One of the great challenges of our time is preparing today's college student for the daunting task of reversing the way our culture consumes our natural resources; a thirst that is leading toward the rapid decline of all living systems of the biosphere and depriving future generations of providing for their needs.  Traditionally, higher education has done more harm than good as far as being part of the system which perpetuates this flawed mindset.  One of the things that college and universities can do to sensitize students is to model appreciation for the environment and stewardship of its limited resources through sustainable operations and construction practices.  These practices become learning tools which can lead to an increased environmental awareness and ultimately change habits and alter lifestyle choices. 

 Central College in Pella, Iowa has adopted this philosophy into their strategic plan, just completing what is anticipated to be the first LEED rated residence facility in the state.  Features include the traditional sustainable approaches such as high recycled content in construction materials, dual-flush toilets, open window air-conditioning interlocks, heat recovery, low VOC content in carpets and paints, just to name a few.  A somewhat non-traditional approach to achieving a LEED Innovation in Design credit for education was the installation of a 37" LCD in the facilities gathering space and the development of a website specifically for the residents that live there. 

 The scrolling screens displayed on the LCD, as well as the resident website were developed by the leader in green kiosk development, Green Touchscreen of Ames, Iowa. The desktops of the facility's computer lab host the website as screensavers which display images and information about the residence hall, the current and historical amount of electricity used by each room, and recognizes the rooms consuming the least electricity for the week which encourages energy saving competition among the students.  The site's green features pages display the building's solar domestic hot water heating system as well as the solar income generated from the roof of the facility's bicycle storage which is covered with thin film photo-voltaic laminates.  This is done via animations which contain real time data imported from the facility's building automation system.  Residents can observe how these systems are working for the benefit of their house and environment.   The site also hosts a resident training video which provides information about the recycling and green cleaning requirements of the residents which opt to live there.

"By constantly keeping their energy consumption as well as generated solar income before them, students develop an awareness of how their habits and these systems impact the environment.   It also invokes a sense of energy competitiveness between the students that live there.  Having the website available to the rest of the campus (and the world) sends a message of "we care" in the sense of environmental stewardship." said Mike Lubberden, Director of Construction and Sustainability at Central College.

To view the Central College PODS Residence Hall Green Touchscreen live over the internet, please visit: http://pods.centralcollege.greentouchscreen.com.

Green Touchscreen is a product of Quality Attributes Software, located in the heart of the Silicon Prairie in Ames, Iowa. For more information, please visit our website at: www.greentouchscreen.com.