Efficiency First: How Weber State University Cuts Carbon and Costs -- Justin Owen

Weber State University set a carbon neutral target of 2040 and has spent 15 years working toward it with efficiency, electrification, and renewable sourcing. Justin Owen, Director of Utilities and Sustainability at Weber State University, walks through the specifics: half the campus electrified, two and a half megawatts of solar, ground source wells under parking lots, and a revolving loan fund now generating around $3 million in cost reduction. He is a Weber State alum who started as an hourly student worker, and he explains why housing sustainability inside facilities changed what the team could get done. Chapters: 00:03 Welcome to Green Shoots and Big Shifts 00:54 Weber State's carbon neutral goal for 2040 01:40 Campus size and location in Ogden, Utah 01:55 Justin's path from pre med to sustainability 03:20 Early adopters: the 2007 climate commitment 04:31 The president signs on, facilities figures it out 05:14 Measuring the baseline and finding low hanging fruit 05:57 The central heating problem and electrification 07:26 How ground source fields work at Weber State 08:58 Life cycle, learning environment, and per room thermostats 11:15 Win wins: comfort, cost, and getting occupants on board 11:56 The internal revolving loan fund 13:27 Producing two thirds of campus electricity and avoiding easy undos 14:55 Efficiency first, then electrification, then renewables 16:29 Getting stakeholders and finance on board 17:53 Sustainability housed inside facilities management 21:24 Students and interns in sustainability work 23:31 Rescuing leftover food and campus engagement 24:15 What's next: onsite battery storage and a campus microgrid 25:36 Focus and avoiding distraction in sustainability programs 26:19 One word: hope 27:05 A investment problem, not a technology problem You can follow Justin Owen here: LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/justinrowen Learn more about Weber State University: Website - https://weber.edu Follow the Green Shoots & Big Shifts Podcast here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-shoots-big-shifts/