U York Debuts Suite of Green Chemistry Laboratories
The University of York (UK) has debuted the Green Chemical Technology Facility with plans to advance its research in renewable resources. Funded in part by the Wolfson/Royal Society and the European Regional Development Fund, the laboratory will enable the university to explore biomaterials, clean synthesis and platform molecules, and study the effects of microwaves on compounds for the selective conversion of biomass to chemicals with a biorefinery microwave demonstrator.
Victoria U Considering Fair Trade Proposal
Victoria University's (New Zealand) vice chancellor is considering a proposal to become the country's first fair trade campus. The university's students voted in favor of the Victoria International Development Society's proposal, voting for fair trade advocacy at a recent student representative council.
Brookdale CC Offers New Solar Energy Course
Brookdale Community College (NJ) has announced a new solar energy system course to be offered in the fall. Students will have the opportunity to design and install solar photovoltaic systems. The course will cover the basic technology and skills required for the design and installation of a solar energy system. After successfully completing the instructional program, students will be eligible to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Providers exam.
California State U Long Beach Students Ramp Up Green Program
Interns with California State University Long Beach’s student-led Green Campus Program are working to ensure that campus classrooms are as energy efficient as possible. One project features the use of data loggers that record the activity of occupancy sensors through on/off changes of lights. The students will watch for irregular patterns in lighting usage that indicate when automatic light sensors are not working properly and inform the university's Facilities Management Department. The Green Campus Program was implemented last spring at the university, with plans to promote energy efficiency to students, make operational change recommendations and encourage the implementation of energy efficiency lessons into university curriculum. A main goal of the program, which is currently in place on 19 California campuses, is to build pathways for students to green careers through trainings, internships, volunteer opportunities and project-based learning.
Clinton CC Creates Wind Turbine Technician Certificate Program
Clinton Community College (NY) has created a new wind turbine service technician certificate program. The certificate is designed to prepare students for careers in wind energy or enhance current employment in the renewable energy industry. The 31-credit program will provide students with a background in industrial electricity and mechanical systems. All credit hours are transferable to the wind energy and turbine technology associate's degree program.
Coppin State U Receives Grant for Solar Project
Coppin State University (MD) has been awarded a $500,000 grant to fund the installation of solar arrays on eight campus buildings. The Sunburst Project is a stimulus-funded grant through the Maryland Energy Administration. The solar installations are expected to provide three to five percent of the university’s total annual consumption, and will reduce annual electrical costs by $10,000 to $15,000.
Duke U Implements Indoor Temperature Policy
Duke University (NC) has announced a policy to regulate indoor temperatures. Participating campus buildings at Duke will now be set to 76 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. The university expects to save as much as $600,000 in heating and cooling costs.
Harvard U Lab Awarded LEED Gold
Harvard University's (MA) Jacobsen Lab has achieved LEED Gold certification. The Faculty Arts and Sciences' organic chemistry lab features overhead lighting occupancy sensors and variable air volume fume hoods that decrease energy use by lowering exhaust rates when the sash is closed. Eighty-four percent of the construction waste from the renovation was diverted from landfills and 38 percent of construction materials came from recycled content.
Hendrix College Student Center Receives LEED Gold
Hendrix College’s (AR) Student Life and Technology Center has earned LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features of the 77,000-square-foot building include energy-efficient plumbing fixtures and windows, and drought-tolerant vegetation. Twenty percent of materials used during the $26 million construction contained post-consumer and post-industrial recycled content. The college diverted 75 percent of the total construction waste from landfills.
Lake Forest College Students Start Campus Garden
Lake Forest College (IL) students have created a campus garden, funded by the Andrew Mellon Grant for environmental studies. The garden features four different garden styles, including three bio-intensive beds, two tilled fields, three raised seeder beds and a no-dig garden. Crops include carrots, potatoes, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, kale, chard, tomatoes and herbs. The students are working to direct the harvest to the school cafeteria.
Lynchburg College Installs Solar Array
Lynchburg College (VA) has installed a solar array as part of the college’s $4.56 million plan to reduce its energy consumption and associated costs. The solar array produces energy that is pumped into the building, reducing the amount of electricity required from the grid. The array produces enough energy to power 125 fluorescent lamps. The college is also renovating three buildings and installing low-flow toilets. The college expects to save $583,000 in annual energy costs.
Maharishi U Management to Open Sustainable Living Center
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has announced the use of renewable energy to power the construction of its Sustainable Living Center. Non-toxic materials from local sources will be used during construction, and all energy will be provided from solar panels on the building and an outside wind turbine. Rainwater catchment will be the complete source of the building's water, with a drinking water purification process through ultraviolet technology. Wastewater will be treated onsite using a constructed wetland. Slated for a late fall opening, the center will allow students in the sustainable living major to monitor energy performance and make adjustments.
Missouri State U to Offer Geotourism Degree
Missouri State University has announced that it will offer an undergraduate geotourism degree in the fall. The degree combines cultural and environmental geography with community planning, development and tourism. The program will include courses that present a holistic approach to the study of local and global tourism impacts, with the primary focus on enhancing the quality of life of all affected by tourism development. The program was developed in consultation with National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.
Pennsylvania State U Launches Eco-Rep Program
Pennsylvania State University has announced plans to start an Eco-Rep Program in the fall. Students who are Eco-Reps will live in residential halls and promote environmentally responsible behaviors. Eco-Reps are expected to focus on the reduction of electricity use during the fall semester and recycling in the spring. The university is looking to fill 28 spots open to incoming freshman.
Purdue U Installs Wind Turbines for Research
Purdue University (IN) has announced the installation of multiple wind turbines for research. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, 10 turbines standing at 30 feet will be installed as a simulation of 800-watt turbines. Two additional turbines will be installed on top of the engineering building. The turbine placement will be mobile in order to study how they interact with one another.
Rochester Inst of Tech to Research Energy Use in Collections
The Rochester Institute of Technology's (NY) Image Permanence Institute has received two grants totaling $648,405 to fund sustainable heating, venting and air conditioning operations in campus library, archives and museum collections. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will fund a three-year project that will search for the best ways to reduce energy use without compromising the preservation quality of collection environments. The NEH will also fund a two-year education and training project that will help collections staff avoid risks to collections while supporting sustainability and energy-reduction efforts.
Southern Methodist U Uses Solar Array for Online Teaching Tool
Southern Methodist University (TX) has installed a 68-panel solar array for demonstration purposes. The university plans to share information learned from the online monitoring system with K-12 students. The online feature allows anyone to monitor the energy produced by the system in real time. Time lapse animation is used to demonstrate how the solar panels absorb the sun and transform it to energy. Graphics on the site allow the user to compare highs and lows in energy production across the days and months since the array was installed. The solar array has generated enough electricity to offset the university’s footprint by 10.7 metric tons.
Springfield Technical CC Installs Solar Array
Springfield Technical Community College (MA) has installed an 82.9-kilowatt solar array, funded by a $7,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The solar array feeds into an online databank that students can access to monitor the system's performance, including ambient temperatures and power input. The college expects the system to pay for itself within 18 years.
U New England Expands Bicycle Program
The University of New England (ME) has expanded its on-campus bicycle program. Prospective students and their families can now take a two-hour tour through campus by bike, ending with lunch and a presentation. Current students now have access to free bicycle rentals, enhancing the existing option for free bicycles or Zip cars to first-year students who do not bring cars to campus.
U Rochester Offers Solar Energy Doctoral Program
The University of Rochester (NY) has created a solar energy doctoral program that will start in the fall. With a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the university aims to turn out students with advanced degrees in various disciplines but with similar groundings in science, business and solar energy public policy. The program will enroll six students a year.
U Tennessee Starts Compost Initiative
The University of Tennessee has created a pilot composting program from on-campus, pre-consumer waste and leftovers from the campus cafeteria. Coffee is also collected from both campus locations of Starbucks. The university expects to compost all food items by the spring and currently sends it to a student-run organic farm. The university is looking to purchase a $230,000 wood grinder to assist in the expansion of the program.
U Toledo Awarded Grant for Algae Biofuels Research Facility
The University of Toledo (OH) was recently awarded almost $3 million through the Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program to build a research and development facility for algae biofuels. The facility will include open ponds, greenhouse ponds and enclosed photobioreactors to test the efficiency of a variety of growth systems. The facility will also include a pilot-scale “downstream processing” system where the algae materials can be converted to fuel. The university plans to focus on Lake Erie algae that are adapted to local environmental conditions.
U Washington Students Urge to End Nike Licensing Contract
Students at the University of Washington are urging the school’s president to end its apparel agreement with Nike. The university would join the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University (NY), both of which ended licensing agreements with the Ore.-based apparel company as a result of its failure to adequately address the problems caused by the closing of two Honduran factories. At issue is the non-payment of severance to workers at two apparel factories, both of which were under contract with Nike to produce collegiately licensed apparel. The University of Washington’s Student Action Labor Project argues that Nike breached the University’s Code of Conduct that safeguards workers’ rights who produce logo apparel for the university.
Virginia Polytechnic Launches Employee Van Pool
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has launched an employee van pool as part of a series of programs designed to reduce driving and the need for parking spaces. The van pool is geared toward full-time employees who live more than 10 miles from campus. The university provides a minivan from its fleet and allows riders to fuel up on campus. In exchange, each rider pays up to $75 a month to cover expenses. Forty-five percent of full-time university employees are using alternative transportation.
Western New England College Awarded Clean Energy Grant
Western New England College (MA) is one of five grant recipients from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to purchase demonstration and training equipment to prepare students for clean energy jobs. The college will install a demonstration wood pellet burning system that will incorporate testing equipment for measuring system efficiency, emissions and the effects of pellet material selection on system performance. The equipment will also support new courses in bioenergy.
Western State College of Colorado Building Earns LEED Gold
Western State College of Colorado's Kelley Hall was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. The $5.5 million renovation of the building, which houses the environmental studies and behavioral and social sciences departments, included the student-spearheaded installation of solar panels on the roof. Other green features include native plant landscaping, recycled paper product insulation in the roof, motion lighting, recyclable carpet tiles, cork flooring and the use of reclaimed wood in desks and furniture.
Austin CC Receives Grant for Alternative Fuel Training
Austin Community College (TX) has received a $98,860 grant for alternative fuel training. Lessons on hybrids and other green cars that are fueled by propane, natural gas and biodiesel are currently being worked into a two-year certification program. The grant will help double the school’s hybrid training fleet. With the new equipment, the college plans to offer its first fully-devoted alternative fuel class this fall.
California State U Northridge Creates Community Garden
California State University, Northridge has constructed three raised-bed vegetable boxes for a community garden. The garden, which will eventually feature five raised beds, a spiral herb garden and a raised potato bin, is a working demonstration of sustainable practices with an educational focus on healthy eating. The harvest will be used for cooking classes and donations to local food banks.
Columbia U Faculty House Earns LEED Gold
Columbia University's (NY) recently renovated Faculty House has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Environmentally-friendly features include energy-efficient utilities, appliances, fixtures and insulation; recycled low-emission furnishings, materials and finishes; restored original details; and repurposed materials. Construction waste was recycled during the renovation.
Durham Tech CC Earns Grant for Sustainability Tech Certificate
Durham Technical Community College (NC) has received a $249,000 grant from Duke Energy to launch a sustainability technologies certificate program in the fall. The program will certify electricians to install solar energy structures. Students will study residential solar energy configuration with a recently-installed, 150-square-foot solar array. The college aims to offer a renewable energy diploma and sustainability technologies associate’s degree in the future.
Eastern New Mexico U Roswell Begins Renewable Tech Program
Eastern New Mexico University, Roswell will debut a new associate of applied science degree program in renewable energy technology this fall. The curriculum will educate entry-level technicians in clean energy systems including solar, wind, water and geothermal. Students will be introduced to industry energy concepts and trends, and learn the fundamentals of energy systems.
Pennsylvania State U Debuts Energy and Sustainable Policy Degree
Pennsylvania State University has launched an online undergraduate degree in energy and sustainable policy that will start this fall. This program is designed to prepare students for policy making and communications in the renewable energy field. Curriculum will focus on client-stakeholder relations, integrative design and decision making for energy solutions, and business strategies in the energy field.
Portland CC to Offer Green Technology Degree
Portland Community College’s (OR) Civil and Mechanical Engineering Technology program has announced a green technology and sustainability option. Starting this fall, the associate's degree program will provide students with the skills to practice sustainable engineering. Courses will include renewable energy, environmental sociology, environmental quality and an introduction to geographic information systems.
Portland State U Featured in NY Times as Planned EcoDistrict
The Portland State University (OR) campus will be the site of a pilot EcoDistrict, according to a recent article in The New York Times. To steer away from the reliance on large, centralized systems to generate electricity, dispose of waste, transport people and process stormwater, Portland residents will experiment with the management of such systems on a smaller, distributed scale in five pilot neighborhoods. The Oregon Sustainability Center, slated for construction at the edge of the university’s campus, will generate all of its electricity, consume only the rainfall that falls upon it, and process all of its wastewater.
Trinity College Gives Campus Buildings a Green Makeover
Trinity College (CT) is performing energy-saving upgrades on more than a dozen campus buildings. The renovations will cost the college $50 for each building under a state program financed by a small charge on utility customers' bills. The college will weatherize the buildings by sealing cracks and adding insulation.
U California Santa Barbara Buildings Earn LEED Certifications
Two University of California, Santa Barbara buildings have received LEED certification. An addition to the Engineering II building received LEED Gold certification in the new construction category and the Life Sciences Building received LEED Silver certification in the existing buildings category. The Life Sciences Building achievements include water savings of 29 percent, waste minimization strategies and passive solar design. The Engineering II building has achieved water savings of 40 percent and recycled 90 percent of construction waste, diverting 150 tons of materials from landfills.
U Florida Biomedical Sciences Building Achieves LEED Gold
The University of Florida's Biomedical Sciences building is the fifth building to achieve LEED Gold certification on its campus. More than three tons of construction materials were diverted from landfills and 79 percent of the wood used is Forest Stewardship Council certified. The building features low-flow plumbing fixtures, low-emission flooring adhesive and the use of 100 percent reclaimed water for outside irrigation.
U Illinois at Chicago Building Receives LEED Gold
A classroom building at the University of Illinois at Chicago has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The $13.7 million-renovation of Lincoln Hall includes a shared heating and cooling geothermal system and rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.
U Iowa Installs Wind Turbine
The University of Iowa has installed a 37-foot wind turbine. The turbine, funded through a $40,000 grant from the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Department, will generate 2.4 kilowatts of power and be used as a learning tool. When the power is not being used or tested by College of Engineering students, the energy will feed into the university grid.
U Maryland Receives $500,000 Thermoelastic Cooling Research Grant
The University of Maryland has received a $500,000 research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The university's research proposal, titled "Thermoelastic Cooling," aspires to show the commercial potential of space cooling systems that are less dependent on fluids believed to contribute to global warming. University scientists believe the approach can increase air conditioner efficiency by 175 percent, reducing utility bills and carbon emissions.
U Missouri Students Plan 'Sustainahouse'
The University of Missouri’s nonprofit, student-run sustainability program, Sustain Mizzou, aims to increase its on-campus visibility with a project dubbed "Sustainahouse." Four to eight students will live in a rented house near campus and work to become a model of a more sustainable living environment for students. Residents will take shorter showers and grow and cook with locally grown produce. Sustain Mizzou plans to create a service learning class and provide Sustainahouse tours to the public. The group will start looking for tenants in December for the 2011 - 2012 school year.
U Nebraska Lincoln Completes Keim Hall Green Renovation
The University of Nebraska, Lincoln has completed a $14 million green renovation of Keim Hall. The university will seek LEED certification for the building, which features carpet made from a corn-based fiber, panels made from wheat straw, water-conserving facilities, rainwater harvesting and low-VOC emitting materials. More than 80 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills, 20 percent of construction materials were recycled and 14 percent of the materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
U New Mexico Education Building Awarded LEED Platinum
The University of New Mexico's College of Education building has achieved LEED Platinum status. More than 75 percent of construction waste for the 26,000-square-foot addition was diverted from landfills and 20 percent of the construction materials were regionally manufactured. The building features individual thermal and lighting control and a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic system.
U Portland Building Achieves LEED Platinum
The University of Portland’s (OR) Donald P. Shiley Hall has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. Green features of the engineering building include water-efficient landscaping and plumbing fixtures, occupancy sensors and operable windows. Ninety-two percent of the existing building structure was used and 92 percent of the construction waste was recycled. The building also features the use of irrigation groundwater to cool the floor, saving an estimated 8.5 percent of the total cooling energy for the building.
U Rochester Announces Renewable Energy Program
The University of Rochester (NY) is looking to train the next generation of renewable energy experts and entrepreneurs with a new renewable energy program. Funded by a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, students will receive training in economics, public policy, communications and psychology. The program integrates multidisciplinary research involving several academic departments and students will be exposed to the multicultural and global aspects of renewable energy.
USA Today: Colleges Using Sustainability to Attract Students
Using sustainability to attract student enrollment is a growing trend among higher education institutions, says a recent article in USA Today. Twenty-seven percent of colleges and universities incorporated a sustainability message during admissions and student orientation processes in 2009. Today, the number has increased to 69 percent.
U Texas to Decrease Water Fountain Hours
The University of Texas has announced a plan to reduce campus water fountain operation hours to save money and conserve water. Operating hours will be reduced from 17 to 10 hours per day, saving an expected one million gallons of water per year.
West Texas A&M Awarded Renewable Energy Grant
West Texas A&M University’s Alternative Energy Institute has received a $497,350 grant from the State Energy Conservation Office for the installation of two renewable energy systems. The grant will help reduce energy consumption at the university with the $622,000 installation of a 48-kilowatt photovoltaic system and 50-kilowatt wind system for the feed mill. Monitoring of both systems will be available for the public through seminars and display areas.
Berkshire CC Kicks Off Energy Monitoring and Management Program
Berkshire Community College (MA) is part of a $55 million pilot project to monitor and better manage energy use in state buildings. Funded by federal stimulus money, the Department of Energy Resources and energy management company EnerNOC, will install energy meters, computer systems and web-based monitoring programs in 33 state-owned sites, including colleges. Berkshire will monitor electricity and natural gas use with the installation of 20 meters this fall. The monitors will reveal spot energy spikes and excessive use, providing building managers with specific data to reduce energy use. The information can also be accessed by college staff and students.
Cal Poly Pomona Introduces Recycling Dream Machine to Campus
Cal Poly Pomona (CA) has installed three recycling Dream Machines on campus. The kiosks feature a wireless Internet connection that allows users to learn more about recycling, accumulate rewards points and keep track of their recycling activities. Starting in the fall, points can be redeemed for discounts around campus, or for entertainment, dining and travel coupons at Greenopolis.com. The university hopes to recycle 20,000 bottles and cans by December.
