Campus Operations & Facilities
Sustainability principles guide campus operations here at WPI as we recognize our environmental impacts and take steps to reduce waste and the use of energy, water, and other resources. As part of our Sustainability Plan, we will continue to pursue measures that reduce waste and increase efficiency across campus, including:
- Reducing landfill and food waste, water use, energy use, and greenhouse gas production
- Ensuring sustainability and LEED certification for all new construction
- Increasing renewable energy production and making the campus fleet more sustainable through operating policies and the purchase of electric vehicles.
Our operations and facilities initiatives are described in more detail in the following pages:
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint with Harrison Street
WPI has formed a 40-year partnership with Chicago-based investment management firm Harrison Street that will provide $45 million for the university’s strategic initiatives and accelerate work to reduce WPI’s carbon footprint by expanding energy-conservation measures, improving WPI’s power plant, and developing sustainable energy technologies for the WPI campus.
Tracking Our Sustainability with AASHE
WPI submits sustainability course data to be evaluated by the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating Survey (STARS), which is used each year by the Princeton Review Green Colleges survey and Sierra Club Cool Schools survey.
LEED Certification
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. In 2017, the WPI Board of Trustees voted to ensure that all new construction would be LEED certifiable.
The following buildings on the WPI campus are LEED certified:
- Bartlett Center, 2006, LEED Certified
- East Hall, 2008, LEED Gold Certified
- Sports & Recreation Center, 2012, LEED Gold Certified
- Faraday Hall, 2013, LEED Silver Certified
- The Innovation Studio / Messenger Hall, 2018, LEED Gold Certified
Unity Hall, 2022, LEED Gold Certified (still under review) - a brand-new, 100,000-square-foot academic and student academic services building
Green Revolving Fund (GRF)
The GRF supports sustainable projects on WPI’s campus. Ongoing projects include lighting upgrades, HVAC retro-commissioning, and a cogeneration study.
Contact WPI Department of Facilities at facilities@wpi.edu if you have any questions or concerns about the disposal of any materials. If you see a place that needs recycling bins, please contact green@wpi.edu with your suggestion.