The Sustainable Four

Breanna Seright Bernard Joseph

Jordan Albano Jeremy Hilleary

Professional Writing ENC 3250

Spring 2011

Professor F. Tobienne

March 29, 2011

Page 3
Introduction of Sustainability and the Sustainable Four
Pages 4-6
Sustainability in Solar Power
Pages 7-10
Sustainability in Transportation
Page 11
USF (Stars)
Page 12
USF Report Card
Page 13
Sustainability Student Groups @ USF
Page 14-15
Annotated Bibliography
Page 16
 We have researched many different things for our research on USF going
green. Many different projects have been attempted, completed, and are in the works
for going green. Our goal was to find research that related to past, present, and fu-
ture projects on USF’s road to going green.

Our Team, The Sustainable Four primarily focused on the Sustainability efforts as
they pertain to the Transportation Department and the Solar Power Plant Project.
Our initial research began with Professor D. Yogi Goswami’s plans for a solar
power plant. Goswami and his team are working to replace fossil fuels with solar
power.

We then focused on the Transportation Department. USF seems to be in the

lead of the two schools compared, University of Central Florida and University of
Florida.

USF has worked on many projects in going green; and constantly working to
be better. They did not start off too well according to the College Sustainability Re-
port Card. In 2008-2009 USF received their first grade, a D+, then they received a C
the following year. USF now has a B+ on the report card. USF is taking many steps
in their process of going green, they have accomplished so much already and they
have plans on continuing to do more.
School of Global Sustainability
USF has several renowned professors and doctors and on-
campus services that strive towards the goal of sustain-
ability and environmental defense. But perhaps there is a
more effective driving force towards the green movement
of USF. That force is the School of Global Sustainabil-
ity's branch of student groups. This collection of organi-
zations all actively participate not only in the campus
community, but the Tampa community as well. As the
much used phrase goes: "Strength in numbers" this or-
ganization is no exception. With a goal like environ-
mental sustainability, mass social groups of a community
are probably the strongest game-changers towards going
green.

Solar Sustainability
Solar will be the energy source of the future. No longer
can the world depend on fossil fuels and expect the econ-
omy to grow along with its rising energy prices. Ad-
vancements in new technology have reduced the cost in
initial setup of solar energy systems. Soon that cost will
be equal to the cost of fossil energy sources. One key
factor in the current use of solar energy systems is the
method in which that energy from the sun can be stored
and used when the sun is not present. Currently there are
multiple methods in energy storage with USF’s solar fa-
cility focusing on phase changing materials to store and
release energy. Only time will tell if this method is the
most cost effective and efficient for commercial applica-
tions.
 Transportation Sustainability
The bull runner is the primary unit of the transportation
department at the University of South Florida. It is used
by over 1million faculty and staff a year. So it is only fit-
ting for administrators to make it apart of the sustainabil-
ity effort at USF. The article on transportation at USF
talks about the “going green” effort of the Bull Runner
and the other transportation alternatives on campus, such
as the WeCar. Also included is a testimonial of a student
who has utilized the different transportation offers on the
campus.

USF STARS
Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.
The STARS program allows USF to monitor and track
their sustainability progress online and they are able to
compare their work to other schools around the country.
Inside is a deeper look at this program and it’s history.
By: Sustainable Jeremy

Solar Powered Campus

“We simply don’t have a choice anymore.” A great quote from Dr. Yogi Goswami about
society’s dependence on energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory website claims
that fossil fuels, which provide 85 percent of the energy used in the United States, will soon
become too rare and too expensive to retrieve. Dr. Goswami’s focus on other sources of
renewable energy, especially solar will help in the transition from current reliance on these
fossil fuels to the energy source of the future.
The first oil embargo is when
Dr. Goswami began to focus
mainly on utilizing the sun as
the primary energy source for
the future. With funding from
multiple sources including a
$3.9 million dollar grant
from the United States Depart-
ment of Energy, Dr. Goswami
and his team have begun the
initial stages of creating a
solar plant at the University of
South Florida that will operate
even when the sun is not
available. Through the use of parabolic trough collectors, which are curved mirrors used to
acquire sunlight even as the sun passes through the sky. The energy collected will then be
stored, or encapsulated, in phase change materials that store energy when heated and release
energy when cooled.

The issue with the use of solar energy is not one of creating energy from the sun but storing
that energy for use when the sun is not around. Solar thermal power plants allow for that con-
sistent flow of energy even without the presence of the sun.
By: Sustainable Jeremy

There has been much advancement in solar

technology over the past few decades with
more coming faster every year. Based on
past advancements the utilization of solar-
thermal electricity will be at par with the use
of fossil fuels. Prices will continue to fall
and solar will one day replace fossil fuels as
the majority source of the world’s energy.

Other Schools
There are multiple Universities involved in
the solar energy race. In September 2010
USF, along with other universities were
awarded the E.ON Research Award. The
Fraunhofer Institue for Solar Energy Sys-
tems in Germany is developing an Innova-
tive Latent Heat Storage for concentrating
solar thermal power using direct steam gen-
eration and other transfer fluids. Their design
uses the phase change materials that will also
be used in the design by USF. USF award
was in Innovative Latent Thermal Energy
Storage for concentrating solar power plants.
I focused on these universities because their
research involves the storage of solar energy
which will be key in reducing solar power
cost and making solar power a major com-
petitor against fossil fuels.
By: Sustainable Breanna

This graph shows the global demand for energy, the demand for
renewable energy, and the supply of fossil fuels from the years
2000 up until 2050. Fossil fuels are said to become more expensive
and less available in the future. Many are working to have alterna-
tives so that when the day comes the fossil fuels are so scarce and
expensive it will not be too much of a problem. For many the alter-
native is solar power.
By: Sustainable Bernard

The Bull Runner

Public Transportation has always
been one of the main ways environmental-
ists tell the public that they can help with
the decrease of pollution on Earth. More
bus riders means less cars on the road, less
smoke emission from those cars, and less air
pollution. All over the world, engineers are
working on ways to make transportation less
harmful to the environment. Of course, the
public schools are taking initiative in the
efforts as well. At the University of South Bull Runner
Florida, students, faculty, and staff can en-
joy the luxury of their own private commu-
nity Bus transit and contribute to the Public
transportation movement known as the Bull
Runner.

The Bull Runner is the main source

of transportation on the USF Tampa cam-
pus. The Bull Runner provides service for
trips within the campus; neighborhoods east,
west, and north of the campus; the Univer-
sity Mall; and it is connected to the HART
University Area Transit Center. The Bull
Runner transports 1 million people per year
and that number is expected to increase. The
Bull Runner is a part of USF’s Sustainabil- Bull Runner Bus Stop
ity efforts because it is the main source of
engine transportation on the USF campus
and is being modified each year to make it
contribute less and less to air pollution.
By: Sustainable Bernard

Other Schools
Other Universities in Florida have similar methods of transportation for their stu-
dents, faculty, and staff to utilize. The University of Central Florida is directly united with
the Orange County bus company, Lynx. Students at the University are able to use the bus
line to go to different stops around their campus. University of Florida students, faculty and
staff may ride RTS public transportation fare-free by presenting their University of Florida
ID card. RTS offers multiple bus routes on campus with service to every area of the Univer-
sity, as well as routes to all points of
the City of Gainesville. Out of the
three schools, USF seems to be in the
lead with their Sustainability Depart-
ment reaching over into their trans-
portation department; through their

Biodiesel Fuel Use

Biodiesel is the name of a
clean burning alternative fuel, pro-
duced from domestic, renewable re-
sources. Biodiesel contains no petro-
leum, but it can be blended at any
level with petroleum diesel to create a
biodiesel blend. It can be used in com-
pression-ignition (diesel) engines with
little or no modifications. Biodiesel is
simple to use, biodegradable, non-
toxic, and essentially free of sulfur
and aromatics. Biodiesel is environmental friendly, renewable, and releases some depend-
ency on foreign fuel, stimulating our own economy and research. Once the transportation
department started to use this fuel, they saw immediate benefits; one obvious one was the
large cloud of smoke that would be seen from the bus immediately disappeared. The Bull
Runner department is composed of 30 buses; 13 transit style and 17 breakaways. USF is has
receive positive press from their use of Biodiesel fuel and is a reference to other universities
who want to join the sustainability movement with their transportation department.
By: Sustainable Bernard

WeCar
So it is obvious that not everyone will want to ride the bus everywhere they need to go,
and sometimes the bus system is just not as efficient as some students may need it to be. Fortu-
nately, one of USF’s other Sustainability efforts for student satisfaction is the WeCar. WeCar
delivers car-sharing technology’s speed, efficiency and economy nationwide to businesses, uni-
versities and government offices that are looking to enhance their fleet management operations
and sustainability initiatives. All across the United Sates, Renters are able to use the cars at
hourly rates, getting their personal er-
rands done and doing their part to mini-
mize automobile pollution. There are 2
Nissan Cubes, 1 Honda Civic and 1 Ford
Escape on the USF campus now. The
price of gas and basic liability insurance
are included in the hourly fee if you are
over 21.
The WeCars are all hybrid vehi-
cles. Hybrid cars typically deliver better
gas mileage than a standard gas-only
engine vehicle, and, by using less gaso-
line, such hybrid cars don't generate as
many harmful emissions when traveling
over the same distance as a gas-only ve-
hicle. Hybrids use both gasoline and their hybrid batteries to power themselves. At certain
speeds and actions, hybrids can change over to their battery power source. This makes a huge
different when cars sit in Idle state (at traffic lights). Idle cars can emit as much pollution as
moving cars. It doesn’t make any sense for the same amount of pollution to be put into the air
from a car riding down the road as a car that is not moving and sitting in traffic, burning fuels.
The USF Transportation department has even gone as far as changing the way the traffic lights
work in and around the campus. Multiple edge campus intersection improvements have been
completed in collaboration with Hillsborough County to reduce greenhouse gas/air pollution
due to excessive idle time. With WeCars on the road, students can ride in cars that are less
harmful to the environment as regular cars. Every little bit helps in the big effort of Sustainabil-
ity.
By: Sustainable Bernard

WeCar Testimonial
Monica Turner is a Freshman as the University of South Florida. Upon her arrival to the
university, she immediately took advantage of the Transportation department’s WeCar pro-
gram.

Q: How did you find out about the WeCar Program.

A: I saw the car out in the parking lot and just googled until I found the reservation website for
USF Transportation.

Q: Has rental been as easy as advertised?

A: Yes it is, all the instructions on how to use the car are written out and easy to understand.
Just like driving a regular car.

Q: When you use the WeCar can you tell the difference in its effect on the environment?

A: Yes, there is nearly as much smoke coming out of the exhaust as regular cars. Once

Q: Are the environmental effects of the WeCar explained to renters upon rental?

A: No just the requirements and rules to rent the car. Renters can go up to 250 miles on any
rental. But we must have it back by the due time.

Q: How often have you used the WeCar.

A: 2, maybe 3 times a month, mainly on weekends.

Q: What do you usually use the WeCar for?

A: I usually go shopping and skating!

Q: How often have you seen the WeCar used by other students?

A: IT is used very often. I always have to request 2-3 days in advance to secure my rental.
By: Sustainable Breanna

The Association for the Advancement of Sustain-

ability in Higher Education, AASHE, introduced STARS
(Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System)
(Chachere, 2010). In January of 2010 the University of
South Florida registered as STARS Charter participants.
STARS is a one of a kind program that involves a compre-
hensive process of collecting and publicly reporting infor-
mation related to college or university’s sustainability per-
formance in education, research, operations, and planning,
administration and engagement. The STARS program al-
lows USF to monitor and track their sustainability progress
online and they are able to compare their work to other
schools around the country. The specific part of the program
will be a big help in the long run as plans for the climate
action plan for the American College and University Presi-
dents’ Climate Commitment. STARS is open to all institu-
tions of higher education in the United States and Canada.
“The advantage of STARS is that all aspects of campus life
are taken into consideration with regard to the ability to
earn credits,” said AASHE Executive Director Paul Row-
land. “From providing sustainability coursework, to dorm
cleaning products, to energy efficiency in campus buildings,
there are lots of opportunities for a school to identify and
track its sustainability progress (Chachere, 2010).
By: Sustainable Breanna

Over the years USF (Tampa cam-

pus) has been through a lot in their going
green process. According to The College
Sustainability Report Card, USF did not
start out so well. Through the years USF
has improved their grade immensely.
University of South Florida Sustainability
Report Card

2008- 2009- 2010-

Year(s) 2009 2010 2011

Grade D+ C B+

Subcategories Grades
Administration A
Climate Change & Energy B
Food & Recycling B
Green Building A
Student Involvement A
Transportation A
Endowment Transparency A
Investment Priorities A
Shareholder Engagement D
USF is working on changing many things that involve all the subcategories so that their
overall grade gets better and their campus can be greener.
By: Sustainable Jordan

The University of South Florida houses a specific school known as the

School of Global Sustainability. As stated on their homepage: “Our defini-
tion of sustainability reflects what the UN and the World Wildfire Fund
suggest as the process of improving the quality of human life while living
within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems.” In effort to strive
towards the goals of sustainability a number of student groups have been
created including:

Emerging Green Builders (EGB)

Engineers For A Sustainable World (ESW)

Engineers Without Borders (EWB)

Student Environmental Association (SEA)

Each of the groups mentioned have their own individual mission state-
ments, but each share the common goal of striving for sustainability not
only on campus but in the surrounding community as well. The groups of-
fer a social and creative outlet for students interested in “going green” and
don’t only apply to those in the School of Global Sustainability. For exam-
ple, the EWB organization has a focus on involving engineering students.
The EGB at USF has been assisting the Florida Aquarium in Tampa with
possible Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certifi-
cation. There are many ways in which USF students are involving them-
selves and creating ways
for the community to col-
lectively increase the sus-
tainability of the campus
and Tampa community.
Chachere, Vickie. "USF Earns a B+ on National Sustainability Report Card." 27 Oct. 2010.
Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2917&z=121>.
This website discusses how USF's has made many efforts towards making their campus cleaner
and greener. Their efforts of becoming green has put them in the category with other colleges
who have done great jobs towards becoming green; USF received a B+ on the College Sustain-
ability Report Card. USF did not start out so well with going green, their first grade was a D.

Clean Energy Research Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/index.php?

option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1>.
This website has articles, videos, and pictures on different projects that USF has going on. This
websites research and development breaks down USF's projects and why they are being con-
ducted. This website offers great detail about many projects that USF has going on. This web-
site also gives information on the faculty, staff, and students that participate in CERC's develop-
ments.

DeVore, Jaclyn. "How Green Is USF?" The Oracle. 6 Jan. 2008. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://
www.usforacle.com/2.5741/how-green-is-usf-1.619308>.
This website tells how green USF is; it discusses some of their projects that are no longer ac-
tive, present projects, and some that they are working on doing. This website also discusses
how the projects have impacted USF and the surrounding environment. Things like solar en-
ergy, sustainable design, the green lights program, alternative energy sources, and campus recy-
cling programs are all discussed on this website.

Mooren, Heather. "Solar Power Coming to USF." The Oracle. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Mar.
2011. <http://www.usforacle.com/solar-power-coming-to-usf-1.2447788>.
This website discusses professor D. Yogi Goswami and his teams attempt to replace fossil fuels
Mooren, Heather. "Solar Power Coming to USF." The Oracle. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Mar.
2011. <http://www.usforacle.com/solar-power-coming-to-usf-1.2447788>.
This website discusses professor D. Yogi Goswami and his teams attempt to replace fossil fuels
with solar power. This article discusses how fossil fuels are non-renewable resources and that in
the future could become scarce. Professor D. Yogi Goswami wants to have an alternative before
we get to the point of running out of fossil fuels. The solar power plant that professor D. Yogi
Goswami wants to build is said to be very eco-friendly for USF and the community.

Suntharalingam, Amirthaa. "USF Unveils New Solar Energy Device." The Oracle. 20 Sept.
2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usforacle.com/news/usf-unveils-new-solar-energy-
device-1.2334939>.
This website discusses Xiaomei Jiang and his team of six USF students and their accomplish-
ment of creating a new solar powered window. The window can generate electricity by natural
and artificial light; before most solar cells obtained power by natural light of the sun. This arti-
cle goes into more depth about the window and the team’s efforts of creating it.

"Transportation." Office of Sustainability. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://usfweb2.usf.edu/

Sustainability/Initiatives/transportation.html>.
This website discusses USF's different projects dealing with transportation. USF has many dif-
ferent angles of their transportation ideas. They encourage students that live close to the campus
to ride bikes, walk, or catch the bus. This article goes into depth of each angle that they want to
hit on.
25 March 2011. March 2011 <http://www.nrel.gov/>.
BBC. 2011. March 2011 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/geogskills/
geogskillsgraphsrev1.shtml>.
Chachere, Vickie. USF is Charter Member in Nation's First Campus-Wide Sustainabilty Pro-
gram. 13 January 2010. March 2011 <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?
a=1934&z=41>.
Clean Energy Research Center. March 2011 <http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/>.
Emerging Green Builders. 2009. March 2011 <http://ctr.usf.edu/egb/projects.html>.
Engineers Without Borders. March 2011 <http://www.ctr.usf.edu/ewb/>.
Knight Lynx. 2010. March 2011 <http://ucfsga.com/knightlynx>.
Mooren, Heather. Solar Power Coming to USF. 26 January 2011. March 2011 <http://
www.usforacle.com/solar-power-coming-to-usf-1.2447788>.
Power and Gas. March 2011 <http://www.eon.com/>.
School of Global Sustainability. 2010. March 2011 <http://sgs.usf.edu/
sustainable_groups.php>.
Solar Thermal Magazine. March 2011 <http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/>.
Sustainable UF. 1 September 2010. March 2011 <http://www.sustainability.ufl.edu/>.
The College Sustainabilty Report Card. 2011. March 2011 <http://www.greenreportcard.org/
report-card-2011/schools/university-of-south-florida>.
Transit and Commuting Options. 3 March 2010. March 2011 <http://www.parking.ufl.edu/
pages/transcommopt.asp>.
Transportation. 2009. March 2011 <http://www.sustainable.ucf.edu/?q=node/51>.
Transportation. 17 September 2008. March 2011 <http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?
tagID=22292>.
WeCar. March 2011 <http://wecar.com/index.html>.