Northland College Student Association

Renewable Energy Fund (REF)


Drafted with contributions from Abe Lloyd, Carol Shaddy, Adam Yates, and Ryan Nicholson.


In 2000, the Environmental Leadership Center and the Northland College Student Association (NCSA) developed the Renewable Energy Fund proposal, which subsequently received approval from President Parsonage's College Council, Campus Facilities Master Planning Committee (CFMPC), and Environmental Council. The REF serves to demonstrate the support of the student body for the College's environmental initiatives with an annual investment in clean energy equipment for the campus.


By supporting clean energy, the Northland College community will work toward accomplishing the following goals:


Goals:


Commit to Sustainability:


The REF furthers Northland College's Sustainability Charter by modeling renewable energy on an institutional level, creating possibilities to integrate energy education into the Northland experience. In addition, the REF encourages the student body to become involved with and contribute to the college’s energy sustainability


Offset electrical production from Midwestern coal & nuclear plants:


The REF aims to meet Kyoto protocol for greenhouse gas emissions, bringing emissions resulting from college energy consumption 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. It will also reduce Northland’s contribution to the following: radioactive waste from nuclear fission; mercury pollution from coal combustion; and sulfur dioxide emissions from coal combustion, which are responsible for acid rain.


Lead the Way:


The REF creates opportunities that will encourage the faculty to develop a program for centralizing energy issues on campus. In addition, it will challenge the administration to complement the REF by investing in energy efficiency programs and to match student funding by seeking outside grant assistance. Through the REF, Northland will inspire other institutions to adopt clean energy. Finally, the REF will help Northland College produce all of the energy it requires from renewable sources by the year 2020.


Tertiary Effects:


The REF will help to attract students by creating a campus with cutting-edge energy technology. Similarly, it will help to retain current students by giving them an outlet to apply the principles they learn in class, thereby creating a sense of ownership and purpose in Northland College and the surrounding community. Finally, by applying progressive ideas to solve global issues, the REF will demonstrate NCSA’s commitment to support the College in becoming the nation’s leading environmental liberal arts institution.

Guidelines:


NCSA runs the REF as an annual gift to Northland College. Graduating seniors work closely with Environmental Council and Campus Facilities Master Planning to spend the gift on clean energy equipment installed on campus each spring.


  1. The Northland College Student Association (NCSA) will levy a $20.00 per semester student fee called the NCSA Renewable Energy Fund (NCSA REF) to all full-time students. The REF fee will appear separately on all full-time student bills.

  2. NCSA will review the progress of the REF two years after its initiation and subsequently every 5 years after that. If it is not shown to be making significant progress towards the before listed goals, they may vote to nullify the fee.



Project Design:

  1. Initiation

  1. Environmental Council will produce a suggestion list of campus projects worthy of REF support. Environmental Council will rank the items in order of energy savings, with weight given to projects that students are likely to use heavily.

  2. NCSA will build a subcommittee of graduating seniors interested in directing the REF. The subcommittee may include underclassmen to provide continuity and familiarity with the REF process and a member of Environmental Council to facilitate communication between groups.

  1. Project Proposals

  1. An NCSA representative to Environmental Council will present the suggestion list to the NCSA REF subcommittee, where ideas will be added or changed until the subcommittee reaches a final decision.

  2. The NCSA REF subcommittee will submit a project proposal to Environmental Council to begin the project approval process.

  1. Project Approval

  1. Environmental Council will review the proposed project and approve it solely on its adherence to the goals of the NCSA Renewable Energy Fund. Once approved, Environmental Council will submit the project proposal to Master Planning (CFMPC) for approval.

  2. A member of Environmental Council and the NCSA REF subcommittee will present the proposed project to the Master Planning Chair. Master Planning must respond within two weeks of receipt, approving or rejecting the project based solely on its compliance with the long-term campus plan.

  3. Once approved, a member of Environmental Council will work with the NCSA REF subcommittee to produce a presentation about the project which will be displayed or presented to the college body at Honors Day and/or Commencement, as well as the following semester during the Sustainability Fair.


Project Implementation:

  1. Costs

  1. Environmental Council will appoint a contact person (e.g. Director of Sustainability or Director of Campus Facilities) for communicating with installers and energy consultants to determine the full cost of the project.

  2. Environmental Council Chair or the Director of Sustainability will give the Business Office Controller the list of accounts and dollar amounts at the end of the REF project approval process.

  3. Specific restricted fund accounts will be opened by the Controller as outlined in the list of accounts and dollar amounts. The REF year will be noted in the account title (e.g. REF Fuel Cell 2030).

  1. Execution

  1. Once all funds are in place, Environmental Council will request periodic updates from the campus authority for the project (e.g. Director of Campus Facilities, Director of Sustainability) until the project is completed.

  2. As work is accomplished, the funds will be drawn to pay for the projects. Signatory for the restricted funds will be the Director of Sustainability, who staffs Environmental Council and chairs the Campus Facilities Master Planning Committee.

  3. In instances where not all of a specific fund is needed for the purpose designated, then that amount, if it does not exceed $1000, will be deposited in the Renewable Energy Fund Project Maintenance account which is held by Northland College. If it is greater than $1000, it will be referred to Environmental Council for disposition to enhance current or future REF projects. (The Director of Sustainability will have signatory power over the REF Maintenance account.)


Adopted November 29, 2000 by NCSA.

Amended May 2002: Alexander Waters doubled the REF fee to $20 per semester (Who was president? Fall Spring Winter)

Redrafted January 2005: By Adam Yates, Ryan Nicholson, Cully Shelton, Betsy Tahtinen, and Carol Shaddy for implementation process and clarity.













Suggested Timeline:


~20 Oct -- Environmental Council reviews a list of possible energy projects for the campus the REF may want to consider.


~30 Oct -- NCSA representative to Environmental Council presents at NCSA and builds the REF subcommittee.


~20 Nov -- REF subcommittee holds an initial meeting to prepare a plan of action.


~20 Jan -- NCSA representative to Environmental Council presents finalized project list to Environmental Council.


~20 Feb -- Environmental Council acts on information from contractors/installers and energy consultants to decide on finalized project list.


~10 Mar -- Master Planning responds to finalized project list. Where approved, Business Office Controller receives itemized list of accounts to set up.


~06 Apr -- Installation starts, weather permitting.


~20 Apr -- Presentation at Honors Day.


~28 May -- Presentation at Commencement.


~20 Aug -- Project completed


~10 Sep -- Presentation at Sustainability Fair.