Mark Kilgore, lecturer in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and doctoral candidate, plans to develop a new measure to evaluate sustainability. He is developing a numerical system as part of his doctoral research.
Currently, environmentally sound design earns LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in Platinum, Gold, and Silver awards, but there is no numerical rating system for the sustainability of a building project.
“I plan to develop this system by evaluating life cycle cost of materials, methods, and disposal practices and equate the life cycle cost to values that are easily understood and implemented,” said Kilgore. “By describing sustainability in terms of barrels of oil saved, reduction in carbon footprint values and eventually dollar savings, the idea of incorporating these principles into a project will become more acceptable.”
