Sustainability

WPI is committed to being a campus that incorporates the values of sustainable design in all aspects of site and building design, construction, maintenance, and operation procedures. Buildings on the WPI campus serve several needs of the community, and by adopting a high performance, minimal impact approach, the University can fulfill its objective of becoming a sustainability leader.

In 2007, the WPI Board of Trustees voted to ensure that all new construction would be LEED certifiable.LEED buildings feature an integrated framework of design, construction, and operational practices that reflect the environmental, economic, and social impacts of buildings. Efficient use of energy, water and waste, as well as responsible use of construction materials and waste are all part of the commitment. 

LEED Certification

What is LEED®?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Developed by the US Green Building Council, USGBC, LEED addresses all building types, emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies and promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED is a practical rating tool for green building design and construction that provides immediate and measurable results for building owners and occupants.

LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance.

 

LEED Certified Buildings

In February 2007, WPI's Board of Trustees passed a resolution that all new buildings be designed to meet LEED certification. The following buildings are LEED certified on the WPI campus:

  • Bartlett Center, 2006, LEED Certified
  • East Hall, 2008, LEED Gold Certified
  • Recreation Center, 2012, LEED Gold Certified
  • Faraday Hall, 2013, LEED Silver Certified
  • The Innovation Studio / Messenger Hall, 2018, LEED Gold Certified

Recent Retrofits

2018 - 2019

  • Sports and Recreation Center - Upgraded lighting sensors and controls in basketball courts and pool 
  • East Hall - Upgraded lighting in building 
  • Founders Hall - Upgraded lighting in residence hall 

Water Consumption

WPI used 44 million gallons of water in 2018, which is 6400 gallons per FTE. The Sustainability Plan aimed to decrease water consumption by 25% per FTE, but there has been a 15.5% increase since 2014. WPI plans on understanding how water is being used for campus operations to create more achievable goals in the plan revision.

Energy Consumption

WPI uses natural gas for heating and electricity for everything else. The natural gas consumption in FY18 was 1.5 million therms (about 45 therms per FTE per HDD). WPI has decreased its gas consumption per FTE per HDD by 8% since FY14. 

 

The total electricity usage of the campus was 28.7 million kWh in FY18 (4150 kWh per FTE), which represents a 9.8% decrease per FTE from FY14. 

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

WPI aims to reduce its scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emission by 20% by 2025 based on its FY14 emissions. 

 

WPI has reduced its emissions by 10.7% since FY14 (as of FY18: 20 thousand metric tons/3.2 metric tons per FTE). The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan proposes retrofits and operations projects in order to meet the reduction goal. 

Read the plan about Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan