Loan Fund Achievements
The Green Campus Loan Fund (GCLF) produces high returns and substantial environmental conservation. For a review of case studies for specific loan-funded projects, click here.
- Environmental Impact Reduction Achievements
- General Statistics and Department Participation
- Funding by Project Category
- Financial Savings by Project Category
- Average Return on Investment (ROI) by Project Category
Environmental Impact Reduction Achievements
Along with the fund's financial achievements, GCLF projects have also created significant environmental impact reductions for the University, including the following reductions:
| Greenhouse Gases | 33,227 metric tons of eCO2 |
| Water | 15,541,377 gallons |
| Waste | 200,000 lbs |
The above impact reductions were achieved by projects that averaged an ROI of 27%, further supporting the argument that environmental responsibility is often synonymous with fiscal responsibility. The GCLF works on a model that ensures cost-effective solutions to environmental impact reduction goals.
(Last Updated: 11-05-07)
General Statistics and Department Participation
Since becoming available to Harvard departments in January of 2002, the GCLF has created an impressive list of fiscal and environmental impact reductions. As of November 2007, GCLF projects are projected to save the University $3,847,587 per year with an average project ROI of 26%. The list below highlights the program's project engagement and fiscal achievements.
Below follows a list of each department and the number and total amount of funded or approved GCLF proposals:
| Department | Number of Projects | Total Loans | % Total Fund Utilization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard Medical School | 22 |
$2,322,768.88 |
19% |
| Harvard Business School | 18 |
$1,718,877.69 |
14% |
| Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences | 32 |
$1,687,923.18 |
14% |
| Harvard School of Public Health | 10 |
$964,067.10 |
8% |
| Harvard Real Estate Services | 14 |
$853,429.95 |
7% |
| Harvard Athletics | 7 |
$1,034,083 |
8% |
| Harvard University Dining Services | 14 |
$634,146.32 |
5% |
| Harvard Radcliffe Institute | 6 |
$612,405.00 |
5% |
| Harvard Arboretum | 2 |
$544,770.00 |
4% |
| Harvard Graduate School of Education | 2 |
$452,549.00 |
4% |
| Harvard University Operations Services | 6 |
$407,599.70 |
3% |
| Harvard Kennedy School of Government | 5 |
$361,667.24 |
3% |
| Harvard Forest | 1 |
$96,650.00 |
1% |
| Harvard Museums | 1 |
$81,066.00 |
1% |
| Harvard University Library | 1 |
$79,572.00 |
1% |
| Harvard Divinity School | 3 |
$192,674.00 |
2% |
| HSPH/HMS | 1 |
$74,340.00 |
1% |
| Harvard University Art Museums | 1 |
$33,864.00 |
0.3% |
| Harvard Division of Continuing Education | 1 |
$18,292.00 |
0.2% |
Total |
147 |
$12,212,146.06 |
100% |
(Last Updated: 11-05-07)
Funding by Project Category
Projects range in type from lighting upgrades to onsite renewable energy production. All 147 projects are grouped into categories listed below.
| Project Category | # of Projects | Amount of Fund Allocation | % Total Fund Allocation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting | 72 |
$5,231,027 |
49% |
| Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) | 32 |
$2,650,004 |
22% |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | 2 |
$1,000,000 |
1% |
| Behavior | 8 |
$955,435 |
6% |
| Kitchen Renovation | 10 |
$563,257 |
7% |
| Co-generation | 2 |
$464,222 |
1% |
| Photovoltaic power generation (PV) | 3 |
$334,591 |
2% |
| Controls | 4 |
$286,517 |
3% |
| Irrigation | 2 |
$252,150 |
2% |
| Insulation | 3 |
$92,336 |
2% |
| Construction Soft Costs | 1 |
$69,724 |
1% |
| Metering | 2 |
$67,432 |
1% |
| Process Load | 1 |
$53,460 |
1% |
| Recycling Enhancement | 1 |
$38,000 |
1% |
| Transportation | 2 |
$9,868 |
1% |
| Feasibility | 1 |
$29,000 |
1% |
| Renovation | 1 |
$115,122 |
1% |
| Total |
147 |
$12,212,146.06 |
100% |
Lighting and lighting control upgrades have been the most popular projects, accounting for 72 of 147 proposals at an average project cost of $72,000. While less numerous, HVAC, irrigation, co-generation, and PV project proposals usually command a significantly higher per-project cost.
(Last Updated: 11-05-07)
Savings by Project Category
(Last Updated: 11-05-07)
As shown in the chart above, the 72 lighting projects account for 35% of the savings generated by the GCLF.
The savings attributable to the eight behavioral projects is significant. Historically, facility managers have concentrated on upgrading infrastructure to realize energy conservation goals. The success of the behavioral change projects highlights the conversation opportunity in changing how users interact with the physical plant. Successes in this category, while more subjective, are substantial enough to merit more consideration than they had previously been granted.
Average Return on Investment (ROI) by Project Category
Furthering the argument to pay more attention to behavioral change projects that generated an average a high ROI.
(Last Updated: 11-05-07)
With the exception of the PV, Soft Cost, and Metering projects, on average all GCLF project categories achieve better than a 20% ROI, with 9 of 17 categories achieving better than 25% ROI. The high ROI of GCLF projects is one of the best indicators of the program’s success. Putting money into infrastructure improvements and behavioral change campaigns is increasingly being viewed as an intelligent and relatively low-risk investment opportunity, a statement that is well-illustrated by the numbers above.