Managing facilities can be like a game of Jeopardy: every answer comes in the form of a question. Knowing how to ask the right questions is essential. In this multi-part series, three experience business officers participate in a game of "Facilities Jeopardy", answering questions about how they invest limited capital in new versus aging space, manage facilities costs, and make the case for resources. Part 5 - Going Green, asks Sheri Tonn, Vice President of Finance and Operations at Pacific Lutheran University, the challenging questions regarding carbon emission reductions, campus fuel mix, and the proven strategies for simultaneously reducing backlog and energy consumption.

1. QUESTION

2. ACT YOUR AGE
MOVE OVER I’M
CROWDED
MONEY, THAT’S
ALL I WANT
BEFORE THE
ROOF CAVES IN
GOING GREEN
SMOOTH
OPERATOR
$100
$500
$1000
$100
$500
$1000

3. QUESTION
SINCE 2007, CAMPUSES
HAVE ACHIEVED THIS
PERCENTAGE OF
REDUCTION IN CARBON
EMISSIONS. (±5%)

4. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
MTCDE/Student FTE
Avg. Utility Emissions per Student FTE
Utility GHG per Student
‐14%
‐12%
‐10%
‐8%
‐6%
‐4%
‐2%
0%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
MTCDE/1,000 GSF
Avg. Utility Emissions per 1,000 GSF
Utility GHG per 1,000 GSF
Percent Change since 2007
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
MTCDE/1,000 GSF
Avg. Utility Emissions per 1,000 GSF
Utility GHG per 1,000 GSF
-13%
-13%

5. QUESTION
THIS STRATEGY IS THE
MAJOR REASON WHY
CARBON EMISSIONS HAVE
GONE DOWN.

6. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Campus Fuel Mix FY2007-FY2013
Natural Gas Other Fuel Types

7. QUESTION
THESE STRATEGIES HAVE
PROVEN TO BE THE MOST
EFFECTIVE TO
SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCE
BACKLOG, ENERGY
CONSUMPTION AND
CARBON EMISSIONS.

8. QUESTION
A. REPLACING OLD BUILDING
COMPONENTS LIKE HVAC
SYSTEMS
B. UPGRADE OR REPLACE CENTRAL
HEATING PLANTS.
C. PURCHASE RECS.
D. FUEL SWITCHING TO NATURAL
GAS.