U.S. Institutions Embark on $4 Billion Energy Efficiency Program
With the hope that it will be a major job generator in the construction sector, the White House has announced that a variety of college and university buildings will be part of a $4 billion program to improve energy efficiency over the next two years, reports a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. Institutions include Allegheny College (PA), which plans to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent in 1.3 million square feet of space by 2020, and the University of California, Irvine, which has committed to cutting energy consumption by nearly 9 percent in seven million square feet of space. Government agencies will contribute $2 billion to the initiative and institutions, cities, private companies and other entities will collectively contribute the other $2 billion.
Broome CC to Teach with Solar Panels
With the aim of providing students with hands-on alternative energy experience, Broome Community College (NY) has announced plans to install 16 solar panels on its Applied Technology building. The $20,000 project was funded through the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority.
Mid-South CC Debuts Renewable Energy Center
Mid-South Community College (AR) has opened a $9 million renewable energy facility for green jobs training. The 35,000-square-foot center also houses a biofuel production facility.
U North Dakota Pilots Project to Reduce its Use of Coal
The University of North Dakota has announced a pilot project to reduce the use of coal at its campus power plant by 10 to 20 percent using glycerin, a product originally derived from canola oil. The university has partnered with Benchmark Energy Corp., which is planning to build a local plant that can refine up to nine million gallons of glycerin a year. The university will purchase 45,000 gallons of glycerin a month during the pilot phase.
Utah State U Debuts 33.5 kW Solar Array
Funded in part through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Utah State University has installed a 33.5-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array. The system includes 108 modules integrated into the architecture of the building and will be monitored through an online interface.
U Texas San Antonio Installs 170 kW Solar Research Grid
The University of Texas at San Antonio has installed a 170-kilowatt solar grid, split between two roofs on campus. In addition to generating power for 10 electric vehicle charging stations, data collected from wireless monitoring of the grid will be used to provide insight on how cities might use solar power to meet a larger portion of electricity demand. The university expects to save $86,000 a year in electricity costs.
Mission College Dedicates 1.1 MW Solar Power System
Mission College (CA) has installed a 2,640 solar panel array totaling 1.1 megawatts. The 1.5-acre parking lot canopy structure will generate approximately one-third of the college’s electricity demand and reduce electricity costs by $8.5 million over 25 years.
Point Loma Nazarene U Installs Solar with Student Green Fees
Financed by its Student Green Fund, Point Loma Nazarene University (CA) has installed two new solar systems. The two projects - a 620-kilowatt photovoltaic system and a 54-kilowatt solar thermal hot water system - are expected to save the university up to $1.6 million over the next two decades.
RIT Partners for LED Upgrades, Fellowship Program
To reduce its electricity and maintenance costs, Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has partnered with Trans-Lux Corporation to install energy-efficient LED lights in place of fluorescent tube lighting on campus. The partnership will also support a fellowship program for students interested in developing new applications for LED technology.
Building Upgrades at Merced College to Save $180K Annually
Merced College (CA) has partnered with Honeywell for energy-efficient campus building upgrades that will be used as a real-world case study for teaching students conservation strategies. The 15-year, $3.1 million performance contract includes the installation of energy-efficient lighting and upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in 16 campus buildings that aim to reduce annual operating costs by $180,000. Sustainability interns will track the resource usage in each building and develop a newsletter to update the campus community on the program's progress.
Carleton College Installs Second Wind Turbine
Carleton College (MN) has installed its second wind turbine. The turbine will provide power directly to the college’s electrical grid and is expected to provide one-third of the annual energy needs of the campus. The installation was made possible by a gift from two alumni.
Edinboro U Unveils Solar Array, Energy Kiosks
Edinboro University (PA) has unveiled a $1.16 million array of solar panels that will partially power the McComb Fieldhouse, where most of the university's sporting events take place. The array is expected to produce 251,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. Students and staff will be able to monitor the energy produced through two kiosks installed in the Fieldhouse and Cooper Science building. The project was partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Goshen College Begins Fitness Center Solar Panel Installation
Goshen College (IN) has begun a solar panel installation to heat the water for its recreation and fitness center. Members of the Sun Shower Collective, consisting of students, faculty and staff, began planning the project in the fall of 2008 and expect to complete the installation by the end of this year. Individual donors and a grant from the Ecological Stewardship Committee funded the project.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Powered Solely by Wind
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY) has announced a partnership with a renewable energy marketer and developer to supply all of its electricity needs with wind energy. The college will purchase Renewable Energy Certificates equal to 100 percent of the campus' electricity use, which will be matched annually with wind energy entering the electricity grid in the U.S. The effort is expected to offset the equivalent of about 8,275 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
U District Columbia to Undergo Energy Efficiency Upgrades
The University of the District of Columbia has been awarded a $65,000 incentive grant from a local utility company for campus energy efficiency upgrades. The university will install new energy-efficient light fixtures and a lighting management program for an estimated energy savings of up to 15 percent.
Duke U Installs Solar Thermal Panels
Duke University (NC) has installed 45 solar thermal panels to heat up to 40 percent of the water at its Bryan Center. Through a partnership with Holocene, the university's only financial commitment to the project is to purchase the solar thermally heated water from the renewable energy company, which will own and operate the installation for seven years. After that, the university will own the solar panels and not have to pay an outside source for hot water.
North Carolina State U Introduces Online Energy Conservation Tool
North Carolina State University's Sustainability Office has introduced a new web-based tool that allows students to see the energy being consumed in various settings around campus including residence halls, classrooms, kitchens and laboratories. Students can manipulate 360-degree virtual rooms to determine the energy consumption of various appliances and other devices. The project was developed by Springleaf Strategies, a marketing and sustainability consulting firm, as part of a campaign to reduce campus energy consumption by 5 percent.
Portland CC Debuts Twin Fuel Cell Project
Portland Community College (OR) recently unveiled twin fuel cells at its Sylvania Campus that, by converting natural gas into electricity and heat, are providing power and heat to the campus' Health Technology Building. The U.S. Department of Energy covered the bulk of the $162,037 project, which is estimated to save the college 3 percent of its total annual utility bill.
U Central Florida Wins EPA's 'Battle of the Buildings'
The University of Central Florida has been named the winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. The university decreased the energy use in a parking garage on its main campus by 63.2 percent. In its second year, the competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a battle to save energy, reduce costs and protect people's health and the environment. Together, competitors cut their energy costs by $5.2 million.
Philadelphia U Launches Energy Education, Awareness Campaign
Philadelphia University (PA) has partnered with Honeywell to launch Act! Earth, a campus-wide energy education and awareness campaign aimed at promoting sustainable practices among students, faculty and the local community. Honeywell hired a coordinator to manage the campaign and develop educational events and student activities, and promote the university's initiatives through social media. As part of the campaign, an energy dashboard kiosk will be installed in the new Center for Sustainability.
Rider U Debuts Solar Energy System
Rider University (NJ) has installed a new .74-megawatt solar farm. The system is comprised of 2,640 ground-mounted panels that are connected directly to the electric grid. The project is part of the Public Service Electric and Gas Company's Solar 4 All program, a solar effort to help New Jersey reach its solar energy goals while fostering economic development.
Smith College Launches Energy Dashboard System
By spring 2012, two-thirds of student residences will be on Smith College's (MA) recently launched energy monitoring building dashboard system. The Lucid Design Group interactive display of real-time energy consumption reveals energy data across multiple time scales and unit equivalents. The college hopes that the competitive aspect of the dashboard display will urge students to reduce energy consumption, and that faculty will tap the data for class projects.
U Minnesota Plans 38 kW Solar Panel System
The University of Minnesota will use $230,000 of a $1.35 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security to install solar panels on its Office Plaza Building. The photovoltaic panels will produce an estimated 38.4 kilowatts of electric power, saving 3 to 5 percent of the building's energy consumption. An online interface will also be installed to show a live feed of the energy generated and saved by the solar panels.
Davidson College to Install 2 Solar Arrays
Davidson College (NC) has announced plans to install two arrays of solar panels atop its sports complex. The installation is expected to save the college $25,000 a year in energy expenses. The $600,000 cost is being funded by the college, the Duke Endowment and a state grant that is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Eastern Illinois U Opens Renewable Energy Center
More than two years after its Board of Trustees approved the construction, Eastern Illinois University has opened its $55 million renewable energy center. The facility, which houses a biomass gasifier, can store enough wood chips to supply the campus steam needs for 10 days and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent. The energy savings will finance the center.
Medical U South Carolina Achieves $28K in Energy Savings
The Medical University of South Carolina achieved $28,000 in energy savings by participating in a local Green Business Challenge. For the challenge, which aimed to promote environmental sustainability while enhancing profitability, occupants of the university building worked together to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and pull down blinds to reduce heating effects.
MIT Recognized as Business Leader for Efficiency Forward Program
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been recognized as a Business Leader by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership for its MIT Efficiency Forward program. MIT plans to invest more than $13 million and use incentives from local utility provider NSTAR over the next three years to reduce campus electricity use by 15 percent by 2013. In its first year, the program exceeded goals by 30 percent with a savings of more than 13 million kilowatt hours.
U Southern Mississippi Cuts Energy Costs by $2 Mil
With the installation of energy meters, energy-efficient boilers and energy management systems that adjust energy settings when buildings are unoccupied, the University of Southern Mississippi has achieved energy savings of nearly $2 million in the past year. The savings are a result of a three-year energy efficiency initiative that included a campus-wide energy assessment, the implementation of new technology and energy use adjustments, and an outcome analysis.
U Wisconsin Stevens Point Installs Solar Panels
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has installed solar panels on a campus residence hall to help heat water for the building. The university is also looking to upgrade existing solar panels once funding is available.
Pennsylvania Creates Campus Energy Efficiency Fund
Pennsylvania State Treasurer Rob McCord has unveiled a Campus Energy Efficiency Fund investment opportunity aimed at generating $45 million in campus improvements at as many as 12 schools through projects creating more than 700 jobs. Over the 20-year useful life of these projects, institutions are expected to save $150 million in utility costs and reduce their carbon dioxide footprint by 1.4 million tons. Drexel University has signed on as the inaugural participant.
San Diego State U Installs Locally Produced Solar Modules
San Diego State University (CA) has installed 1,680 locally produced solar modules atop a campus parking building. The system is designed to resist wind uplift and mitigate seismic concerns. The Associated Students of San Diego State University funded the system through a student-approved green fee referendum.
U Montana Students Initiate Solar Panel Installation
Students in an environmental studies service learning course at the University of Montana led the recent installation of 10 solar panels on the roof of a campus building. A grant from the Kless Energy Fund and matching funds from the university were used to help launch the project.
Monmouth U to Increase Solar Energy System Capacity
Monmouth University (NJ) has announced that it will increase its on-campus solar-generated electricity to 650 kilowatts under a new Power Purchase Agreement. Pro-Tech Energy Solutions and partner Torcon, Inc. will equip seven of the university’s buildings with solar panels.
Montgomery County CC Uses Energy Savings for a Greener Campus
Montgomery County Community College (PA) has announced plans to use funds from energy savings for energy-efficient campus upgrades. The college will weatherize buildings and install wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels and low-flow plumbing. The college expects a total energy savings of more than $6 million and will use the money to offset construction costs.
U Dayton Students Receive Energy Consumption Report Cards
The University of Dayton (OH) has begun issuing monthly energy report cards to students living in university-owned houses. Eighty-five percent of the 469 residences earned an average or better score during the 2010-2011 school year, during which the university estimated a savings of $20,000 on gas and electric. A group of engineering students compiled a grading model of "A" through "F" based on the last six years of energy data for each of the houses.
U.S. Higher Education Solar Capacity Leaps 450% in 3 Years
AASHE has released a new database of hundreds of campus solar photovoltaic installations that reveals higher education's rapid adoption of solar. Among the notable findings is a 450 percent growth of installed solar capacity in the higher education sector over the last three years. The database enables higher education solar advocates to browse success stories at campuses of a similar type, size and location. To learn more, view additional charts and graphs, and contribute to this new resource, visit the database.
U Texas San Antonio Expands Solar Energy Program
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has announced plans to install 600 solar panels on its School of Medicine and a campus carport. The university expects the installations to collectively generate 131 kilowatts of power and provide 100 percent of the Academic and Administration Building’s energy needs at certain times of the day.
Arizona State U Leads National Engineering Research Center
Arizona State University will lead a new national Engineering Research Center that will seek ways to harness solar power in economically viable and sustainable ways. The National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy will jointly provide funding of $18.5 million for the first five years of the center's operations.
Queen’s U Builds Solar Education Center
The Solar Design Team at Queen’s University (ON) has designed a 640-square-foot house to act as a laboratory to test the applications of renewable energy sources in homes. The structure’s energy generation and consumption will constantly transform as the team tests different simulations to create a practical net-zero house.
Quinnipiac U Debuts Campus Energy Dashboard
Quinnipiac University (CT) has launched a Building Dashboard website, allowing students to track their energy consumption around the clock. The system displays real-time data on energy used for electricity, heating and cooling for more than 20 buildings on the university's three campuses.
San Diego State U to Establish Renewable Energy Training Center
San Diego State University's (CA) Imperial Valley campus has been awarded a $1.67 million job creation grant to establish the Renewable Energy Generation Training and Demonstration Center. Acting as a field station for university researchers and students, the center will feature demonstration sites for renewable energy projects and a generalized power plant simulator to provide skills training for geothermal and solar power plant installations. The federal funds are intended to boost the green energy technology industry in the region by bringing in private companies to partner with the university for training.
U Kansas Installs Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
In anticipation of the statewide energy conservation Take Charge Challenge, the University of Kansas' Center for Sustainability has partnered with Energy Solutions Professionals to replace approximately 3,000 incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs around campus.
Winners Announced for Solar Decathlon 2011
The University of Maryland took the top honor during the U.S. Department of Energy's biennial Solar Decathlon 2011. Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, the university's WaterShed entry was a model of how the built environment can help preserve watersheds by managing stormwater on-site, filtering pollutants from greywater and minimizing water use. Purdue University's (IN) ultra-efficient INhome earned second place in the international green technology competition and Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) received third place. AASHE's latest blog post looks at Appalachian State University's (NC) entry, which received the most votes for the People's Choice Award.
Chabot-Las Positas CC District Installs Energy Storage Systems
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CA), in partnership with CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation, has installed IceBank thermal energy storage systems to help reduce energy costs. The energy storage system creates ice at night, when energy is less expensive, and uses it the next day for cooling. The storage systems are expected to save the district more than $200,000 a year in energy costs.
Washington U St. Louis Kicks Off Green Labs Initiative
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has launched a new green labs Initiative in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The program seeks to educate faculty, staff and students and provide a plan of action to reduce energy consumption in laboratories. A green lab initiative energy representative selected from each lab will audit their lab’s energy consumption, create target energy reduction goals and connect with other lab representatives for campus educational opportunities.
Copper Mountain College Installs Wind Turbine
Copper Mountain College (CA) has completed the installation of a wind turbine on campus. While a nearby day care center will receive the energy produced, the small-scale turbine will serve mainly as an education tool. The turbine is one of many recent energy-saving campus initiatives including the installation of solar trash compactors, lighting retrofitting and new air conditioning and heating units regulated by an energy-management system.
Ohio Wesleyan U Implements Energy Saving Initiative
Ohio Wesleyan University has launched an initiative to reduce energy use on campus. The university will replace inefficient light bulbs and implement a double-sided default printing mode and sleep-mode activation for public computers. The university is also working with staff on a new building temperature setback and energy conservation plan.
U Oregon Pledges No Net Gain on Energy Consumption
The University of Oregon has pledged to hold the amount of energy used to power campus buildings and grounds at its current level, even as new buildings are added. Under the plan, called the Oregon Model for Sustainable Development, new buildings will have to be at least 35 percent more energy efficient and will have to pay 10 percent of the cost of offsetting their added energy use into a new Central Energy Fund. The fund will help pay for the retrofits of older buildings. The new policy also has a stormwater and public education component.
