an energy performance-contracting group, or a combination of both. Where feasible, the STF will encourage student participation in monitoring the success of implemented plans. A student may participate as a Student Sustainability Steward (S3) [a federally funded work-study student], as a student participating in a classroom assignment, or as a participant in a campus organization group activity.

The Sustainability Task Force will:

• Provide ideas and implement plans to increase energy awareness by educating maintenance personnel and employees regarding energy savings measures, and encourage employees to contribute energy savings ideas.
• Research and promote all available energy assistance programs and no-cost/low- cost energy conservation measures and implement these where feasible.
• encourage partnerships with entities such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Energy, the Kentucky Division of Energy, the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, and the Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community, and participate in programs such as the EPA ENERGY STAR partnership, Kentucky Excel, and others as applicable.
• Promote and emphasize energy efficiency as part of all new construction and renovation projects.
• Identify opportunities (and utilize when available and feasible) to improve energy efficiency with no or minimal capital expenditures by the College, such as energy performance contracting, web-based energy tracking, and lease-purchase arrangements.

BCTC recognizes its obligation to provide quality education in the areas of energy management, as well as environmental and sustainability education to students, faculty, and staff. The STF will serve as a source of ideas and their promotion, and as an advisor for the implementation of the following educational goals:

1. Establish an energy management-training certificate.
2. Establish an associate's degree in the area of environmental sustainability, utilizing existing expertise of faculty from (at a minimum) the areas of biology, geography, architecture, and environmental science.
3. Support and promote the expansion of the environmental science technology program.
4. Encourage student participation, where practical, in:
5. assessment of sustainability of the College; and/or,
6. research projects, directed by faculty/staff, as part of existing courses or independent study.

BCTC recognizes its responsibility to take a proactive role in providing comfortable and sustainable, “green”, eco-friendly campuses throughout the region which it serves. To that end, the STF will promote:

1. purchasing green, socially responsible products where feasible and cost-effective.
2. optimizing thermal comfort for College employees, students, and visitors, including the use of high efficiency, well monitored HVAC systems and energy efficient building materials in new construction and retrofit projects. In addition, the STF will encourage the adoption of building design and retrofits designed to reduce heat island effect.
3. optimizing lighting for work areas, and encouraging the use of increased day-lighting in new construction and retrofit projects. In addition, we will encourage the adoption of lighting strategies designed to reduce light pollution that meet, or exceed, minimum IAQ performance standards, as specified by AASHE. In addition, the STF will promote the elimination of CFC-based refrigerants in upgrades and new building heating ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
4. maximizing occupant control systems in personal workspaces.
5. improving recycling management and awareness.
6. improving efficient water use and conservation including the promotion of green roof and building design in new projects in order to reduce storm-water run-off.
7. reducing waste associated with food services through smarter purchasing and use of washable utensils.
8. purchasing nutritious, organic, locally-grown and packaged food in college cafeterias.
9. renovating and redesigning campuses based on sound E2 and ecological design, including, but not limited to, landscape design, parking re-structuring, etc.
10. improving parking issues, transportation efficiency and health by promoting walking, carpooling, biking, the development of, and participation in, “yellow bike” programs as well as cost-effective modes of travel between campuses, including innovative mass-transit programs.