The award honors an individual who demonstrates progressive initiatives and a commitment to green building, including the integration of a sustainability culture into their community’s growth, their organization’s operation and the lifestyles of those they serve.
Norvell is the second recipient of the award, which was given last year to Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty.
The U.S. Green Building Council developed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for buildings. LEED standards have become the nationally accepted benchmarks for achieving sustainable buildings. Norvell is one of three LEED Accredited Professionals at UCF who are ensuring that the buildings meet LEED standards.
LEED certification is a point system that awards certified silver, gold and platinum rating status based on a checklist of prerequisites and credits that are environmentally sensitive.
UCF remains committed to environmental responsibility. Construction at the University of Central Florida is part of a national trend to go green. In 2007, UCF President John Hitt announced that construction of all new university buildings will meet at least the silver rating of LEED.
“In new construction, UCF does things a bit differently,” Norvell said during his acceptance speech. “We actually specify 18 of the 34 points that every project must achieve. These required points place additional emphasis on areas important to UCF and include energy efficiency, water conservation and indoor air quality.”
Thirteen UCF buildings are in the LEED certification process, with two expected to obtain certification this year. New buildings, such as the College of Medicine classroom building and the Burnett Biomedical Sciences building at Lake Nona, will have less of an impact on the environment, will be healthier for those who work and study there and will be less costly to run than their conventional counterparts.
Norvell’s department manages more than 6 million square feet of building space at the third-largest university in the nation. Under Norvell’s leadership, UCF’s Sustainability and Energy Management program has worked aggressively to cut energy costs, resulting in $2 million in annual savings. Overall, UCF has reduced campus energy consumption per square foot by 22 percent since 2005, despite adding new facilities. These initiatives make the university a green leader in Florida.
Norvell received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCF in 1993. He is a registered professional engineer with the State of Florida. He has more than 20 years of experience in building automation and industrial controls design and implementation.