Institutions Boost Sustainability Movement
U.S. News: Colleges and universities lead the charge to increase renewable energy efforts such as green residency buildings, clean energy courses and upgrades to promote fuel efficiency.
Yale U Introduces New Sustainability Initiatives
In order to boost clean energy efforts, the university plans to invest funds to improve energy consumption, introduce carbon pricing to meet climate change objectives, install solar panels, adopt third-party verification of our campus greenhouse gas inventory, green innovation fellowships and the re-evaluation of the current university Sustainability Strategic Plan.
Lane CC Identifies Energy Efficient Projects
The Energy Carryover Fund, the college’s green revolving fund, was created in 2006 with an allocation of $165,585 from surplus funds in the utilities budget to help the college meet their sustainability goals and formalize a process to identify energy efficiency projects. The fund averages 22.9 percent and has achieved a total of $113,087 in savings to date.
Princeton U Starts Light Efficiency Upgrade
As part of its Facilities Organization project, the university started to convert over 100,000 light fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs across the campus this past July, and is expected to be completed by December 2016 to contribute as much as a 15 percent reduction in carbon emissions as outlined by the Princeton Sustainability Plan to 1990 levels by 2020.
Triton College Installs Solar Panels
The college recently installed 54 panels to promote clean energy to supplement power to one of its buildings thanks to a grant from Illinois Green Economy Network and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
California CC Boosts Clean Energy Projects through Tax Benefits
(U.S.): Clean energy tax benefits have spurred infrastructure upgrades, green job training efforts, and 313 additional projects that promote sustainability. Cumulatively, these efforts are estimated to save $4.6 million annually and reduce energy use by the equivalent of 2.9 million gallons of gasoline.
U Queensland to Open Solar Research Facility
(Australia): In order to diversify its fuel source and become more environmentally friendly, the university plans to operate a 3.275-megawatt solar research facility on nearly 25-acres.
Colorado State U Adds Solar Panels to Buildings
Through a partnership with the City of Fort Collins and Namaste Solar, the university will see new solar panels installed this fall through early 2015 to increase clean energy supply and provide power to local homes and businesses, including buildings on the university’s campus.
EPA Releases Quarterly List of Top 30 Green Power Partners
The top 30 list represents the largest green power users among higher education institutions within the Green Power Partnership. The combined green power use of these organizations amounts to more than two billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 192,000 average American homes annually.
Everglades U Expands Solar Energy Program [Video]
The university recently completed construction on its new solar energy teaching lab to teach students in construction, management and policy about renewable energy technologies’ potential impact on the future.
Lewis and Clark CC Raises Solar Panels
With funding from the Illinois Green Economy and students, the new solar panels are projected to produce approximately 17,000-kilowatts of electricity annually, contributing to the college’s 2058 carbon neutrality goal.
10 Chicago Institutions Commit to Reduce Energy Use
The ten schools that recently signed onto the Retrofit Chicago’s Commercial Buildings Initiative, which commits to a 20 percent energy reduction, are City Colleges of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, School of the Art Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago and University of Chicago.
Dartmouth College Purchases Energy Credits
Part of an ongoing $16 million grant to improve campus sustainability, the college’s newly installed windows and light fixtures and $50,000 of clean energy credits, equal to 7.3-million kilowatt-hours of energy, has helped the community earn recognition as a Green Power Community by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
U Texas Completes Solar Charging Stations
As part of its mission to support environmental-conscious campus initiatives, the university recently hooked up two new charging stations that convert solar energy into electricity and can charge up to six cell phones, laptops or electrical bikes at a time.
ELECTRI Green Energy Challenge Names Three Finalist Teams
ELECTRI International’s annual student competition has identified Colorado State University, Iowa State University and San Diego State University for the 2014 competition, which asked teams to select a student use facility, conduct an energy audit of the building's power and lighting systems, and design and propose a retrofit for both.
Ohio State U to Use Solar Energy
A recently started installation of a 101-kilowatt photovoltaic array atop the the university's recreation center is expected to save money and diversify its energy portfolio with clean energy.
Okehampton College Wins Green Energy Performance
(U.K.): The college's recent entry into the British Gas Generation Green Energy Performance won first prize of 150,000 pounds ($256,000) due to the specially commissioned dance floor, which captures the energy created by students’ dance steps and converts it to electricity.
Haverford College Releases Online Dashboard
With the release of the new, online-accessible system, the college hopes to reduce electricity usage by allowing visitors to track real-time electricity usage on a daily, weekly and yearly basis in 14 campus buildings.
Antioch College Receives 'OK' on 1MW Photovoltaic Array
The town's Planning Commission recently approved the college's 1-megawatt solar-electricity array, which coupled with the two geothermal heating and cooling systems would provide 100 percent of the college's power needs.
Flint Hills Technical College to Add Solar
Adding to the college's geothermal system and wind turbine, the college recently began installation of solar electric panels in a move toward increased energy independence, monitoring from which will be incorporated into appropriate courses.
Old Dominion U Erects Solar Panel Array
In the face of declining fossil fuels, the university installed the new 600-panel photovoltaic system on the university's student recreation center, which will provide electricity back to the electrical grid. Energy information from the system will be available via two campus kiosks.
Santa Monica College Finishes Lighting Retrofit
Also reducing the school's carbon footprint and contributing to campus safety, the newly completed campus-wide lighting and energy upgrade will reduce lighting-related energy consumption by 40 percent and features the installation of controllable LED gym fixtures.
U North Carolina Asheville to Add Solar Panels
Its first large-scale and visible renewable energy project, this summer the university is adding 112 photovoltaic panels, totaling a 26-kilowatt grid-tied system, because of a donation from a private solar developer in North Carolina.
Partnership Brings Solar Energy to Two D.C. Universities
In an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, George Washington University has teamed up with American University and the GW University Hospital in a 20-year contract to build a 52-megawatt solar farm supplied by Duke Energy Renewables.
Northampton CC to Install Solar Panels
(U.S.): The college's new campus, which uses ground source heating and cooling, will use photovoltaics to supply approximately 80 percent of its power.
Emory U to Install 295KW of Solar Electricity
Selected by Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative to help spur economic growth in the renewables market, a series of low-profile, roof-mounted solar panels totaling 295-kilowatts will be installed on three campus buildings.
Knox College Transitions to Renewable Energy
After the college's energy contract ended and the Presidential Task Force on Sustainability suggested renewable energy be the focus of a new contract, the college signed a new one-year agreement that will provide the college with 100 percent renewable energy.
Southwestern Illinois College Partners on 137KW Solar System
The college recently partnered with a local solar installer on two solar systems, a roof-mounted system and a awning-mounted system, which total 137-kilowatts, and is projected to offset three percent of the school's energy costs annually.
Arizona State U Completes Solar Shade Structure
Costing the university $5.825 million to complete, the new photovoltaic installation, at the center of campus, is functional, adds aesthetic value to campus, and contributes to the university's carbon reduction goals.
Foundation U to Connect 140 Photovoltaic Panels
(Philippines): The current solar electricity initiative is projected to save 30 percent of the current electricity costs, and contribute to the university's sustainability and serve as a teaching tool.
Seattle U Releases Energy Conservation White Paper
(U.S.): The newly released paper outlines the recently installed system that captures waste pool heat energy and preheats incoming pool water and air, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and contributing to utility savings.
U Guam Constructs Solar Arrays
(Guam): The university recently installed photovoltaic panels on 5 campus buildings in accordance with its Strategic Energy Plan. The university also is conducting research on new photovoltaic systems, with three different forms of photovoltaic technology being used among the buildings to determine which technology would be best suited for a tropical environment.
Oregon State U Brings Ground-Mounted Solar Online
Aiding the university's offset of greenhouse gas emissions, the newest system is the largest of its kind at the school and collectively contributes to 10-acres of clean energy generation through photovoltaic technology.
Campus Conservation Nationals Save 2.2M kWH in Fourth Year
The 2014 national competition to reduce energy and water use at colleges and universities collective tabulated a savings of 2.2 million-kilowatt hours of electricity and 476,000 gallons of water. The top ten schools with the largest campus-wide percent reduction during an electricity competition were Appalachian State University; Bard College; Berea College; California State University at Chico; Dickinson College; Louisiana State University; Loyola University Maryland; Portland State University; Wake Forest University; and Western Carolina University, with reductions ranging from 11 to 24 percent.
Auburn U Installs Utility Tracking Devices
In an effort to understand the impacts of projects on the university's utility systems and conserve resources and funds, the new meters for electricity, natural gas and water are wirelessly connected to a centralized system that digitally tracks hourly consumption.
EPA Releases Quarterly List of Top 30 Green Power Partners
The top 30 list represents the largest green power users among higher education institutions within the Green Power Partnership. The combined green power use of these organizations amounts to more than two billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 190,000 average American homes annually.
Rocky Mountain College Erects Solar Array
In hopes that the project will spur other environmental steps, the college's Environmental Club, which led the project, raised more than $65,000 toward the construction of the solar electricity installation.
Southern Illinois U Deploys Solar Charging Picnic Table
The recently installed picnic table, made of recycled plastics, gives students the ability to charge electronic devices at a solar-powered charging station. The station lights up at night and stores enough energy for two cloudy days.
