The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia released its Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) report today, summarizing recommendations to help St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, develop short-and long-term strategies for carbon reduction and sustainable practices regarding infrastructure and capital improvements; land usage; procurement and vendors; and school policies and culture.

ULI Philadelphia recruited six real estate and land use expert members for the St. Andrew’s School TAP. Members were selected from the Philadelphia and Delaware regions and were joined by a national member from Seattle, Washington. The interdisciplinary panel of ULI member volunteers, at the request of St. Andrew’s School, were asked to evaluate the school’s current systems and operations and provide responses to the following questions:

• What set of actions or capital improvements are likely to yield the largest reductions in energy usage across all facilities and equipment?
• What opportunities might there be to convert to more economical or environmentally sensitive energy sources?
• Should St. Andrew’s consider additional investments in its own renewable energy production capabilities and/or carbon capture?
• Are there other carbon footprint reduction areas beyond energy consumption that the school should consider, including but not limited to the school’s vast acreage and its currently dedicated farming usage?
• What, if any, downstream vendor or supplier/partner commitment to environmentally sensitive practices should the school consider implementing?
• How can any future work directly or indirectly benefit the culture of sustainability already in place at St. Andrew’s? What partnerships might the school consider?

Working in partnership with ULI’s Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate, the panel spent two days immersed in the school’s culture, attending all-school activities; stakeholder interviews with more than 40 faculty, staff, and students; and touring the 2,200-acre campus on bus and foot.

The panelists provided St. Andrew’s School with recommendations for developing a long-term plan toward responsible land stewardship and implementing institutional carbon neutrality. The panel gave St. Andrew’s clear steps, including how to leverage facility upgrades, on-site solar production, and carbon-friendly farming practices, to achieve their goals of reaching carbon net zero.

A complete summary of the recommendations can be found in the report, Strategies to Carbon Net Zero at St. Andrew’s School, Middletown, DE.

“The industry’s collective journey to a net zero built environment requires strong leadership from communities and stakeholders such as St. Andrew’s School to take action on decarbonization. St. Andrew’s robust net zero vision and goals, as well as their organic culture of stewardship, provides a replicable blueprint for any campus seeking to decarbonize their buildings and communities. All of the TAP recommendations, from increasing renewable energy production to leveraging agricultural land assets for certified carbon offsets, were vetted and supported by St. Andrew’s community feedback. We look forward to seeing continued progress and visiting the future net zero campus.” Chris Perkes, Senior Manager, ULI Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate

“A net zero campus is one of several primary goals identified as central to the future of St. Andrew’s School. As an Episcopal School aiming to cultivate responsible citizens, we find it our duty to both live by the tenets outlined in the Episcopal Church’s Covenant for the Care of Creation and serve as stewards of our built and natural environments. We aim to teach and model for our students how to leave things better than they found them – which is critically tied to leaving behind a planet that is in better shape than it was when each of us arrived. We were thrilled to partner with ULI Philadelphia and undertake a TAP process, made possible thanks to the very generous support of Jennifer and Owen Thomas, who are equally committed to environmental stewardship and responsibility. The tireless efforts of the TAP committee resulted in robust recommendations and observations that both validated the work we have already done as an institution while also pointing us in the direction of areas where work is still required. The TAP was informative and served as a galvanizing event for our school, bringing together stakeholders from every area of school life to discuss what and where improvements can be made. The resulting report will help us to frame the work ahead. None of this would have been possible without the steady efforts of Christina Chavez and Chris Perkes at ULI; we are so grateful for their generosity and support,” Gregory M. Guldin, Director of Special Projects, Faculty 

Background 

St. Andrew’s School was founded in Middletown, Delaware in 1929 by A. Felix du Pont. Grounded in Episcopalian identity, the boarding school has been co-ed since 1973. St.

Andrew’s welcomes students of all backgrounds and religious beliefs, providing financial aid to all who qualify for admission. St. Andrew’s prides itself on “an exceptional academic program that promotes critical thinking and analytical problem solving; a school culture of kindness, authenticity and service to others; and a commitment to equity, inclusivity, and empathy.” At the core of the school’s mission are two pillars: student leadership and student service.

St. Andrew’s bucolic setting amid 2,200-acres bordering Noxontown Pond—1,500 of which are working farmland—creates an atmosphere of idyllic retreat from the distractions of modern life in which students are encouraged to build community and deeply engage with their study. All students and more than 90 percent of faculty live on campus. St. Andrew’s graduates are accepted at twice the national rate at top universities and liberal arts colleges.

Panelists:

• Chair: Dan Garofalo, Edelman Fossil Park and Museum
• Scott Frenck, DEDC, LLC
• James Hayes, The Stone House Group
• Ron Pluto, Brandywine Realty Trust
• Angi Rivera, Sellen Construction
• Frank Robinson, Econsult Solutions, Inc

Learn more about ULI Philadelphia’s Technical Assistance Program.