Tyler Cande
"we shall never achieve harmony with land, any more than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations, the important thing is not to achieve but to strive." —aldo leopold
About Tyler
Tyler interned for credit at Facilities Management for a semester during his Junior year in energy management. His primary responsibility was to research energy benchmarking standards and apply them to submetered residence halls on campus. He learned how to use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Portfolio Manger Tool, set up an account for 110 St. Thomas More Residence Hall, quality checked data, and entered the data into the program to determine the buildings’ Energy Star rankings.
The energy benchmarking program Tyler started continued with the inclusion of Medeiros, 90, Vandy, Voute, and Gabelli. Tyler coordinated the consultant visits and arranged for attendance by our trades shops. This service, which will document the benefits of submetering, will be invaluable as we continue to evaluate the efficiency of our buildings' mechanical systems. Without Tyler's help, this work would not have been completed.
He also learned how to use BC’s internal submetering program and set up various reports to monitor an ongoing energy conservation contest. He determined what the baseline for the contest should be and how the winner should be selected. Tyler presented these reports to the Residential Life Subcommittee on Sustainability. In addition to his primary duties, Tyler also researched LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building standards and renewable energy and gained an understanding of the energy infrastructure on campus.
Tyler accomplished all of the above during a single semester. He returned his Senior year as a paid employee. His work the previous semester culminated in a free, comprehensive assessment of 110 St. Thomas More Residence Hall and the awarding of an Energy Star certification from the federal government. As a result of the benchmarking program, it was determined that more-efficient lighting should be installed in Medeiros Townhouses. The subsequent improvement in Medeiros' energy performance boosted its score and led to yet another Energy Star rating for a Boston College residence hall.
The Energy Star plaques awarded by the EPA are symbols of energy efficiency that will serve to educate students and parents. Tyler continued to lead the effort to educate his peers by running this year’s energy conservation contest, BC’s most extensive initiative to date. He collaborated with UGBC representatives and served as the liaison for Facilities to BCisGreen Week. He improved on the reporting from last year’s contest, developed slick graphics for posting twice weekly on UGBC’s flat panels, and communicated the status of the contest to Resident Directors and Res Life administrators. He also helped plan the contest during meetings with the Res Life sustainability committee. He was perceived as a valuable resource, not as an intern, by both Res Life and Facilities Management employees who were confident in his abilities and relied on his expertise.
Tyler has exhibited a talent for teaching others, including fellow interns, and as a leader in the Environmental Studies Program’s Senior Seminar, where he continues to teach and influence his peers by sharing his experience as a leader in bringing energy efficiency to BC and explaining impacts on environment. His Seminar studies will focus on a comprehensive ecological footprint analysis of BC’s operations, with the goal of proposing a plan to reduce the university’s greenhouse gas emissions. He is also a member of SustainBC, a group of faculty, staff, and students committed to greening BC.
Tyler plans to use his Sociology degree and minor in Environmental Studies to pursue a “green-collar” job.