Dissertation case study -UCLA

One case study of a project that has been developed with the new sustainability system and transformation of energy efficiency upgrades, which at this case it is perceiving expenses to high-return investment opportunities, is the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). (Alison Hewitt, 2014)

The UCLA has already invested in energy efficient building retrofits in the past five years with $20 million because the money invested in climate change, will then receive some of the cost each year and onwards at an advantage year after year will then receive back all the money that one will have invested them in. (Alison Hewitt, 2014)

Nurit Katz who is the UCLA's chief sustainability officer, supportively encourages on other colleges or universities to create their own sustainability, since they are very efficient and a good financial investment. (Alison Hewitt, 2014) 

As Katz said, for further future fund projects to save more, in their previous projects at UCLA they have installed thousands of occupancy sensors that lights will turn on and off when the room are being in use or rather empty, more retrofits of heating, ventilation, and cooling systems in the campus, they made sure to replace the old light bulbs and install the efficient models in classrooms, auditoriums, streetlights and parking spaces. (Alison Hewitt, 2014) Keeping the campus fully sustained with the energy system and water technology would save and supports more the biodiversity.

Breaking down the bill to get an idea of how much all this would cost and how much one will save back in return, Katz says that for example if $1 million will be invested on a project, in return one will save $250,000 annually on energy costs. Later, half of the savings $125,000 would automatically return in the loan that will have been taken, until the $1 million good investment will be paid. (Alison Hewitt, 2014)

Mark Orlowski who is the executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, says that a growing number of institutions are using development, fundraising and endowments. They want to help people think outside of their limited capital operating budget. (Alison Hewitt, 2014)

It is of a good benefit to invest in because you save from energy and water and not only, it will also help to combat the climate change. I have included this in my literature review as an indication with someone else's case study to approve how efficient and encouraging on how the system of loan can be easily invested into something that can automatically be paid off throughout the years, and in return you will also save up a good amount of money because of the new installation of energy or water system saving. This is also very ideal to suggest it to other people that will be looking for a good investment on their property. 

For my dissertation, this qualitative research information will aid me to conserve a better choice of an installation, to sustain the carbon neutrality and reminds me better on how good it is to support and invest on the energy and water criteria. From the study made on the university building project, I could take a good idea on the estimate amount of the all-over project costing. I also have admired the feedback of Nurit Katz that has given his thought about the opinion of the financial investment that supports the background of sustainability and its own efficiency. It is always important to include all kind of perspective thinking, especially when conducting with total amount costings, an estimate or rather offers or great values that one can benefit from them, such like the given example of the energy and water saving efficient system of the UCLA investment.


Reference:

Alison Hewitt, 2014. 'UCLA creates nation's largest self replenishing fund for green projects'. Available at: <http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-creates-nations-largest-self-replenishing-fund-for-green-projects> [Accessed on 16 February 2017]