Boston Globe story about "green building" at Harvard and other local schools

Graduating to green - The Boston Globe

"I think we're probably doing more in the Northeast region on the whole than in other parts of the country," said Barbara Batshalon, founder of the Green Roundtable, an independent nonprofit group that aims to mainstream green building practices. "There are so many colleges and universities around here, which I think is why the market has accelerated so much. When Harvard starts making noise that they want green buildings, every architect around here is going to look into it so they can start the bidding."

Harvard University has certified 20 new-construction and renovation projects for green construction credits under a nationally recognized rating system since 2002, more than any other university in the country, according to Harvard.

"The more we do it, the better we get at doing it," said Leith Sharp, director of the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, a university-sponsored operation that employs about two dozen full-time staff members who know about green building design and energy conservation.

Sharp said the university spends $100,000 each year on renewable energy research, and purchases enough renewable energy credits to offset about 7 percent of its energy consumption, a move that has been advocated "by students, staff, and faculty alike."