Mercer County CC to Debut 50-Acre Solar Farm
With funding and planning help from the Mercer County Improvement Authority, Mercer County Community College (NJ) has announced plans to build a 50-acre solar farm that will provide the campus with 70 percent of its electrical power. The college also plans to use the solar farm as a hands-on educational tool for students to learn more about renewable energy.
Texas A&M U Launches First Solar Energy System
Texas A&M University has begun working on a $200,000 project to install solar panels that will provide 30 kilowatts of power to its campus. For its first solar energy system, the university chose the roof of the Netum Steed Laboratory for maximum visibility. Crowds in attendance at the football stadium will be able to look down from the bleachers and see the panels. The project will test different types of panels to optimize which technology performs best at the site’s location.
U Houston Plans First Solar Array and Solar Energy Internship
The University of Houston (TX) has received $140,000 from Green Mountain Energy Company for the installation of its first solar array and the two will partner for the university's first solar energy internship program. The 88-panel solar array will be mounted on the roof of the university's Central Utility Plant, saving an estimated $300,000 in annual electricity costs. The university will use this savings to fund the solar energy internship program. One student intern will be paid $1,000 per academic semester starting in fall 2011. The student will keep track of the solar array's performance, update the solar array webpage and execute one on-campus educational event per semester.
U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Embarks on Extensive Energy Upgrades
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has partnered with Honeywell International for three 20-year performance contracts to improve the energy efficiency of its campus buildings. The three 20-year performance contracts will allow the university to pay for the upgrades using the savings they generate. The university has completed the initial energy audit phase, which included individual building energy analysis and initial “low-hanging fruit” fixes such as retrofitting light fixtures, improving weatherization and installing updated, energy-efficient plumbing fixtures that conserve water. The Energy Matters program is expected to reduce energy and operating expenses by $30.8 million over the next two decades and decrease annual carbon dioxide emissions by an anticipated 31 million pounds.
Virginia Tech Approves Solar Array
Virginia Tech has approved a plan to install 480 solar panels atop a new parking garage on campus. The photovoltaic array will generate about 136,415 kilowatts per hour annually, accounting for 13 percent of the garage’s energy. The funding for the $1.3 million project is coming from federal stimulus money and also from Virginia state grants.
Southern Illinois U Edwardsville Installs Wind Turbine
Southern Illinois University has installed a wind turbine at the Environmental Resources Training Center on its Edwardsville campus. The turbine will be used in coordination with recently installed solar panels to produce 40 percent of the center's power. The $100,000 turbine is being funded with two state-based grants.
SUNY System Works Toward Clean Energy Economy
State University of New York (SUNY) is moving into the final phase of its Energy-Smart New York strategic plan, which aims to position the 64-campus system as a key developer of green technologies and train a New York-based workforce for the clean energy economy. The plan includes numerous green energy improvements on its campuses throughout the state. Albany’s NanoCollege has received a $57.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a photovoltaic manufacturing consortium. SUNY Ulster is scheduled to install two pole-mounted photovoltaic systems in the spring with help from students. Hudson Valley Community College recently opened the Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative and Renewable Technologies.
U California Davis Pilots National Lab 'Freezer Challenge'
The University of California, Davis is one of several institutions piloting the "Freezer Challenge," a friendly national competition among higher education laboratories to save energy and promote best practices for cold storage and sample management. The competition, which also includes pilot institutions University of Pennsylvania; the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of Colorado at Boulder; and Harvard University (MA), will allow competing campuses to gain points by undertaking various best practices including cleaning out freezers, retiring old freezers/refrigerators and saving energy. The challenge runs from April 1 to May 14, 2011.
Emory U Implements Campus-Wide Set Temperature Policy
Emory University (GA) has announced a new plan to manage temperature settings in its office spaces and public and common areas in most campus buildings starting in July. The joint effort, led by Campus Services and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, will implement a set temperature policy that calls for 76 degrees during the cooling season and 68 degrees during the heating season.
Humboldt State U Developing Portable Biomass Energy System
Researchers at Humboldt State University's (CA) Schatz Energy Research Center have partnered with Renewable Fuel Technologies to develop a self-sustaining, portable system that transforms biomass into renewable energy. Student research assistants will help torrefy woods of different types and moisture contents, a process where biomass is heated without oxygen to temperatures between 250 and 300 degrees Celsius. Their results will help inform design aspects for a final commercial product. Forest biomass, already used to generate 40 percent of Humboldt County’s electricity, will play an important role in a partnership between the Schatz Energy Research Center, the California Energy Commission and Redwood Coast Energy Authority to create a strategy to meet 75 percent of Humboldt County’s energy needs with renewable energy.
Michigan State U Raises Campus Energy Conservation Awareness
Michigan State University has kicked off its annual Dim Down program. With events that raise awareness about energy conservation, the program encourages faculty, students and staff to join in a voluntary effort to reduce energy consumption by unplugging and switching off appliances during their lunch hours.
Obama Addresses Clean Energy at Georgetown U
President Barack Obama recently spoke to students at Georgetown University (DC) about the necessity of creating a secure energy future for the nation. The president stressed the importance of cutting U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025 and called for producing more electric cars, converting trucks to run on natural gas, building new refineries to brew billions of gallons of biofuels, and increasing fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles. Congress has been debating these measures for years, says The New York Times article.
Ohio U Moves Away from Coal
Ohio University told students and environmental groups in a recent letter that it will not consider coal as an energy source for a new heating plant. Though the university has made no legally binding commitment, this announcement puts the school on a path to moving beyond coal by 2016, when its current coal-powered heating plant will have to be replaced as the useful life of its boilers draws to a close. The university is embarking on a broad campus energy planning process that will map out clean, affordable and reliable energy sources for the campus moving forward.
Rutgers U Approves 32-Acre Solar Canopy Energy Project
Rutgers University's (NJ) Board of Governors has approved plans for more than 40,000 solar panel canopy structures over two surface parking areas on its Livingston campus. The 32-acre system will generate eight megawatts of power, or about $1.2 million in electricity annually. The $40.8 million project is made possible by federal tax incentives and New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Credits.
Student Activists Protest Facebook's Coal Power Plans
Students in North Carolina and Texas joined a Greenpeace campaign to protest a new Facebook data center that is scheduled to open in 2012. The $450 million facility will power its 300,000 square feet with coal from a nearby power plant.
U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Hosts Dorm Energy Competition
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is challenging students living on campus to look at their energy habits during its "Reduce Your Use!" energy savings competition. From April 17 through April 23, energy use in campus residence halls will be tracked through the university's building energy dashboard website.
Campuses Show Support for Earth Hour 2011
University of Houston's Hilton College (TX) is one of the many colleges and universities that participated in Earth Hour this year by switching off its lights for one hour and using LED flashlights instead. Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a record 134 countries switched off lights to symbolize a more sustainable future for our planet at 8:30 p.m. on March 26. WWF encourages campuses to go beyond the hour with operational practices including turning off lights after hours in offices or installing motion-sensor lighting; installing energy saving light bulbs and devices; turning off printers, computers, monitors, microwaves, coffee machines and other appliances at the end of the day; installing rainwater harvesting tanks for watering gardens and lawns; providing and encouraging staff and students to use recycling facilities; and electing Earth Hour Monitors to ensure lights are out and appliances are off standby at the end of each day.
Duke U Hires U.S. Energy Official to Lead New Energy Initiative
William Pizer, a U.S. Treasury Department official whose departure from the Obama Administration was recently announced, will join the faculty of Duke University's (NC) Sanford School of Public Policy to help design and lead an initiative in energy and the environment. He will begin teaching in the fall. Pizer, who led a new office responsible for the Treasury Department’s role in the U.S. domestic and international environment and energy agenda, was also appointed a faculty fellow in the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, a nonpartisan institute at Duke that focuses on finding solutions to national environmental challenges.
Messiah College Set to Install 112 Solar Panels
Messiah College (PA) has announced the installation of 112 solar panels on the rooftop of residence halls on its Grantham campus. The resulting energy produced by the panels will generate enough solar thermal heat for the hot water systems of all three buildings involved in the project. This system will save the equivalent carbon emissions of removing 130 cars from the road.
New York Times Features Rutgers U Solar Farm Clean Energy Credits
Rutgers University's (NJ) seven-acre solar farm was recently profiled in The New York Times for its use of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. The article highlights the benefits of the clean energy credit, stating that to date, the university has offset $235,760 from its electrical usage and earned certificates that it can sell for nearly $1.5 million in a market popular with companies that want to avoid pollution penalties. The $10 million, 1.4-megawatt solar installation meets about 11 percent of the campus' electrical demand and reduces its carbon dioxide emissions by 1,300 tons a year.
U Maryland Eastern Shore Completes 2.2 MW Solar Farm
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has completed the installation of its 2.2-megawatt solar farm. With more than 7,800 solar panels covering 17 acres, the farm is expected to remove about 121 million pounds of campus carbon dioxide emissions over the next 20 years. The university partnered with solar energy services provider SunEdison, who financed, built and will operate and maintain the system. During the next 20 years, the university will purchase the electricity produced by the farm from SunEdison.
U Nevada Reno to Receive $500K for Renewable Energy Program
The University of Nevada, Reno's College of Engineering has received a $250,000 donation from NV Energy to help boost its renewable energy program. This gift is the first of a two-part donation that will total $500,000. The department will use part of the donation to create a new faculty position for researching renewable energy.
U New England Installs Solar Panels
The University of New England (ME) has completed its first renewable energy project with the installation of solar panels atop its Campus Center. The energy produced by the panels will be used to heat approximately 50 percent of the center’s hot water. To engage students and staff in the project, the university will also install a real-time digital monitor to track the building's energy production and savings.
Cornell U Plans $46 Mil Investment in Energy Conservation
Cornell University (NY) has announced the recent approval of a plan to invest up to $46 million in campus energy conservation projects. Most projects involve lighting retrofits and upgrades for controls of heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Funding for the plan includes university funds and short-term debt, $9 million from the State University of New York Construction Fund, and conservation incentives from the New York State Research and Development Authority. By 2015, that investment will save the university about $5 million per year in variable fuel and electricity costs and reduce campus energy use by up to 20 percent. The investment will also be a significant step toward the university's Climate Action Plan commitment to a zero carbon footprint by 2050.
Long Beach City College Opens Power-Producing Parking Garage
Long Beach City College (CA) is opening a solar-powered parking garage capable of producing 450,000 watts of electricity per hour of sunlight. The structure will feature 2,100 solar panels, which the college plans to use as training tools for students seeking electrical training certification. The college also plans to display the panels' functionality by wiring the array to a real-time power monitor for students, staff and the public to view.
U Chicago Switches to Virtual Servers
The Facilities Services IT management team at the University of Chicago (IL) is working to switch its server platform from physical servers to virtual servers, also known as virtual machines (VMs). A typical VM at the university uses 13 watts of power on average, while a physical server uses 281 watts.
U Maryland Undertakes Campus-Wide Lighting Retrofit
The University of Maryland has worked with the lighting technology company Hubbell Lighting to retrofit 12,000 light fixtures on campus with 6,600 of the latest energy-efficient lighting fixtures. The new fixtures are estimated to save the university $153,054 in annual energy costs.
U Northern British Columbia Completes Biomass Gasification Plant
Almost a year after its announcement of the project, the University of Northern British Columbia has opened a biomass gasification system that will replace 85 percent of the university’s use of natural gas as its primary heating source. The plant will burn sawdust, bark and branches and is expected to reduce the university’s carbon emissions by up to 4,000 tons a year. The federal and provincial government of British Columbia invested $20.7 million into the project, which is expected to save the university $500,000 per year.
Appalachian State U Plans Stadium Solar Project
Appalachian State University's (NC) Renewable Energy Initiative, a student-funded organization that generates about $150,000 from a $5 student fee every year, has proposed to place an "A-shaped" solar panel in the university's stadium for next football season. After a preliminary assessment to see roughly the amount of sun the solar panel would take in to be used as renewable energy, the organization determined that that panels would generate about 5,500 kilowatts of energy per year. The organization hopes to build the "A" for about $40,000.
EPA Proposes First National Standard for Coal Plant Emissions
Following recent canceled plans for coal plants by institutions who cited potentially strict environmental regulations surrounding coal emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first national standard for emissions of mercury and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants on Wednesday. Lisa P. Jackson, the agency's administrator, estimated the total cost of compliance at about $10 billion and said that roughly half of the nation's more than 400 coal-burning plants have some form of control technology installed. Installing and maintaining smokestack scrubbers and other control technology would create 31,000 short-term construction jobs and 9,000 permanent public utility sector jobs. The EPA will take public comment on the proposed regulations for the next several months and anticipates publishing a final rule at the end of this year or early next year. The rule would take effect fully three or four years later. In related news, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee recently voted a bill through to block EPA climate rules. The bill would permanently eliminate EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and refineries, amending the Clean Air Act to forbid consideration of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. The bill is expected to come up on the House floor in the coming weeks.
Mismanagement of LA CC District Energy Plan Uncovered by LA Times
An investigation by the Los Angeles Times has found that an expensive and ambitious plan to make the Los Angeles Community College District a leader in green technology and renewable energy was largely mismanaged. The district's Executive Director for Facilities, Planning and Development Larry Eisenberg, who oversaw the project, was fired on March 9. With planned updates that included extensive solar panels, geothermal heating, hydrogen fuel-cells and wind-turbines, the Times investigation reveals that these unrealized plans cost taxpayers $10 million with little to show except for a demonstration wind turbine. Blunders include three solar power arrays that were scrapped when it became clear that the chosen locations sat atop seismic faults, and insufficient space on the district's nine campuses to house all the generating equipment that would be necessary to power the district through renewable energy sources. Of the 60 megawatts of solar projects that Eisenberg said would be necessary to meet all the campuses' power needs, the Times says that college presidents have agreed to build 16 megawatts.
Syracuse U Promotes Energy-Saving Device
Syracuse University’s (NY) Sustainability Division is promoting a new tool to help students and staff save on their energy consumption. The Kill A Watt is a small device that shows power usage and cost for specific household items, such as a toaster. The digital screen allows an individual to determine how much energy an appliance is using and how much that energy costs. The device is available at the university’s library for students, staff and faculty to rent.
Top 10 University Clean Technology Initiatives
Many top venture capital firms keep their eyes on universities to see what renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are being produced, says a recent blog by the president and founder of Sustainable World Capitol. The blog profiles what it considers to be the top 10 initiatives coming out of universities today. Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Clean Energy Prize, along with initiatives from Imperial College London (UK); University of Tokyo (Japan); University of California, Berkeley; Institute of Singapore; University of Minnesota; Tel Aviv University (Israel); Cornell University (NY); Australian National University; and University of Melbourne (Australia) are featured.
U Calif System Seeks Energy-Efficient Solutions to Budget Cuts
Facing Gov. Jerry Brown's recent call to cut $500 million from the University of California system for the 2011-2012 school year, University of California leaders are looking for system-wide efficiencies in the areas of energy usage, among other solutions. The University of California, Riverside, for example, is looking to reduce its power usage by turning down air conditioners.
Academic Impressions Examines Campus Solar Trend
As institutions like the University of Maryland, College Park and Princeton University (NJ) announce plans for large solar installations, Academic Impressions looks at how the solar market is changing and what questions institutions need to address as they consider investments in solar energy. The article, which includes resources for reviewing state incentives for renewable energy and a checklist of critical questions to consider, notes that a swift decline in the cost of solar installations and a rise in state incentives available for financing solar installations have contributed to making solar power more affordable for colleges and universities in recent years.
McMaster U Strikes Deal with IBM to Improve Energy Efficiency
McMaster University (ON) has formed a partnership with IBM to create an energy-smart campus power grid. The university will use IBM software to monitor and forecast energy consumption in 60 campus buildings. The energy analytics software will track hot water usage, lighting and electrical output. The university will refer to the information gathered for ways to reduce operating costs and cut back on greenhouse gas emissions.
U Massachusetts Dartmouth Plans Wind Turbine Installation
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus is planning to install a 243-foot wind turbine on campus, a move that is estimated to reduce energy costs by $125,000 per year. Financing for the turbine is part of a $35 million state-funded capital investment plan for renewable energy efforts on campus that includes the installation of solar panels on the roof of the university's athletic center.
U Massachusetts Plant Receives EPA Energy Efficiency Award
The University of Massachusetts' $133 million central heating plant has received a 2011 ENERGY STAR CHP award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The award recognizes highly efficient CHP (combined heat and power) systems that reduce emissions and use at least 5 percent less fuel than comparable, state-of-the-art, separate heat and power generation. The plant’s energy-efficient features include a 10-megawatt solar combustion turbine, heat recovery steam generator, four-megawatt steam turbine, three natural gas boilers and the 160,000 gallons of water used in the plant each day is treated wastewater. The plant has reduced campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions by about 75 percent.
Utah State U EcoCenter Recognized for Energy Leadership Efforts
Utah State University's Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter has been recognized for its role in establishing Park City, Utah as a national "green" leader. Park City Municipal received the 2010 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October, an award given to communities that go above and beyond the standard for purchasing green power, which includes wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro powers. Five nonprofit organizations in Park City were awarded for their contributions during a Park City Sustainability Roundtable last month. The Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter was recognized for its ongoing clean energy use, energy efficiency (54 percent cost savings over conventional design), educational programs and its efforts on "This Green Earth," an environmental radio show.
Utah State U Installs Thermal Energy Cooling Tank
Utah State University has built a 30-foot-tall concrete thermal energy storage tank that will hold two million gallons of water, which will be used to cool buildings on campus. The water in the tank is cooled using electric chillers. The chillers will operate at night and the tank will store the water throughout the day. This project is estimated to save $100,000 a year in electricity costs. The annual savings will help the university pay for the $2.5 million investment in the tank.
Clackamas CC Energy Renovations Save $1.7 Mil
Since 2005, Clackamas Community College (OR) has saved $1.7 million in energy costs. The college accomplished this by upgrading natural gas boilers and facilities lighting, implementing a digital control system for energy management, and through close monitoring of its heating and cooling systems.
Colorado State U Solar Panels Observed as Model for the Military
Former U.S. Army Brigadier Gen. Steven Anderson recently visited Colorado State University for a tour of its solar-panel installations. Anderson is currently the senior vice president of battlefield services company Relyant. His tour was organized by the nonprofit organization, VetVoice, which provides a platform for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The former general said that $3 of diesel fuel can end up costing $300 to deliver to the battlefield. Anderson is interested in touring the university’s facility to see how the military could implement similar solar arrays.
Rockingham CC Installs Solar Array
Rockingham Community College (VA) students enrolled in the electronics program have installed 40 solar panels that are capable of producing 5.2 kilowatts of electricity. This latest solar addition compliments the 3.2-megawatt array installed by students in 2009. The power generated by the entire system is plugged directly into the campus power system.
Seattle Central College Plans Energy Systems Upgrade
Seattle Central College (WA) has entered into a partnership with Ameresco Quantum for campus energy-efficiency upgrades requiring no capital investment. A grant from Washington's Department of Commerce will fund $2 million of the $4.7 million project. The initiative will replace HVAC equipment, upgrade lighting and install energy management systems throughout buildings on campus. The improvements are expected to generate $200,000 in energy, water and maintenance savings each year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 650 tons annually.
St. Lawrence U Implements Building Energy Dashboard
St. Lawrence University (NY) has partnered with Lucid Design Group to develop a building energy dashboard to allow the public to view real-time electricity usage in any of its 72 buildings. The data is available to anyone with Internet access, and it is user-friendly by making electricity-saving suggestions and allowing users to view the data in a variety of charts and graphs. The intent is to raise awareness about energy use and to encourage people to make decisions based on energy conservation.
U North Carolina Wilmington Energy Renovations to Save $8.9 Mil
The University of North Carolina Wilmington has implemented a host of energy-efficient upgrades that are expected to save the university $8.9 million. The upgrades include energy-efficient boilers, solar tubes and day lighting. The estimated savings are expected to occur during the 20-year contract with Trane Comfort Solutions. According to the contract, the university can use future energy savings to finance the initial capital investment.
Ghana Plans for Renewable Energy University
Ghana's Brong Ahafo region has broken ground for the public University of Renewable Energy, the first of its kind in the region. The university will offer electric, petro-chemical and mechanical engineering programs with courses in energy and natural resources. A national task force will oversee the initiation of this new university.
Persian Gulf Universities Study Alternative Energy
Governments across the Arabian Peninsula are establishing programs and institutes dedicated to research into alternative energy and environmental sustainability, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education in a January article. The carbon-based wealth that fueled the growth of countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar has created a dependence on oil-powered desalination plants for water to a degree that salinity levels in the Persian Gulf have risen noticeably in the past few decades. More efficient desalination processes is just one environmental problem being tackled in new research centers around the Persian Gulf. Scientists and graduate students from around the world are also working on green technologies including more-affordable solar cells and new biofuels for aviation. Governments hope that new green technologies will spur commercial innovation and bring diversity to these oil-dependent economies.
Shanghai Normal U Installs Solar Powered Street Lights
Shanghai Normal University (China) has installed eight solar energy street lights on its Fengxian campus that can be complemented with wind power. With an average daily use of 10 hours, the solar street lights are expected to save 7,304 kilowatt hours per year.
U Belize Receives Government Funding for Solar Project
The University of Belize’s Central Campus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the nation’s government for a photovoltaic solar project. The funding for this project comes from the government of Belize and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The government of Belize will own and manage the PV system for the first decade and then transfer its ownership to the university at no charge.
