Green technology has been a big topic of discussion for what seems like years now.
How can we be more sustainable as a society? How can we create new ways to conserve and produce energy that is beneficial to our world as a whole?
While I can answer those questions on a micro level with things like, “Turn off the lights” and “carpool,” answering them on the campus rec level is another matter entirely. While turning off the lights is a good suggestion, there’s more to it when it comes to a large campus rec facility.
In the first ever Campus Rec webinar — sponsored by SportsArt — Adam Zellner, the president of Greener by Design, focused on the topic of campus sustainability. He broke down some of the best practices and latest trends for green building and energy management. He mapped out a plan and ways campuses could increase their green capacity, sharing valuable insight.
It was noteworthy to me when he mentioned campuses have an “unbelievable opportunity” to go green. I suppose I see why, in terms of 1) there’s a lot of areas where they can go green and 2) how technology has improved to allow them to do this.
Zellner also pointed out there are often a lot of incentives to go green. While it varies from state to state, he shared Colorado offers benefits in the form of grants, rebates, loans, etc. Plus, it seems more and more states are jumping on board or increasing their offerings of energy-saving programs.
But, implementing anything ultimately takes commitment. Zellner shared the people and campus rec center must be invested in the concept and commit to adapting green measures to make an impact.
I couldn’t agree with him more. If you nod your head and do something halfway, you’ll get a head nod and half-baked response in return. It takes effort and commitment, but the results could be worthwhile. The trend is leaning toward green, so the question is, are you going to get on board?
You can view the webinar here: “Facility Managers are Joining the Green Huddle: A Game Plan for Sustainable Campus Recreation.”
