UN Secretary Recognizes Renewable Energy Efforts of Masdar Inst
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently recognized the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology's (Abu Dhabi) commitment to advancing and commercializing innovations in renewable energy and clean technology. "The future is showcased in Masdar," the Secretary-General said following a tour of the campus. "The technology on renewable and future energy will help economic growth, achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets, and bring healthcare, while benefiting the entire planet." The graduate school dedicated to clean energy research and education, developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began classes in fall 2009. The campus is designed as a living energy efficiency laboratory with rooftop solar electric and thermal panels; building automation software and meters to monitor and control air conditioning and other energy use; and a fleet of driverless pods powered by onboard batteries for traveling around campus.
Cornell U Power Plant Wins EPA Energy Efficiency Award
Cornell University's (NY) combined heat and power 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. Operating since December 2009, the university's system requires about 29 percent less fuel than the separate production of thermal energy and electricity and prevents an estimated 89,300 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions.
U Texas at Austin Receives $1.6 Mil for Solar Project
The University of Texas at Austin has received a $1.6 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office. The grant money was made available by federal stimulus funds and will be used to finance 80 percent of the cost of two solar systems on campus. The systems have the potential to create 434,000 kilowatt hours each year. The total cost of the project amounts to $2 million and the university will pay for the remainder of the project. Work on the project has already begun and is projected to be completed this April.
Agnes Scott College Installs Touch Screen Energy Monitors
Students in two first-year residence halls at Agnes Scott College (GA) will compete for the title of "greenest residence hall" with the help of new touch screen displays that will tell them how much electricity their building is using in real-time, and how much it has used in the past. The displays also reveal how much power the building is using compared to its rival residence hall. The college is planning to add displays in several other campus buildings over time but has chose the two first-year residence halls as the initial sites. The data for the displays is generated by the college's energy dashboard, which tracks electricity in seven buildings on campus. Natural gas and water tracking will be added to the displays and energy dashboard in the near future.
Lynchburg College Slashes Energy and Water Consumption
Lynchburg College (VA) has saved 4.5 million gallons of water in the first semester of a $4.65 million campus conservation project. The college achieved its goal of saving 30 percent of its water usage by installing low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads throughout campus. The college's electricity consumption dropped by 8 percent due to the installation of solar panels and energy-efficient light bulbs in buildings. New meters have been installed in dormitories to track water and electricity consumption. The project is expected to pay for itself by reducing the college’s utility bill by about one third.
Pomona College Wins Claremont Colleges Power Down Challenge
With an overall reduction of 10.5 percent in dorm electricity use, Pomona College (CA) won the Claremont Colleges Power Down Challenge that took place in November 2010. The residence hall that with the largest energy savings on campus, the Oldenborg Center at 23.4 percent, will decide which campus sustainability project they will fund with $6,000 provided through the college's President's Office and Office of Facilities and Campus Services. Contenders include the expansion of the campus compost program and the installation of a hydration station for filling reusable water bottles.
Sam Houston State U Undertakes Energy Conservation Program
Sam Houston State University (TX) has announced a new 20-year contract with Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. to renovate campus buildings to reduce energy and water consumption. Slated projects include the installation of water-efficient appliances, campus-wide lighting retrofits, laundry machine upgrades and energy monitor installation in the 117 facilities on campus. These projects will save the university an estimated $33 million over a 20-year period.
U Maryland College Park Announces 631KW Solar Project
After receiving a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Initiative, the University of Maryland, College Park is scheduled to install more than 2,600 solar panels on the roof of its Severn Building. Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. will finance a portion of the project in return for the university’s agreement of a 20-year purchasing contract. The result of this project amounts to one of the largest solar power systems in Maryland. It will produce 792 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, reducing the university’s carbon footprint by more than 600 tons a year.
U Mass Medical School Adds Natural Gas Turbine to Power Plant
The University of Massachusetts Medical School is expanding its power plant to accommodate a new 7.5-megawatt gas-fired combustion turbine that will boost the plant's capacity to generate steam, electricity and chilled water. Fueled by natural gas, the new turbine will replace a 35-year-old gas and oil-fired boiler. The turbine will also feature a catalytic reduction system to remove pollutants before the exhaust gasses are discharged through the existing smokestack.
U Northern Iowa Installs Solar-Wind Hybrid Station
The University of Northern Iowa's new solar-wind hybrid power station recently celebrated its first day of power. The station, which will help to power the campus grid, is funded by a grant from the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development, state and local funds, educational institutions and the private sector. In the works since March 2010, students, faculty and contractors worked together to implement the 12-kilowatt station.
Zero Net Energy Plans for U California Santa Barbara Rec Center
The University of California, Santa Barbara's Recreation Center has been chosen by Southern California Edison as a "Zero Net Energy Demonstration Showcase." The electric utility company will perform an energy efficiency analysis of the center and provide recommendations for achieving zero net energy performance within the facility. With assistance from the utility company's incentive and rebate programs, the university will purchase and install the recommended solutions. The university hopes to make all of its facilities energy independent by the 2015-2016 academic year.
California State U San Bernardino to Install Fuel Cell Plant
California State University, San Bernardino has announced a partnership with Southern California Edison Company to install a utility-owned 1.4-megawatt fuel cell power plant on campus, powered by natural gas. The excess heat generated by the plant will be used in a combined heat and power configuration to heat the university’s water system.
Elon U Kicks Off POWERless Competition
Elon University (NC) plans to launch a competition called POWERless to increase awareness on campus about energy consumption. Pitting residence halls against each other, the competition will measure which residence hall has the greatest energy reduction. The competition, now in its fifth year, will take place from February 15 to March 15. This year’s overall goal is for a 10 percent energy reduction.
Emory U Saves $30K From Holiday Energy Turndown
In a joint effort between Emory University's (GA) Office of Sustainability Initiatives and Campus Services, the university saved approximately $30,000 in energy costs by turning down thermostats in 32 major campus buildings and residence halls. Over two four-day periods, the buildings' thermostats were set to 50 degrees resulting in roughly twice the savings of last year's holiday break efforts. The increase is attributed to the participation of more buildings this year.
Mount Wachusett CC, West Chester U Announce New Energy Projects
Mount Wachusett Community College (MA) and West Chester University (PA) are in the process of significant renewable energy campus upgrades, The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported. The community college is installing two 1.65-megawatt turbines that will cover all of the college's electrical demand. The project will cost $9 million with $3.2 million coming from U.S. Department of Energy grants and the rest in clean-energy bonds through the state and the federal stimulus package. The turbines are expected to start generating power in March. The university, which already has 15 buildings on geothermal, will use $5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to add three buildings to its geothermal system. The conversion of the three buildings will reduce emissions by 4.7 million pounds per year and is expected to save $1 million per year in energy costs.
Plans for 150 Coal Plants Abandoned Since 2001
Purdue University's (IN) recent decision to cancel plans for its new coal-fired boiler brings the total number of scrapped coal plant plans to 150 since 2001, according to the Sierra Club. Recent switches away from coal by Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University cite potentially strict environmental regulations surrounding coal emissions in the future as a factor.
U Arizona to Sell Solar Power
A 1.6-megawatt tracking array at the University of Arizona will allow customers to begin buying solar energy. Utility company Tucson Electric Power owns the solar infrastructure, but the solar operation is located at the university’s Science and Technology Park. The $6.7 million facility, besides supplying itself with power, produces enough to service 266 additional households in the Tucson, Ariz. area.
U Central Missouri Honored for Energy Efficiency
The University of Central Missouri was recently honored with Trane's "Energy Efficiency in Leader Education" award for $36.1 million in campus-wide energy-saving infrastructure upgrades that resolved $20.1 million in deferred maintenance. The upgrades, which will be funded directly from energy savings and related costs, are expected to save more than $735,000 in annual energy costs. The university used a performance contract to pay for the improvements directly from energy saving and other future avoided costs. The contract allows the use of future energy and operational savings to finance infrastructure improvement projects.
Wartburg College Launches $2 Mil Energy Upgrade Project
Wartburg College (IA) has begun a $2 million sustainability project that includes numerous energy efficiency upgrades to 17 existing structures on campus and is estimated to save the college $260,000 per year. Upgrades include an efficient steam boiler, control units for heating and cooling, and low-flow water fixtures. This initiative is expected to create 31 jobs between now and September 2011. The Office of Energy Independence helped kick off the project with a $666,000 grant.
Austin CC Completes Solar Panel Installation
Funded by $1.6 million of stimulus money, Austin Community College (TX) has successfully installed enough solar panels on its Eastview campus to save the school $44,000 each year. Besides saving the college money on its utility bill, the project also created five jobs and contributed to 48 others at Jamail & Smith Construction and Texas Solar Power Company.
John Brown U Announces Planned Wind Turbine Installation
John Brown University (AR) has announced plans to construct a wind turbine expected to produce 2,000-3,000 kilowatts per year. At 60-feet tall with a 3.5-kilowatt capacity, the turbine will be used to power trail lights around the campus. The turbine is a donation from the Spanish manufacturer Sonkyo Energy.
Natural Gas Scrutiny Highlighted in NY Times, Chron of Higher Ed
As institutions like Pennsylvania State University, University of Central Florida and possibly Purdue University (IN) make the switch to natural gas, the fossil fuel is getting a fair amount of attention in the media. The Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times' Green Blog both point to a ProPublica article that says the assumption that natural gas produces 50 percent less greenhouse gases than coal is not taking into account the methane and other pollutants emitted when gas is extracted and piped to customers. When all emissions are counted, gas may be as little as 25 percent cleaner than coal or less. The benefits of natural gas are also weighed, including the fact that it's a cleaner-burning fuel and doesn't have the devastating effects that the mountain top removal method of coal extraction has.
Princeton U Plans 5.3 MW Solar Installation
Princeton University (NJ) has announced plans to install a 5.3-megawatt solar collector field on 27 acres owned by the university adjacent to its main campus. Construction could begin as early as this summer on the system, which will include 16,500 photovoltaic panels. The collector field is expected to generate eight million kilowatt-hours per year, enough to meet 5.5 percent of the total annual campus electrical needs. The renewable energy source will be funded and owned by Colorado-based Key Equipment Finance, which will lease it to the university. The university will pay for the lease through incentives and by initially selling solar renewable energy credits associated with the system.
San Bernardino CC District Begins Alternative Energy Program
The San Bernardino Community College District (CA) has initiated a five-year Alternative Energy Concept Plan that is expected to reduce energy consumption at two campuses and the district offices. They will accomplish this with additions in solar panels at the Crafton Hills campus and the consolidation of electrical control at the Valley College central plant. These sustainability-driven modifications will cost the district $10 million. With savings estimated at $1.2 million a year, the district is expecting this initiative to return its investment in 10-15 years.
U Central Florida Breaks Ground on Natural Gas Plant
A Mitsubishi engine 30-feet long and 10-feet wide will run on natural gas and provide the University of Central Florida's main campus with a third of its energy. The $9 million project is scheduled for completion in December 2011 and university officials estimate it will save $2.5 million per year. Along with electricity, "absorption chillers" will capture escaping heat and power the campus water cooling system.
U Utah Scientists Implement Ice Ball System for Air Conditioning
Scientists at the University of Utah have installed an experimental system on campus that will store winter cold underground in a giant ball of ice to use as air conditioning in the summer. A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering created a system of 19 connected vertical pipes that extend 50 feet into the ground. The pipes will circulate a refrigerant that when exposed to the winter air, will become chilled. As it goes back into the ground, it's expected to freeze moisture in the soil, creating a ball of underground ice about 35 feet in diameter. In the summer, the refrigerant will be pumped up to the building's air-conditioning system to cool the building as the ice ball melts. The university expects the $20,000 installation to pay for itself in reduced energy bills within two years if used on a building with a high demand for cooling.
Clatsop CC Installs Solar Panels
Clatsop Community College’s (OR) Towler Hall can now generate 42.5 kilowatts of its own energy with the recent installation of rooftop solar panels. Through its Power Purchase Agreement with SolarCity, the college is able to purchase power generated by the panels to service Towler Hall. If the panels produce more than Towler Hall consumes, the solar provider will pay the college for the energy it produces. The college will monitor the energy production of the solar panels on its website.
Coppin State U Develops 500 kW Solar Installation
Coppin State University (MD) has initiated a contract with Constellation Energy that will produce 500 kilowatts of on-site solar power for the university. The energy products supplier will own, operate and finance the project, which, in turn, will produce electricity that the university will purchase at a reduced rate over a 20-year period. Approximately 2,040 roof-mounted crystal photovoltaic panels will supply more than 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Production is scheduled to begin in spring 2011.
Higher Ed Research Examines Viability of Renewable Energy Future
The complete world switch to power from only the wind, sun, waves and heat from the Earth in a matter of a few decades is both possible and affordable, say two researchers from the University of California, Davis and Stanford University (CA) who are profiled in a recent National Geographic News special series. Their study tallies the build-out that would be required to supply renewable energy for all the world's factories, homes and offices, as well as cars, planes and ships. Some estimations toward 100 percent renewable energy include four million, five-megawatt wind turbines and 90,000 large-scale solar plants for which, the pair says, there is no significant economic or environmental constraints on the production of the bulk materials like concrete and steel that this would require. The main bottleneck could be the production of rare earth materials like neodymium for which the worldwide production would have to more than quintuple. However, the researchers suggest the recycling of rare earth metals. No such recycling program exists today, says the article.
New York U Power Plant Featured in NY Times Green Blog
The $125 million effort to open a natural gas power plant on the New York University campus was recently profiled in The New York Times' Green blog. The plant, now in the final stages of development, will provide electricity for the university's lights, elevators and computers, and steam for heating and cooling water. At nearly 90 percent efficiency, the new plant gets almost three times as much useful energy out of a unit of fuel as a typical utility power plant does and its carbon dioxide output is 23 percent smaller than the university's old system. While the university has been generating its own electricity since the 1970s, the switch to natural gas was spurred by air pollution regulators that told the university that it must reduce emissions of the conventional pollutants that resulted from its old power plant.
Pennsylvania State U to Transition from Coal to Natural Gas
The Board of Trustees at Pennsylvania State University has approved a plan to convert its coal plant to natural gas, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education. Because forthcoming federal regulations on coal burning would have required expensive upgrades and the expectation that coal emissions could be subject to stricter regulations in the future, the university will spend $25 to $35 million on the conversion. Cornell University (NY), Duke University (NC) and the University of North Carolina are also among the major institutions that have started switching to natural gas.
U Wisconsin Madison Exceeds Energy Conservation Goals
The University of Wisconsin, Madison has announced its achievement of a 25 percent annual energy reduction relative to 2006 levels as a result of its We Conserve campaign. Implemented in April 2006, the environmental stewardship program has exceeded its goal of a 20 percent annual energy reduction by 2010. The program tackled projects like updates in heating and cooling systems, lighting upgrades in buildings and parking ramps and the retro-commissioning of older campus buildings. The university will now shift its focus to the "Be the We" campaign that aims to foster conservation and sustainability as a state of mind.
MIT Exceeds 'Efficiency Forward' Energy Saving Goals
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently learned that its expectations for the first-year energy savings of its Efficiency Forward program were exceeded by 30 percent. Launched in May 2010 with NSTAR, the institute aimed for a campus-wide energy savings of 10 million kilowatt-hours with the energy conservation and efficiency initiative. The school achieved a 13 million kilowatt-hour reduction. Since the program's initiation, the school has created a campus-wide lighting retrofit project, implemented a project to reduce a dorm fan energy by 40 percent and improved campus building heating and cooling strategies.
Ohio State U to Install Geothermal System for Dorms
The Ohio State University has announced plans to drill 450 geothermal wells in a parking lot on campus. The well field will be part of a closed loop geothermal system that will circulate water to regulate the temperatures of five campus dorm buildings. Using a heat exchanger, the system will pull the warmth from the ground to heat the buildings on cold days, and remove the heat from the buildings on warm days, transferring it back into the ground. The $4 million geothermal system will use 34 percent less energy than the university's natural gas system, saving $200,000 a year. The university expects a return on investment in about 12 years.
Purdue U Trustees Consider $200 Mil Wind Farm
Trustees at Purdue University (IA) are considering the installation of close to 60 wind turbines near its Animal Science Research and Education Center as part of a commercial wind operation that would cost about $200 million. In addition to creating sustainable energy, the turbines would be used for research and educational opportunities among several departments on campus.
Santa Clara U Installs Test Wind Turbine
Santa Clara University (CA) recently announced the installation of a wind turbine atop its Facilities building in an experiment to see how much energy it can realistically produce. As part of campus efforts to reach climate neutrality by 2015, the university hopes the turbine will show a significant level of production that will call for more turbines in the future.
U Pennsylvania Students Save Energy with Power Down Challenge
During the University of Pennsylvania's Power Down Challenge over winter break, student efforts yielded a 7.2 percent daily reduction in electrical use and $2,300 in savings. Designed as a contest among its residence halls, winners were measured by the highest number of student pledges by percentage and by absolute numbers. With support from college house and Greek chapter Eco-Reps, more than 2,000 students pledged to turn down, turn off or unplug appliances during December's break.
Bowdoin Awarded $50K Grant for Expanded Solar Hot Water System
Bowdoin College (ME) has received a $50,000 grant from the Efficiency Maine Trust to double the size of its existing 960-square-foot solar hot water system atop its largest dining hall. Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the grant will help provide additional solar panels that will aid in preheating the domestic hot water used in the building. Following the completed installation this spring, the college estimates that 50 percent of the hot water used in the dining hall will be heated by solar panels.
Ohio U Beyond Coal Members Protest Use of Coal on Campus
Representatives from Ohio University Beyond Coal gathered recently to protest the university's use of coal energy. The gathering was held in anticipation of a meeting between university officials and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Sierra Club this month, during which the fate of the university's coal heating plant will be discussed. Proposed alternatives include natural gas and geothermal power.
Rutgers U Students Complete Renewable Energy Analysis for Milford
Students in Rutgers University's (NJ) Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy recently completed a report analyzing the potential for renewable energy in Milford, N.J. The city is in the process of creating a master plan provision to be more active in biomass, wind and solar. The students found that solar was more feasible than biomass or wind and has recommended to the city that it concentrate on solar power and install a photovoltaic solar array. The city has identified an 80-acre property for the project that could sustain enough energy to feed the entire municipality's electric needs.
U South Florida to Build Solar Power Plant
Funded by a grant from the state of Florida through the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, a team at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering has announced plans to build a solar power plant on campus. Also in development is a thermal storage system with a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The team will concentrate on making solar energy available around the clock at affordable prices.
Climate Corps Fellows Improve Fortune 1000 Energy Efficiencies
As part of the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellowship program, 51 MBA students identified ways to save $350 million and 400,000 metric tons of pollution combined. The students spent the 2010 summer working for Fortune 1000 companies like Dow Jones, Xerox and Pepsi to help improve energy efficiency in operations. Individual achievements of the fellows include a thermal ice storage system installation recommendation that would save Verizon $9.16 million over the project lifetimes and avoid more than 8,700 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually; and the identification of energy rebates that would save Sunrise Preschools, Inc. $1.14 million. Because resources and time are often barriers to energy efficiency improvements for companies, Climate Corps fellows are trained with a specific focus on energy efficiency, allowing them to make a compelling business case and overcome organizational barriers.
Colorado State U Plans New Energy Policy Center
Colorado State University has announced plans to unveil the Center for the New Energy Economy and Senior Scholar as part of its School of Global Environmental Sustainability. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will head the center, working closely with the university's rural economic development activities to advance statewide economic initiatives related to clean and renewable energy. The center will be completely funded by private support, initially by the California-based Energy Foundation and the Colorado-based Bohemian Foundation. The university is in talks with other organizations interested in funding the center for the long term, which will focus on facilitating science-based policy, research and education to support the growth of the new energy economy statewide, nationally and globally.
U Oregon Wins 'Energy Civil War' Against Oregon State U
Students, staff and faculty helped the University of Oregon win the "Energy Civil War" competition with Oregon State University by converting the most calories to kilowatts. Combined, the two universities generated 75 percent more energy using ReRev elliptical machines in their respective recreation centers than they did during a similar event last year. The competition ran from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, 2010.
Bakersfield College Unveils 1.1 MW Solar Energy System
Bakersfield College (CA) has revealed a new 1.1-megawatt solar energy system. The system features a 3.1-acre parking lot canopy structure with nearly 3,700 SunPower solar panels that track the sun throughout the day, providing shade in the lot and solar electrical power for campus. The solar array is expected to supply approximately one-third of the college’s electricity demand.
Harvard U Installs Solar Thermal and Steam Heat System
Harvard University (MA) has installed 3,200-square-feet of solar panels atop three buildings. The panels are part of a solar thermal and steam tunnel heat-recovery project that is expected to supply at least 60 percent of domestic hot water for the buildings. A network of glycol-filled pipes connects the rooftop solar panels to the hybrid heating system. The 1,000-gallon buffer tank, which replaces the need for gas-fired boilers, pre-heats City of Cambridge water to 130 degrees before it is pumped to the buildings. A monitoring system has also been installed to allow residents to assess the system’s productivity.
Students to Install Wind Turbine on Mesabi Range College Campus
Mesabi Range College (MN) has received a wind turbine that students in the wind energy technology program will refurbish and install on campus. The college received a grant from Iron Range Resources to purchase the wind turbine. The college began its wind energy technology degree program in 2009.
U California San Diego to Construct 2.8 MW Fuel Cell
The University of California, San Diego has begun the construction of a 2.8-megawatt fuel cell as part of a renewable energy project with the City of San Diego and Biofuels Energy. The fuel cell will turn waste methane gas from a wastewater treatment plant directly into electricity without combustion. The university expects the installation to provide 8 percent of the university’s total energy needs.
Stanford U Launches Green Energy Initiative
Stanford University’s (CA) law and business schools have launched a joint interdisciplinary research center that will focus on the development, policy and financing of clean energy technology. The Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance is being funded with a $7 million donation from Stanford alumni. The center is part of a $100 million energy initiative that Stanford launched in 2009. That effort also includes the Precourt Institute for Energy, which researches sustainable energy sources.
U Kentucky to Embark on $25 Million Energy Savings Project
The University of Kentucky has announced a new Energy Savings Project that will overhaul 61 campus buildings. Efficiency improvements will include lighting upgrades, water conservation, insulation, upgraded boilers, steam system improvements, domestic solar water heating and HVAC system replacements. Along with the efficiency improvements to the buildings, the project will feature an energy education and awareness program to help students and university faculty and staff embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. The overall project is funded by university-issued bonds valued at $25 million and will produce anticipated annual savings of about $2.4 million.
