“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” 

- The Brundtland Report, 1987

With increased pressure on our natural resources, college campuses across the nation have come to play an important role in environmental stewardship. It is Florida Tech Facilities Operations' responsibility and relentless commitment to constant improvement in sustainability that play a key role in making this University the best it can be for the future while meeting the needs of today. Sustainability motivates Facilities decisions across the board and incorporates Florida Tech Faculty, Staff, and Students to implement sustainable strategies campus wide. With sustainable initiatives in waste management, construction, energy, landscaping, maintenance and many other practices, it's no wonder Florida Tech continuously achieves sustainability accreditations from the Princeton Review, the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Recycling/Waste Management

A key component of Florida Tech Facility Operations sustainability efforts centers around the university waste stream. Guided by the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink, Florida Tech manages consumables, recyclables, hazardous waste, electronics and other streams, to divert as much as possible from the landfill. To be successful, this initiative will take everyone's help:  learn more about recycling at Florida Tech. 

Reporting, Statistics, and Policy

Members of Florida Tech Facilities Operations, the Sustainability Academic Department, and various campus groups comprise a team of individuals called the University Sustainability Council. Under the direction of the Director of Facilities Maintenance and the Director of Business Strategy and Operations, Operations Co-Chairs, the council oversees the following reporting methods and policy items:

• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Reporting System (STARS), Silver Level University
• 2022 Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges
• Tree Campus Higher Education
• SIMAP Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, 2019 Fiscal Year Report
• 2022 Integrated Pest Management Plan

Green Construction and LEED Buildings

Florida Tech Facilities Operations is a proud proponent of green construction and have participated in the LEED Certification of multiple structures, areas of green infrastructure, and volunteer projects in the community.

As a rigorous rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certified buildings are evaluated for efficiency and sustainability by addressing materials, energy, waste, carbon, water, indoor environmental quality and other categories. Our current LEED Certified structures are the Panther Aquatic Center (LEED Silver) and the Scott Center for Autism Treatment (LEED Silver). 

The jewel of green construction on campus is the recently completed Folliard Alumni Center. With the goal of zero-energy, the building designed by Florida Tech Faculty and Students as a model for cost-effective scalable, zero-energy commercial office building design in Florida climates. The nearly completed Gordon L. Nelson Health Sciences Building is the latest in Green Construction on campus.

Renewable Energy

Solar energy can be found across the Florida Tech campus, from on-site solar for the zero-energy Alumni Center, to solar-powered phone charging stations, to the Facilities Operations golf carts. Our golf cart solar charging system offsets the power required to charge our tradesperson’s carts on a daily basis. The solar-powered charging station picnic tables are a student favorite and more are still being added. Three ChargePoint EV stations, open to students and guests, round out our renewable energy installments.