Overall Rating Reporter
Overall Score
Liaison Stephanie Corbett
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

Case Western Reserve University
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
-- Reporter
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Campus Engagement

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Campus Engagement:
Through CWRU's Great Lakes Energy Institute, Faculty & Students have developed a microgrid on South Campus campus to research the most effective ways to create resilient infrastructure while reducing dependence and strain on the electric grid. This work goes hand in hand with the research in distributed energy resources and battery storage. Research also includes forecasting and modeling energy markets and demand response/load management.

Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Public Engagement?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Public Engagement:
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Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Air & Climate?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Air & Climate:
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Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Buildings:
Through CWRU's Great Lakes Energy Institute, Faculty & Students are performing research on battery storage, energy modeling, and building energy management. More specifically, the research explores how buildings on South Campus with decentralized batteries & renewable energy sources can power themselves and other buildings more effectively. The electrical and chemical engineering departments are primarily involved in these efforts.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Energy:
Within CWRU's School of Engineering is The Solar Durability and Lifetime Extension (SDLE) Research Center. The SDLE recently received grant money and is conducting research on the degradation of solar energy devices and materials. Furthermore, the SDLE researchers & students analyze data from 130 on-campus fixed-panel solar modules to improve the ability to predict the effect of weather on solar technology.

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Food & Dining:
CWRU has a Farm Food Program that utilizes the on-campus greenhouse. University Farm administration, dining vendor Bon Appetit, and University faculty developed a program that allows students to study local food production on campus. Through this Program, students and faculty have incorporated sustainable food production into degree program curricula and capstone projects.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Grounds?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Grounds:
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Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Purchasing:
---

Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Transportation?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Transportation:
---

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Waste:
A compost program was developed in 2011 at the University Farm. Quality soil is generated by taking grass clippings, food waste, leaves, and other materials from across campus in 96 gallon bins and brought to the farm. The process is incorporated into a curriculum where students learn proper composting and applications of compost. One application is to use the compost as a soil amendment in campus gardens & plantings.

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Water:
CWRU's Environmental Geology course involves students participating in the EPA's Campus RainWorks Challenge: A Green Infrastructure Design Challenge for Colleges and Universities. Through this challenge, students have designed rainwater collection systems for Veale Gym, storm water infiltration approaches for the binary walk area, and storm water storage and infiltration approaches for the Mather Quad.

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Coordination & Planning:
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Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
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Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Investment & Finance:
---

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its infrastructure and operations as a living laboratory for applied student learning for sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the projects and how they contribute to understanding or advancing sustainability in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
---

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s living laboratory program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.