Chapter 69

Practical Strategy for Sustainable Development in Education:

The Green Offices Case of the Federal University of Technology
of Paran, Curitiba, Brazil
Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois
and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo
Abstract
The Green Office was built last year at the Federal University of Technology of Paran
(UTFPR) in Curitiba, Brazil, in order to disseminate a plan for sustainable development within education. The main objective is to develop innovative green technology and to function as
a research laboratory. It also aims to update educational strategies, in order to stimulate actions that result in a more sustainable campus. Great efforts were made to obtain financial
support, which finally became viable when the university signed cooperation agreements with
over 60 companies, who donated green materials and sustainable technologies. The Green Office was built using a wooden-framed structure instead of a conventional concrete construction, which made it possible to conduct a preliminary study of carbon footprint reduction during the entire construction process. Furthermore, energy efficiency was achieved by using renewable energy systems, thermal and acoustic insulation, natural lighting and LED illumination devices. Solar energy is supplied by 2100 Watt photovoltaic panels installed on a grid
model, and 850 Watts in a stand-alone model. So far, the building has generated almost 1000
kWh since December 2011. The performance of thermodynamic solar panels in heating water
is presented together with the benefits of green roofs and the water-saving gadgets installed in
lavatories, as well as an efficient rainwater collection system and other inovations. The Green
Office has also established cooperation agreements with independent researchers, who have
developed an electric car and a hydrogen-fuel cell bicycle fed by the solar-powered electricity
generated in the building. It is strongly believed that the Green Offices experience is proving
to be more profitable both for students and for researchers than many of the theories
dumped into classrooms.

Introduction
There is no doubt that education is one of the more important tools available to society, in so
far as achieving sustainable development is concerned. However, universities are currently
facing some important challenges to implement that. Traditional teaching and research methods are based on the fragmentation of knowledge amongst various departments. This creates
obstacles in the way of establishing the needed interdisciplinarity, which is the basic instrument in addressing socio-environmental problems (Motloch and Casagrande Jr. 2010).
In 1972, the concept of Environmental Education was officially introduced during the
UN Conference on the Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden. Since then society has become increasingly aware of the major environmental problems which occur at a global level.
As a result, governments have understood that the only way to improve this situation is
through education.

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

In 1977, definitions, objectives, principles and strategies to implement adequate actions of

Environmental Education were set as a result of the Intergovernmental Conference in Tbilisi,
Georgia one of the main events at Environmental Education, organized by UNESCO and
the United Nations Environmental Programme UNEP. It was then established that: The
educational process should be directed at solving the concrete problems of the environment
through interdisciplinary approaches and active and responsible participation of each individual within the community.
According to Palmer (1998), throughout the 1970s, the focus of Environmental Education
was based on the use of the natural environment for first-hand experiences, creation of centers
for conservation education and urban studies of the built environment. In the 1980s nevertheless, it was possible to observe more concern about global education methods, introducing a
wider view of global problems and also actions related to community problem-solving. In the
1990s, with the establishment of the Internet, the world was empowered to generate wider
communication networks and, as a result of this, more participatory actions from nongovernmental organizations, volunteers, schools and the business sector.
However, during the 20th century, the scenario was a mix of great awareness, disillusion
and a far-reaching search for new models to achieve more efficient Sustainable Education
practices. Considering that by 2030, it is expected that almost five billion people will be living
in urban areas and most of them will be poor (UNFPA 2007), the future of cities, particularly
in developing countries, as well as the future of humanity, will depend very much on Environmental Education decisions made at the present.

Positive examples: Linking Green Theory and Practice at the University

One of societys institutions that can contribute to a more sustainable future development is
academia. Most academics agree that a university campus has to be a positive and rich environment whilst, at the same time, promote and be a place where economic, social and environmental themes are discussed in a critical manner, making it possible to link green theory
and practice in the university routine. However, most universities require a profound transformation in their structures to implement that effectively. In spite of this, some good initiatives can still be mentioned:

1. Greening the Campus

Since 1996, an annual interdisciplinary conference named Greening the Campus takes place
in the United States, which allows people representing diverse segments of university communities to share information on environmental issues that range from the practical day-today management activities to the actual planning of a more green curricula development
and the best use of campus resources. These strategies aim to achieve a common agenda for
achieving environmental soundness through safe management of resources at universities. It
is therefore expected that the campus community can become a green model for the local
community by gathering and sharing information and by creating actions and policies that are
tested and validated with success (BSU 2012).

2. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) was
founded in 2005 to help coordinate and strengthen campus sustainability efforts at regional
and national levels, and to serve as the first North American professional association for those
interested in advancing campus sustainability. Of the 1,088 members at the end of 2010, 839

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were colleges and universities. Although AASHE continued working with the operations and
administrative sectors of the campus, in 2010 it increased its emphasis on working with the
academic side of the campuses to address education for sustainability in the curriculum
(AASHE 2010).
In order to reach it, AASHE has created the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) which is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. The system includes environmental,
economic, and social indicators, which are divided into four categories related to campus activities: Education & Research, Operations, Planning, Administration & Engagement, and Innovation. All of the requirements for evaluating and scoring institutions are transparent and
made publicly available. Points are earned in each category and lead to a STARS Rating.

3. Bucknell University Green Initiatives

In 1998, the power plant of Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, US, was converted from a
conventional coal-burning facility to a co-generation power plant fueled by natural gas. The
co-gen facility captures and reuses waste heat for an overall efficiency of 75-80%, which is
exceptionally high compared to conventional power plants. The co-gen power plant has also
led to a 40% reduction in the universitys greenhouse gas emissions (Bucknell University
2012).
In 2000, Bucknell began purchasing wind power to supplement its own site power generation. In January 2008, wind power represented 100% of Bucknells purchased energy, for a
total of approximately 4 million kilowatt hours per year. In April 2008, the Campus Greening
Council (CGC) was established as an official university committee at Bucknell. The CGC
puts together students, faculty members and staff, and is responsible for policy recommendations to the Bucknell administration on matters relating to the environmental impact of the
university.

4. Green Practices at Carnegie Mellon University

In 1990, Carnegie Mellon adopted a formal recycling policy and appointed campus Recycling
Liaisons to implement the policy. The liaisons adopted the Reduce, Reuse, Recycling theme
and promoted campus-wide efforts to reduce waste. This was the first step to a more sustainable campus. In 1999, as part of the Carnegie Mellon strategic initiative to enhance the scope
and impact of our education and research programs related to the environment, the Environmental Practices Committee (EPC) was charged to develop a plan for an expanded environmental practices program on campus.
In 2001, Carnegie Mellon made a commitment to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification for all new buildings and major renovations on
campus were undertaken, which enabled it to become a member of the US Green Building
Council.
Ten years after the creation of a campus-wide recycling program, the percentage of nonhazardous waste being recycled has increased from 5% to 13% by weight. In addition, a fulltime position was created at the University for an Environmental Coordinator. In 2006, the
students at Carnegie Mellon studied the weave of grass, dirt and bugs atop its new living
roof at Hamerschlag Hall. In the class projects they studied how the building design can reduce storm water drainage and improve water quality (Carnegie Mellon University 2012).

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

The Solar Decathlon Challenge

Since 2002, the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon has challenged collegiate teams to
design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and
attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer
appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency (Solar
Decathlon 2012).
Every two years, the Solar Decathlon is organized and aims to:
Demonstrate to the public the opportunities presented by affordable homes that combine

energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems that are available today;
Provide student participants with unique training to help fill jobs in our nation's cleanenergy economy;
Foster collaboration among students from different academic disciplines, including engineering and architecture students, who otherwise may not work together until they enter
the workplace;
Promote an integrated, or whole building design, approach to new construction, which differs from the traditional design/build process because the team considers the interactions of all
building components and systems to create a more comfortable building, save energy, and reduce environmental impact.

The Green Office proposal at the Federal University of Technology of Paran

(UTFPR)
The UTFPR has been traditionally valued both nationally and internationally by its technological focus, and now it is proud to be the first in Brazil to propose a Green Office, which is
responsible for the development and implementation of environmental policies at the Curitiba
campus.
The Green Offices planning started in 2002, as an initiative of the TEMA Technology and
Environmental Multidisciplinary Research Group that gathers teachers, students and technicians in a permanent program called TECSUS (Sustainable Technology), which aims to implement actions in accordance with Agenda 21.
As a result of this greening process, the UTFPR recently signed an official document
called The Pact 21, which involves some of the higher education institutions of the State of
Paran and the Forum for Agenda 21 coordinated by the Environmental Secretariat of the
State of Paran (SEMA). Currently, the Green Office is taking further actions, namely:
CAZA Carbon Zero in the Academy: A program to promote initiatives towards green
buildings in the university campus.
REZTO Zero Technological and Organic Waste: A program to separate all the waste
produced in campus in order to send it on for adequate recycling.
TRECO Reuse of Electronic and Computer Waste: A program to take care of discarded
electrical and electronic devices.
BUYING GREEN A manual that helps the administration to purchase every day materials observing the reduction of their environmental impacts.
GREEN LABEL To establish procedures for Green Certification for technologies,
processes and materials targeting companies.

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GREEN CONSULTANCY To organize a service which can be offered by UTFPR professionals and students to companies who want to be more sustainable.
PRIZE GREEN CITIZENSHIP UTFPR A prize given every year by the UTFPR to a
person or a group that contributes to achieve sustainability.
Some other actions include:

1. The ECOConsultoria JUNIOR Enterprise

According to Breyman (2000), campus greening tangibly improves important physical and
intellectual spaces. He writes: Greens are able, though not sometimes without frustrating
hurdles, to put their theories and values into action. Colleges and universities are both congenial and frustrating institutions for Greens. Tenured Green faculty are generally protected
by academic freedom (untenured professors proceed at their own peril). Junior faculty needs
mentors in powered positions. Green students are generally protected by the service they provide to their institutions. Their efforts are enhanced when embraced by student governments
and college administrations.
Since the beginning of the Green Office construction, the direct participation of graduate
and undergraduate students was encouraged. This initiative resulted in the formulation of the
first interdisciplinary Junior Enterprise of the UTFPR, and named Econsultoria. It generated a spontaneous teaching-learning process, where about twelve students, plus some teachers and technicians have interacted through all the Green Offices construction processes.
Therefore, they are now capable of performing consultancy for people interested in green
buildings, yet still under the close supervision of a senior professor or technician.

2. Hosting the RCE-Curitiba-Paran devoted to Education for Sustainable

Development (UN-DESD2005-2014) The RCE-Curitiba-Paran
The Green Office is hosting the RCE-Curitiba-Paran Regional Centre of Expertise on
Education for Sustainable Development linked to the United Nations University UNU /
IAS Institute of Advanced Studies, which coordinates a network of existing formal, nonformal and informal education organizations, mobilized to deliver education for sustainable
development (ESD) to local and regional communities. A network of RCEs worldwide constitutes the Global Learning Space for Sustainable Development (RCE-UNU 2012) and is working to achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD
2005-2014), by translating its global objectives into the context of the local communities in
which they operate (RCE-UNU 2012). There are currently 100 acknowledged RCEs worldwide and the RCE-Curitiba was the first to be approved and installed in Latin America in
2007.

A sustainable construction planned to disseminate Education for Sustainable

Development: The Green Office headquarter
The Green Office building is in itself the result of a long search for innovation associated with
educational transformation.
Initially, the basic proposal was to erect an innovative eco-efficient building. The Green
Office of the UTFPR was designed with the objective of integrating planning and practices,
such as a wide central room for multiple activities, where teachers, researchers, graduate and
undergraduate students share not only the tables and chairs, but also knowledge and friendship. The coffee break room is also large, and has some comfortable furniture designed to fa-

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

cilitate interactions amongst people. The idea is to create a think tank environment, where
dynamic professionals from different areas of expertise can plan and implement a new university.
The Green Office project aims not only to implement an environmental management program for the campus, but also to promote the integration of environmental education, new methodologies and practices capable of generating integration within the teachers and students at
the campus, as well as with the community representatives, in order to develop effective sustainable projects and programs that can benefit the educational processes and the city itself.
The Green Office headquarters were built with the following principles of sustainable construction:
Bioclimatic guidelines applied in the architectural design;
Wooden-framed System double-walled structure in OSB (Oriented Strand Board) panels
and treated pine;
Thermal insulation acoustic blankets of recycled PET and recycled tire;
Windows in wooden frames and double glazing;
Green Roof use of local vegetation in the two modules of the building;
Natural lighting through skylights intelligent systems and LED lights;
Use of thermodynamic solar heating system for water;
Solar energy generation using photovoltaic panels to supply up to 80% of energy to be
consumed (the building can also charge an electric car);
Rainwater-collection system for toilets and cleaning;
Use of raised floor made from recycled polypropylene covered by modular carpet of approximately 45% recycled content;
Mezzanine floor of certified wood (FSC Forest Stewardship Council):
Outside deck made from wood-plastic (made up of sawdust and recycled plastic);
Bamboo furniture for the coffee break area.

Why a Wood-Frame Building?

Brazil is a major producer of wood; however, most of its buildings are made of concrete, steel
and brick. It is known that the traditional construction has a high environmental impact when
considering its whole production chain. Most materials are made from nonrenewable natural
resources that have a high carbon footprint, demand great use of energy and water, and produce excessive waste when installed.
According to the biologist Jos Geraldo Zenid (2012) from the Institute of Technological
Research of So Paulo (IPT), there is still prejudice in Brazil against the more intensive use of
wood in buildings structures, as the result of an inherited tradition from the Portuguese colonizers. Compared to other structural materials, wood has environmental properties: low energy consumption during processing, high strength and endurance, provides thermal and electrical insulation and ease of handling and processing with machines or by hand.
Another factor that is increasingly important is wood properties for carbon sequestration
that help in reducing global warming (Zenid 2009). Furthermore, wood has the possibility of
sustained production in native and planted forests, where management techniques allow
changes in the quality of the raw material according to the desired end use. Reforestation
wood is renewable, energy efficient and has good potential for waste recycling, as well as
contributing to the clean air (Barbosa and Ino 2001).
In southern Brazil, most wooden houses are built with simple boards with only 2.2 inches,
mounted simply in vertical panels. Such building structures are considered inappropriate,

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which contributes in spreading prejudice against structural wood. Authors such as Giglio
(2005) and Bogo (2003) reported the low thermal performance of these houses, in a study that
compares wooden houses with simple panels with wooden-framed houses that use double panels in the city of Londrina, State of Paran, showing that wooden-framed houses offer better
thermal comfort compared to traditional brick walls (Giglio 2005). For Molina and Calil Junior (2010), the structure of wooden-framed houses allows fast installation, and allows total
control of spending during the design phase; it is also comparable or even superior to masonry
in terms of structural strength, thermal and acoustic comfort.

Solutions for Wood-Frame at the Green Office of UTFPR

The Green Office at UTFPR was designed to be a research laboratory, as well as a model for
business offices within the principles of sustainable construction. The wood frame structure,
using double OSB (Oriented Strand Board) panels, allows the thermal and acoustic insulation
to be fixed. In this case, a 75 mm recycled sheet of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) film, as
a well as a 5 mm sheet made from recycled tires that provides acoustic isolation. Each square
meter of the PET film is obtained by recycling thirty PET bottles and each square meter of
acoustic, three tires. By using these materials in the Green Office building it is calculated that
about 7,000 bottles and 540 tires have not been dumped in the environment.
As internal coating, another layer of OSB panels was applied with a layer of pine finish
(DecoWall) and cement slabs. For the outer covering, sheaths were used (Vinyl Siding) and
OSB boards, which have an insulating resin on one side (SmartSide) (LP Brazil 2011).
Five days were taken to build the structure, with a crane operator and five people (Fig. 1),
and the walls were executed in twelve days at the factory with virtually zero waste.
The thermal-acoustic insulation is directly linked to the concept of sustainable buildings
when considering the energy savings and thermal efficiency important factors to be considered when seeking a green certification. The initial cost is slightly higher, but compensated
by a reduction in financial costs of using and maintaining the building,
Less energy use, cost reduction, lower carbon emissions, higher productivity and greater
satisfaction with the academic work environment are some of the positives results of a sustainable construction like the UTFPRs Green Office.
Fig. 1: Building system of Green Office of UTFPR

Source: Escritrio verde (2011)

One of the studies/research to generate a Masters dissertation of the Postgraduate Program in

Civil Engineering PPGEC, supervised by Prof. Casagrande Jr., focuses the calculation of

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

fixed carbon inventory throughout the system. According to Tavares (2006), brick, cement,
clay products, lime, and steel require a high amount of energy to be ready for use in construction. This energy is associated with CO2 emissions both directly and indirectly. Therefore, this
study is of great importance to science, especially when discussing measures for greenhouse
gases emission reductions and some ways to tackle climate change.
According to Kobiski and Casagrande Jr. (2011), who compared CO2 emissions among different types of construction, the wood framing model emits up to 73% less carbon dioxide compared to the concrete construction model, considering the energy life cycle of the
materials. Since the production of CO2, in this case is indirectly connected to the energy demand for the production of materials, priority was given during the Green Office construction
for materials which demanded low energy and produced low CO2 emissions. The forestcarbon sequestration is linked to the process of CO2 fixation by plants through a biological mechanism called photosynthesis. Through it, the CO2 is absorbed by plants and then released
into the atmosphere in the form of O2 with the carbon atom incorporated in the timber. The
Green Office of UTFPR has a great number of materials that have a large quantity of carbon incorporated into it, such as windows, the deck, walls, the structural model, and the stairs.

Double Glazed Wood Windows

The design of the Green Office facilitates the natural light entrance through a set of large
windows, strategically placed, with doubled glass. Recent studies demonstrate the efficiency
of these double glazed windows, considered expensive and thus not yet widespread in Brazil.
Baltar (2006) shows the results of a study in hospitals where various types of glass are tested,
considering air-conditioning spending, and concluding with a trial reduction of 7% over 12
months in energy costs for air conditioning (cooling and heating). The windows of the Green
Office are made with Lyptus wood and double glazing, as shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2: Double glazed windows.

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

The Use of Green Roofs

The international use of green roofs is already well known. According to Arajo (2007),
countries like Germany, Austria and Norway have been widely using the concept of the green
roof, due to the strong interest in reversing environmental degradation and the elimination of
green areas. The Green Roof is a roof with a layer of soil with vegetation or substrate. The

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839

intensive models use plants with higher consumption of water, fertilizer and maintenance,
whilst extensive models use plants that have a high resistance to rain and climatic variations,
minimizing maintenance and structure (Laar et al. 2001).
The high surface temperature of the majority of roofs when exposed to sunlight is one of
the problems of conventional construction. In Brazil, cracks and leaks are common in slabs
over the years and the high temperature variations with summer, winter, sun and rain deteriorate the materials, particularly concrete. Onmura et al. (2001) showed that a slab exposed to
sunlight at an environment temperature of 38C during summer in Japan, has a difference of
30C, except when covered by green roof. Vecchia (2005) reported that temperatures on the
surface of roofs are much milder in the green roof, and recorded internally at a building with a
green roof thermal amplitude average of 9.2C, relative to the external of 21.4C, and a thermal lag of about 4 hours, the time it takes to change internal when changes external temperature.
Thermal comfort with lower amplitude of variation of the internal temperature translates
into savings. Mello et al. (2010) estimate a 40% reduction in energy consumption of air conditioning in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, UNICAMP, with the implementation of
green roofs. Another important factor is the studies which show that green roofs improve
sound-proofing, a substrate of 12 cm depth can reduce sound by 40 decibels (Oliveira and Ribas 1995).
Two green roofs were installed on the Green Office by students under the supervision of a
professional, as shown in Fig. 3. One is in the coffee area that can be accessed by the mezzanine and another one is in the front of the building, the coordination area. This system used
the modular system composed of residues of EVA (the polymer used in shoe soles) that
comes with substrate for vegetation where grass was laid upon them (Ecotelhado, 2011).
These modules are placed on the roof protected by a plastic blanket and a drain system. This
will be the first building of UTFPR to employ green roof and therefore it will be studied and
evaluated by Masters degree research.
Fig. 3: Students helping in the installation of EVs green roof UTFPR

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

Solar power generation

The term photovoltaic cell is used by any device that converts light into electricity, such as
those used in cameras. For the case of electricity production to consumption, the most com-

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

mon term is photovoltaic cell; the set of photovoltaic cells could be called module or photovoltaic panel board. As its energy source is sunlight, designated solar photovoltaic panels.
The solar panels can be connected by an inverter which converts the variable DC output of
the solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current that can be fed into the commercial
electrical grid or store energy in batteries that can be used when there is no sunlight, in this
case additional equipment is required in the system. A charge controller is responsible for
keeping batteries charged properly.
Fig. 4: Installation of Solar panels

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

The Green Office is the first building with solar autonomy of the State of Paran, with 2950
Watts installed (Fig. 4). 2100 Watts of panels are generating energy that is connected directly
to the grid (grid tie model), and another 850 Watts are connected to a bank of batteries (standalone model). A small wind generator of 500 Watts was also installed for testing and observation.
Since the inauguration of the Green Office, on December 15, 2011, around 1000 kWh was
generated by the grid tie system. Taking into consideration that we are in the summer season,
its believed that we are having maximum generation of the system.

Natural Lighting and LED lights

Energy efficiency offers a powerful and cost-effective tool for achieving a sustainable energy
future. In the Green Office of UTFPR a combination of natural lighting and the use of LED
lights (Fig. 5) can guarantee less consumption of electricity. According to Polidoro (2009),
LED lights can last up to 50 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and can save up
to 80%in energy.
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are semiconductor electronic devices in the class of diodes
(junction of P and N materials) that emit light when forward biased (positive on the P side and
negative on the N side) and supplied with sufficient energy. Chemical and physical processes
cause the energy to turn into heat and photons (light), and special design elements distinguish
the common diode of the LED, where the energy is converted mainly into light (electroluminescence). Because LEDs use a direct current, converters (drivers) are mounted close to LEDs
in luminaries.

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Fig. 5: Pendant Lamps with LED lights

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

Economic water heating system

The water heating of the Green Office UTFPR consists of a thermodynamic system using solar panels which does not need sunlight. Although requiring electric power source with a
compressor, this system uses external energy to heat up, expending around a quarter or less of
the energy required to heat with electric heaters, for example.
Solar panels made from aluminum are filled with an environmentally friendly refrigeration
gas and are used to take heat from the air. The solar panels are mounted on the roof or walls
of the property. The refrigeration gas passes through the solar panel and is heated by the outside air temperatures. The refrigerant, having been heated by the outside air temperature
changes from a liquid to a gas vapor.
This gas vapor flows from the solar panels to a compressor. The compressor increases the
pressure of the gas. The gas is now at a high temperature (100 to 120c). The gas is then sent to
the heat exchanger where the water in the heating system is heated. The gas is then lowered in
pressure and temperature and circulates back to the solar panel to restart the process.

The finished building

The Green Office was inaugurated December 15, 2011, and has been in full operation since
March 2012 (Fig. 6). Its evaluation regarding energy efficiency, thermal and acoustic comfort,
carbon footprint and water consumption are conducted by graduate students from different
postgraduate programs of the UTFPR.

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

Fig. 6: Outside e inside view of the Green Office

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

Future projects associated to the Green Office

I. Electric Car and Hydrogen Bike
With the electricity generated during the day by photovoltaic panels, the project also aims to
feed an electric car and a bicycle powered by hydrogen. The idea is to unify projects like this
to the proposal of the Green Office, creating environments for discussion and research within
the field of sustainable mobility.

The Pompeo Eletric Car

The electric vehicle to be evaluated is the Tricycle Pompeo showed in Fig. 7, which uses
rechargeable batteries. It's an electric car being developed in Paran, the first genuinely Brazilian electric car and promises to be accessible to all, with low cost and simple technology.
The Pompeo may have a range of up to 200 km, and will only need 1KWh to run 10 km at a
cost of R$ 0.40 (~US$ 0.22), or R$ 0.04 / km (US$ 0.022 / km). The project has been developing since 2007, through partnerships with several companies in the automotive sector, and
the tests with the prototype will be completed soon. Considering previous investments in its
production, the estimated market price for a basic vehicle would be in the range of 30,000
Reais (US$ 17,000 US dollars). (Triciclo Pompeo, 2001)

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Fig. 7: Illustration and prototype electric car POMPEO

Source: Triciclo Pompeo (2011)

Hydrogen Bike
The hydrogen bike is part of research started by a Masters student on the postgraduate program in Mechanical Engineering at the UTFPR. The hydrogen-powered bike uses this gas inside a cylinder made from innovative composite materials, including PET bottles and carbon
fibers, lighter than conventional steel. The bottled hydrogen is used in a fuel cell that generates electricity that powers a motor. The idea is to develop a new business by generating the
hydrogen at charging stations that collects rainwater and will be covered with photovoltaic
solar panels (Fig. 8), so they have some autonomy. At the recharging station, the electricity
generated will be used to electrolysis the water collected, generating hydrogen.

Conclusion
Universities are one of the main institutions that can contribute directly to the sustainable
growth of any country. Disseminating the knowledge accumulated, as well as stimulating new
knowledge production, such high level educational institutions are able to play a key role in
ensuring a nations sustainable future. However, an urgent structural transformation is necessary to enable its evolution in parallel to communal sustainability, mainly through the preservation of important resources like energy and water. Unfortunately, many academic scholars
think narrowly, produce narrow research and consequently teach too narrowly. This means
students will graduate without a broad understanding of how the natural systems are dependent on human respect and care (AASHE 2011).

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Eloy F. Casagrande Jr., Bruno V. Kobiski, Joo Gois and Libia Patricia P. Agudelo

Fig. 8: Hydrogen bike

Source: Escritrio Verde (2011)

The creation of a Green Office within a university campus is supposed to open new doors for
the multiplication of knowledge in an open system of interaction. Therefore, to implement
education for sustainability on a large scale, represents a huge challenge and poses a great responsibility for academia. Finding new formulas to create environmental awareness and
commitment in order to have an engaged society is not an easy task. It requires partnerships
and strong networking, as well as efficient actions to improve training in environmental education and management, in parallel to the development of sustainable projects that can be replicated elsewhere in any region.
The Green Office at the UTFPR project follows these guidelines and intends to go on helping to raise awareness through sustainable-based projects. Since it is quite recent, its proposals
and effectiveness are still being monitored and require validation of its results over the next
five years. Only then will it be demonstrated if the environmental and socioeconomic gains of
the applied technologies have been successful. Therefore, the construction is not only a place
for sustainable assessment initiatives inside a university, but also a living laboratory which
evolves towards the future with scientific research, innovative technology and human goodwill.

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como requisito parcial para a obteno do Ttulo de Engenheiro Florestal, Instituto de Florestas da
Universidade Federal Rural do Rio Janeiro. 22 p.
AASHE (2010), Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Available at:
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