by Shane Henson — March 23, 2012—Bunker Hill Community College’s LEED Gold-certified Health & Wellness Center has become even more impressive through the recent installation of a state-of-the-art “building dashboard” installed in the lobby. LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design sustainability rating program.
Resembling a large flat-screen television, the device monitors the building’s energy usage in real time and presents the results in a series of colorful, interactive charts and graphs. BHCC is reportedly the only community college in Massachusetts and one of only six nationwide to have adopted this innovative technology pioneered by Lucid Technologies.
This dashboard effectively identifies usage trends and periods of high consumption. In addition, it provides a mechanism to compare the impact of conservation measures such as energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures, classroom occupancy sensors, and variable-speed drives on heating and cooling equipment. The device also features a user-friendly tool bar with links to a virtual tour of the Health & Wellness Center, with its many energy-saving features, and to green tips, sustainability-related games and videos.
According to BHCC, the dashboard will be utilized by faculty for student learning activities related to sustainability, resource conservation and climate action planning. The instrument will also serve as a way for members of the college community to make personal sustainability commitments that will appear on their Facebook pages, thus opening discussions about saving energy with their social networks.
Plans are also under way to create a mobile app for smart phones that allow staff, faculty and students to scan Quick Response (QR) codes to learn more about green building features found in the Health & Wellness Center and about energy usage on the campus.
