NOVA's Sustainability Journey

Timeline

2018

  • The College completes its first Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
  • The College completes its first Waste and Recycling Report. 
  • The Robert G. Templin Jr. Higher Education Center (HEC) at the Loudoun campus is certified LEED Silver.
  • The College Shuttle service connected campuses to public transportation hubs and added an inter-campus shuttle connection between Alexandria and Annandale. (All shuttle services have been suspended as of 2020).
  • The College continues its annual Green Festival at Annandale. 
  • The College holds a Waste and Recycling Symposium in conjunction with Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program. 
  • The College continues to participate in PJM's Demand Response Program.

2017

  • The Center for Design, Media, and the Arts (CDMA) at the Alexandria Campus is certified LEED Gold.
  • The Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training (RCWET) at the Woodbridge Campus is certified LEED Silver. 
  • The College holds its second Environmental Film Festival at the Annandale Campus. 
  • The College continues its annual Green Festival at Annandale. 
  • The College continues its Shuttle service to connect campuses to public transportation hubs and adds an inter-campus shuttle connection between Alexandria and Annandale.
  • The College begins the process to convert outdoor lighting to LED bulbs. 
  • The College begins participating in PJM's Demand Response Program.
  • The College installs deduct meters or submeters on multiple cooling towers. 

2016

  • The College holds its first Environmental Film Festival at the Annandale Campus. 
  • The College continues to off-set 100% of its emissions from natural gas usage through a carbon offsets program with Washington Gas and Light and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
  • The College continues its Shuttle service to connect campuses to public transportation hubs and adds an inter-campus shuttle connection between Alexandria and Annandale.
  • The College continues its annual Green Festival at Annandale.
  • The Woodbridge Arts and Sciences building is certified LEED Gold.

2015

  • The College begins off-setting 100% of its emissions from natural gas usage through a carbon offsets program with Washington Gas and Light and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
  • The College continues its Shuttle service to connect campuses to public transportation hubs.
  • The College incorporates green cleaning terms into its janitorial contracts.
  • The College begins an Energy Conservation and Efficiency Program.

2014

  • The College continues its annual Climate Change Symposium.
  • The College begins off-setting a portion of emissions from natural gas usage through a carbon offsets program with Washington Gas and Light and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
  • The College expands its Shuttle service to connect Loudoun and Medical Education to nearby Metro stations and Manassas Campus to Innovation Park.
  • The Parrish Hall (MP) building at the Manassas Campus is certified LEED Gold.

2013

  • The College restarts its annual Earth Day/Green Festival at the Annandale Campus.
  • The College joins The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
  • The College introduces the first phase of Shuttle service between Alexandria, Annandale, Workforce Development, and Metro.
  • The Support Services (WSS) building at the Woodbridge Campus is certified LEED Silver.

2012

  • The College hires its first Sustainability Officer.
  • The College joins U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Community Green Program.
  • The Student Services (CA) building at the Annandale Campus receives a LEED Certified award and is the first LEED-certified building at the College.

2007-2011

  • Most campuses have active student/staff Green Clubs.
  • All campuses have Single-stream recycling.
  • The College joins the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) program.
  • The College begins designing and constructing new buildings to USGBC’s LEED Silver standard in accordance with Virginia Executive Order 82.

2007

  • Faculty and staff from each campus form the College Environmental Concerns Committee.
  • The Environmental Committee develops a Statement of Green Principles.
  • Most campuses implement energy efficiency measures through an energy services contract with Schneider-Electric.