The Piedmont-Triad Branch of the council presented the university with its "A Green Apple a Day" award.
At its annual signature event on March 16, 2017, the Piedmont-Triad Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council awarded Elon University with its “A Green Apple a Day” award for integrating sustainability into the curriculum, culture, operations and student lifestyles, as well as the surrounding community.
The U.S. Green Building Council was established to promote sustainability-focused practices in the building and construction industry. The Piedmont-Triad Branch Awards for Leadership in Sustainability recognize sustainability efforts in the region in four categories: Built Green, A Green Apple a Day, Innovation and Fearless Leader.
The ‘A Green Apple a Day’ award recognizes area educational organizations, K-12 schools or higher education institutions that exemplify leadership by integrating sustainability into their school’s curriculum, culture, operations and student lifestyles, as well as the surrounding community.
“It is gratifying for Elon’s commitment to sustainability to be recognized by the local USGBC Branch,” said Elaine Durr, director of sustainability at Elon. “Such recognition is only possible with support and collaboration from many departments across campus.”
Highlights from Elon’s nomination include:
- Energy efficiency and conservation efforts that have resulted in more than a 30% reduction in BTU/SF, despite square footage doubling
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings on campus
- Contribution of 119,200 hours of community service in 15-16 by Elon students
- A variety of opportunities to learn about sustainability related topics in the classroom as well as outside the classroom through peer education or experiential learning at the Environmental Center at Loy Farm