California University Goes Green with Ambitious Sustainability Plantest

By Dave Lubach, Associate Editor

November 2016

When the University of La Verne embarked on a sustainability plan in 2015, it originally committed to spending $400,000 over five years to reach its goals. Instead, the university located east of Los Angeles spent much more than that — $630,000 — in about three years.

In this case though, excessive spending was a good thing, as the university participates in the Billion Dollar Green Challenge, which allows it to closely track funding for sustainable projects. The La Verne sustainability projects included: converting turf areas into sustainable landscapes; upgrading the irrigation system; converting lighting to LEDs; upgrading HVAC automation systems; and retrocommissioning of campus buildings.

La Verne's efforts earned the university a 2016 Facility Maintenance Decisions Achievement Award for sustainability.

We spoke with Robert Beebe, the senior director of physical plant operations and services, about La Verne's sustainability program. Listen to the podcast here.