Sustainable Materials and Practices
| Alternative Transportation | Green Paper | Navigation Sessions | Performance Contracting |
| Current Photovoltaic | Future Photovoltaic | Vermi Composting |
| Wetland Restoration | Wind Generation |
Alternative Transportation
Milwaukee Area Technical College has implemented the U-Pass program in conjunction with Milwaukee County Transit. Under the program MATC students have increased their fees to insure that all students taking more than six (6) credits a semester will have 24 / 7 access to the Milwaukee County Transit network of buses. Milwaukee County Transit provides access to MATC from Milwaukee and Ozaukee county. The impact of the U-Pass System includes reducing the need for students to drive their cars to school. This eliminates pollution, reduces use of fossil fuel, and even the need to own a vehicle.
The combined efforts of the stakeholders at MATC insured that bus service to the Oak Creek Campus was retained and not cut in the county’s effort to balance the budget and provided for new service to the Mequon Campus that benefits MATC students, UWM students, Concordia College students and other residents of Ozaukee County .
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Green Paper
Milwaukee area Technical College in combination with Xerox Corporation is in the process of converting to a grade of copy paper which is different and sustainable in that it used no chemicals in the manufacture process. By using this paper MATC is protecting the water quality around the community where the paper is made. The paper is not as white and bright of traditional copy paper because of the elimination of the chemicals in the manufacture process. Traditional paper uses bleach to obtain the white finish. The use of bleach in the process pollutes the water. To clean the water the paper manufacturer requires additional energy. Consequently the paper reduces the dependence on fossil fuels.
The green paper is also lower in weight and therefore requires less energy to be consumed moving the paper from the manufacturer to MATC.
For more information about GREEN PAPER, click here!
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Navigation Sessions
Milwaukee Area Technical College identified during various Navigation Sessions that it had multiple stand alone control systems at the four campuses, Downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Oak Creek and West Allis. It was further noted that these systems had limited points of entry and were located on non integrated Local Area Networks (LAN). Individuals seeking access to these systems had to go to remotely located terminal or have additional workstations added to their work area.
These systems were for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems (HVAC), Lighting, Security (closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Internal Notification Systems (Fire Annunciate and paging), Access Control, and etc. In addition to network solutions there were also older analog systems.
During the Navigation Sessions it was noted that having integrated systems that provided Internet access from remote locations could be a long term solution. Evaluation revealed that MATC had made a significant investment in the Johnson Controls Inc Medasys System. Administration elected to build on its existing investment and contacted Johnson Controls Inc. for an evaluation of best practice. In July 2008 a decision was made that MATC would integrate the various campus systems using the Medasys system.
The first step was to develop a plan to integrate the existing Medasys Systems at the various campuses using the MATC Information LAN. This required a robust server and an upgrade to the Medasys Software. The upgraded software and server were installed in October 2008.
Also in October 2008 a decision to update the class scheduling software was made and to integrate the class room scheduling software to Medasys to allow MATC to use the class schedule to open class room doors, turn on lights and adjust the room temperature so that the room would be ready when a class was scheduled. At the end of the class the reverse would take place, thus allowing MATC to minimize the energy use.
This resulted in Construction Renovation creating a new standard whereby when a room is renovated it will be modified to have digital controls for the lighting, HVAC and door locks. This will allow MATC to have total control over its facilities as the facilities are renovated. This conversion has begun on the 6th floor of the Main Building.
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Performance Contracting
Milwaukee Area Technical College has entered into a number of long term performance contacts. Such contract was for the Oak Creek Campus. MATC conducted a Navigation session at which Faculty, staff, students and community members came together to discuss the issues confronting the Oak Creek Campus regarding the Social, Economical and Environmental needs. From this meeting a gap analysis was developed to determine the most pressing issues and their priority. As a result MATC identified that having a long term partner to aid in the development and implementation of a plan that ultimately address the long term needs in a manner that was strategic as well as tactical. It was determined that MATC had many different systems (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting, security and access that were not synchronized but which need to work together for MATC to meet the needs identified in the navigation session. MATC issues a RFD soliciting a partner to develop and implement the plan for a period in excess of five (5) years.
After reviewing the proposals MATC selected Johnson Controls Inc to be its partner under a performance contract. A performance contract defines the desired financial outcome that is to be achieved by implementing the contract before the contract is signed. The contractor and customer monitor the outcome and if the contracted performance is not obtained the contractor are obligated to pay the customer the short fall.
Under the performance contract MATC and Johnson Control Inc have updated the Chiller on the Oak Creek Campus, began installing more energy efficient lighting, developed new science labs which provide cost efficient venting and heating systems for the new science labs and upgraded the water circulation system to be more energy efficient.
MATC has also followed a similar process regarding the Downtown Milwaukee Campus. Under the Downtown Blanket Performance Contract MATC has updated lighting in the Health Building, Gym as well as resolved heating and air conditioning issues in the Public Television area, 1st floor of the C building and the 6th floor of the main building. The contract was also used to design and update the ventilation systems for the downtown science labs. Work on the main chiller plant downtown was also completed under the performance contract.
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Current Photovoltaic
Milwaukee Area Technical College currently has two sites with photovoltaic capacity. The Mequon Campus has three installations. Just south of the main building there are two installations. First there is a stationary Pole mounted system which faces the Southwest. This system is capable of generating 2kWH with ideal sunlight. It comes out of hibernation each morning at dawn and continues to increase in power output until the sum and the panel is at the ideal alignment. As the sum continues to tract to the west the output declines until dusk when there is no additional sunlight to generate power.
The second system also located on the south side of the building is a Pole Mounted Tracking System. This is similar to the Stationary Pole Mounted system except as the sun rises the system changes the angle of the Photovoltaic panels to optimize the capture and conversion of sun light. The panel continues to adjust to track the sun until dusk when the system no longer produces power.
On the Mequon Campus Roof MATC have multiple Photovoltaic panels totaling capacity of 17 kw. Due to the design of the roof these panels are not visible from the ground. The panels are mounted on devices that are weighted down to insure the wind does not lift the panels. The panels are facing the Southwest and operate similar to the stationary Pole Mounted System.
The photovoltaic systems at Mequon are connected to the We Energy Grid. As the panel’s work they produce Direct Current (DC). To be useful the energy is converted to Alternating Current (AC) and the AC power is sold to WE Energies. MATC currently produces less energy than it consumes at the Mequon Campus, however, all renewable energy generated reduces MATC’s dependency on Fossil Fuel. There are plans to expand the photovoltaic system at the Mequon Campus.
Oak Creek currently has an array of Photovoltaic panels on its roof. These panels produce 17 kw. Plans to install a Stationary Pole Mounted System and a Pole Mounted Tracking System have been approved by the Oak Creek zoning Authority. The system installation will begin soon.
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Future Photovoltaic
Milwaukee Area Technical College is planning to install Photovoltaic roof membrane as standard roofing material whenever possible in the future. Annual MATC reroof over 200,000 square feet of roof, depending on need and budget. Most of MATC roofs are flat roofs covered with roof felt and tar or a membrane roof. Recently a membrane roof containing photovoltaic cells has come to market. These are Green Roofs as the convert renewable energy into useful power similar to the glass photovoltaic systems at the Mequon and Oak Creek Campus. These roofs cost about $ 10.00 per square foot more to install than traditional roofing; they will produce useful power over the normal life of the roof.
For more information about PHOTOVOLTAIC ROOFING, click here!
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Vermi Composting
Milwaukee Area Technical College has been conducting experiments regarding composting and vermi composting. Vermi composting uses little red worms (red wigglers) to convert bio-degradable product such as vegetable food waste and the compostable dinner ware used in food service into soil. The worms feed on the compostable material and expel worm castings which when added to other material such as coconut shell husk make a very fertile media in which to grow plants. Worm casting are also used as a fertilizer and when diluted in water a liquid fertilizer.
The advantage of vermi composting is the amount of methane gas produces is minimal and odor is seldom a problem. The process of converting waste into fertilizer takes about 60 to 90 days if the waste added to the process is in correct proportion to the number of worms. The MATC experiment has been underway for over a year and has demonstrated on a small scale that the process can be effective. The goal of MATVC is to be able compost all the food waste from the Downtown Culinary and Baking Programs as well as the Downtown Food Service in a demonstration facility on the Downtown Campus.
For more information about VERMI COMPOSTING, click here!
See also: [ NatureMill Composter ] [ Earth Tub ]
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Wetland Restoration
The constriction of the Oak Creek and Mequon Campus some thirty years ago included the creation of storm water retention ponds. Initially these ponds contributed to aid in the reduction of water flow during periods of spring melt and heavy rains. This reduces the demand on Milwaukee Metro Sewage District (MMSD) and aided in reducing the amount of waste released untreated into Lake Michigan. Thirty years of service to the Cities of Oak Creek, Mequon and Thiensville have, however, taken a toll.
Chemicals have dropped from vehicles parked on the parking lots and have been carried by rain runoff into the retention ponds. This has resulted in a sediment build up in the pond that has converted the ponds into deserts lacking life beyond algae. MATC has begun a project at the Mequon Campus that will convert the pond into a living filter of chemicals.
The Horticulture department and the Chem. Tech Program are going to rehab the pond and then plant vegetation that will filter future run off and eliminate the chemicals before they leave the MATC property. This will improve the water quality downstream from MATC and add to the recovery of the Milwaukee River.
For more information about WETLAND RESTORATION, click here!
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Wind Generation
Milwaukee Area technical College has a 90KW wind generator on its Mequon Campus. This generator was an idea of Dr. George Stone (MATC Liberal Arts Faculty Member) in 2003. With perseverance and the help of Dr Dan Burrell (Associate Provost), Al Evinrude (Construction Serviced), worked out a host of issues with the City of Mequon, WE Energies, Focus on Energy, Various vendors to see the idea become a reality in November 2008. The wind generator is connected to the Mequon Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System. Day or night when there is sufficient wind the generator begins to turn. In the head of the unit there are actually two (2) different generators. In light wind there is insufficient energy to turn the larger 90kWh generator. Instead the smaller kWh generator is engaged. As the wind picks up there is a transmission similar to that in your car, which allows the generator to shift to the larger generator.
The unit MATC has erected was not new, but rather a refurbished unit that was recovered from a large western wind farm. The unit became excess when the wind farm upgraded to larger units. This is another example of how MATC recycles and uses recycled materials.
For more information about WIND GENERATION, click here!
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