Arizona State U Leads National Engineering Research Center
Arizona State University will lead a new national Engineering Research Center that will seek ways to harness solar power in economically viable and sustainable ways. The National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy will jointly provide funding of $18.5 million for the first five years of the center's operations.
Queen’s U Builds Solar Education Center
The Solar Design Team at Queen’s University (ON) has designed a 640-square-foot house to act as a laboratory to test the applications of renewable energy sources in homes. The structure’s energy generation and consumption will constantly transform as the team tests different simulations to create a practical net-zero house.
Quinnipiac U Debuts Campus Energy Dashboard
Quinnipiac University (CT) has launched a Building Dashboard website, allowing students to track their energy consumption around the clock. The system displays real-time data on energy used for electricity, heating and cooling for more than 20 buildings on the university's three campuses.
San Diego State U to Establish Renewable Energy Training Center
San Diego State University's (CA) Imperial Valley campus has been awarded a $1.67 million job creation grant to establish the Renewable Energy Generation Training and Demonstration Center. Acting as a field station for university researchers and students, the center will feature demonstration sites for renewable energy projects and a generalized power plant simulator to provide skills training for geothermal and solar power plant installations. The federal funds are intended to boost the green energy technology industry in the region by bringing in private companies to partner with the university for training.
U Kansas Installs Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
In anticipation of the statewide energy conservation Take Charge Challenge, the University of Kansas' Center for Sustainability has partnered with Energy Solutions Professionals to replace approximately 3,000 incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs around campus.
Winners Announced for Solar Decathlon 2011
The University of Maryland took the top honor during the U.S. Department of Energy's biennial Solar Decathlon 2011. Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, the university's WaterShed entry was a model of how the built environment can help preserve watersheds by managing stormwater on-site, filtering pollutants from greywater and minimizing water use. Purdue University's (IN) ultra-efficient INhome earned second place in the international green technology competition and Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) received third place. AASHE's latest blog post looks at Appalachian State University's (NC) entry, which received the most votes for the People's Choice Award.
Chabot-Las Positas CC District Installs Energy Storage Systems
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CA), in partnership with CALMAC Manufacturing Corporation, has installed IceBank thermal energy storage systems to help reduce energy costs. The energy storage system creates ice at night, when energy is less expensive, and uses it the next day for cooling. The storage systems are expected to save the district more than $200,000 a year in energy costs.
Washington U St. Louis Kicks Off Green Labs Initiative
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has launched a new green labs Initiative in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The program seeks to educate faculty, staff and students and provide a plan of action to reduce energy consumption in laboratories. A green lab initiative energy representative selected from each lab will audit their lab’s energy consumption, create target energy reduction goals and connect with other lab representatives for campus educational opportunities.
Copper Mountain College Installs Wind Turbine
Copper Mountain College (CA) has completed the installation of a wind turbine on campus. While a nearby day care center will receive the energy produced, the small-scale turbine will serve mainly as an education tool. The turbine is one of many recent energy-saving campus initiatives including the installation of solar trash compactors, lighting retrofitting and new air conditioning and heating units regulated by an energy-management system.
Ohio Wesleyan U Implements Energy Saving Initiative
Ohio Wesleyan University has launched an initiative to reduce energy use on campus. The university will replace inefficient light bulbs and implement a double-sided default printing mode and sleep-mode activation for public computers. The university is also working with staff on a new building temperature setback and energy conservation plan.
U Oregon Pledges No Net Gain on Energy Consumption
The University of Oregon has pledged to hold the amount of energy used to power campus buildings and grounds at its current level, even as new buildings are added. Under the plan, called the Oregon Model for Sustainable Development, new buildings will have to be at least 35 percent more energy efficient and will have to pay 10 percent of the cost of offsetting their added energy use into a new Central Energy Fund. The fund will help pay for the retrofits of older buildings. The new policy also has a stormwater and public education component.
Algoma U Announces Solar Panel Installation
Algoma University (ON) has announced that a total of 540 solar panels will be installed on its sports facility. The new 135-kilowatt system is part of a joint $1.15 million venture between the university and the public utilities company. The university plans to sell back energy generated from the panel to the provincial grid. Annual revenue under the province’s Feed-in Tariff program is expected to be $127,356, a portion of which will go to the university.
Arizona State U Exceeds 10 MW of Solar Energy
With the installation of its latest 168-kilowatt, ground-mount photovoltaic installation, Arizona State University has exceeded 10 megawatts of solar energy capacity to become the first higher education institution in the U.S. with a solar capacity of this size. The university's solar power represents about 20 percent of its peak load and a carbon footprint reduction of up to 10 percent.
Slippery Rock U Launches Energy Conservation Campaign
Slippery Rock University's (PA) Energy Conservation Committee has instituted a campaign to encourage students and faculty to cut energy costs. The “Small Steps. Big Payoff" pledge asks participants to select three of 10 energy saving options including turning the lights off, unplugging appliances, taking shorter showers and using the stairs instead of elevators. The university is aiming for a 3 percent reduction in energy consumption throughout the next year, which will cut energy costs by about $100,000 per year.
U Hawaii Manoa Implements New Photovoltaic Power System
The University of Hawaii at Manoa has installed a new solar photovoltaic system that will provide energy to the campus library. The 140 solar modules are raised at least 24 inches from the rooftop to help reduce heat load and are expected to save the university approximately $500,000 over the system's 25-year lifespan.
U Maine Machias Improves Energy Efficiency of Dining Hall
The University of Maine at Machias has completed $475,000 in upgrades to make its campus dining hall more energy-efficient. The university replaced its old steam boiler with an energy-efficient hot water boiler and installed an energy management system to monitor and control the building’s heating system.
Bridgewater College to Conduct Campus Energy Audit
Bridgewater College (VA) has scheduled a comprehensive campus energy audit to begin in October. The audit will evaluate energy and utility consumption in every structure on campus and prioritize energy uses. The college will then implement systems to conserve usage, save natural resources and educate students about energy conservation. Meters will also be installed in 13 major buildings. The college has received a $150,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to cover part of the $225,000 cost.
U Louisville Builds Solar Energy Test Building
A group of University of Louisville (KY) students and a mechanical engineering professor have partnered with Green Building Group to construct a solar test building. The passive solar test building will use windows, walls and floors to reject solar heat in the summer and to collect, store and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter. The university’s Renewable Energy Applications Laboratory has a year’s worth of solar energy experiments planned and will begin by using one of the two rooms as a control and test a modification to the building’s passive solar design in the other room. The building was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Installs 120 Solar Thermal Panels
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has completed another wave of planned solar installations with 120 solar thermal panels on the roofs of four campus buildings. The $700,000 project was funded by Regenesis Solar, who owns the thermal system and sells the energy on a metered basis to the university. The solar thermal panels are expected to generate a natural gas savings of $10,000 annually. In addition, solar panels and photovoltaic panels are in the final phase of installation at the university’s new academic hall. The new building is expected to save $182,000 annually in energy costs.
100% Renewable Energy for Oregon Institute of Technology
A new field of solar panels combined with existing geothermal facilities will enable the Oregon Institute of Technology to operate 100 percent by on-site renewable energy. Part of the Solar by Degrees program and a recently announced state-wide initiative for public institutions to increase renewable energy production, the institute’s solar panels will produce an estimated 3.3 million kilowatt hours per year.
Connecticut College Installs $1 Mil Geothermal System
Connecticut College has installed a new geothermal system to heat and cool its new science center. The system will circulate water through pipes hundreds of feet below ground, where the temperature is a constant 55 degrees, into the building and then back to the building for cooling. At $1 million, the college expects the geothermal system to pay for itself through energy cost reductions within six years.
Guam CC Installs Solar Energy System
Guam Community College has installed 200 solar panels on campus. The solar generated energy is expected to save the college $31,000 annually. The photovoltaic panels were also designed to withstand typhoons and run for approximately 25 years. A second set of solar arrays are set to be installed that will double the energy production by the end of the year. The college received funding provided by the federal government.
Weber State Completes Solar Installation
Weber State University (UT) has installed 84 photovoltaic solar panels atop its Davis building that are expected to offset 1.9 percent of its electricity consumption. An interactive kiosk has been installed to track the constant production of energy. The project is the first in a series of planned campus solar initiatives. Other projects include a 38-kilowatt rooftop solar energy system and the installation of 48 solar thermal panels to heat the gym pool. The Davis building panels were through Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Program and the Utah’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The planned projects are part of the university’s Climate Action Plan to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Boise State U Partners for Geothermal Expansion
Boise State University has announced plans to further expand renewable and natural geothermal heat in Boise, Idaho by bringing geothermal heat across the Boise River and completing a loop through the Boise State University campus. Phase one of the project, announced in the spring of 2009, will connect six existing campus buildings through a geothermal pipeline. The recently announced phase two, funded by matching grant money from the Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with the university and the City of Boise, will complete the geothermal loop and provide geothermal energy to a total of about one million square feet of campus building space. The project is currently undergoing environmental review with construction expected to occur this summer.
Cal Poly Pomona to Save 30K with Smart Power Strips
About 1,700 faculty and staff campus workstations at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona are being equipped with smart power strips that will save the university $30,000 in energy costs annually. The strips feature an infrared sensor that detects when someone is at a workstation. Thirty minutes after the person leaves, the smart strip powers down. Electricity is restored when it senses the person has returned. Southern California Edison will cover the cost of the smart power strips (about $48 each) and installation through its Energy Efficiency Partnership program. In a few months, the company will perform follow-up checks and audit the program’s effectiveness. California State University, Fullerton and California State University, Long Beach are also participating in the partnership.
Oregon Public Universities Plan to Go Solar
Oregon public universities have announced plans to launch a new solar project. A 5-megawatt solar system is planned for Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University and Eastern Oregon University. Officials expect to start construction by the end of August once the contracts are finalized. Students will have the opportunity to learn about renewable energy and also benefit from the energy cost savings. Four other Oregon public universities will build solar projects next year as part of the second phase. Much of the total costs, estimated at more than $26 million, will be covered by state and federal tax credits.
Taylor U Installs 2 Wind Turbines
Taylor University (IN) has installed two wind turbines on campus. The twin turbines are part of a plan to power the new science complex with a combination of wind, geothermal and solar energy. The two 50-kilowatt turbines are expected to be operational by the end of August. The 137,000-square-foot science complex, scheduled to open for the fall 2012 semester, will use 42 10-kilowatt solar cells.
U Notre Dame Installs Thin-Film Solar Array
The University of Notre Dame has completed the installation of a 10-kilowatt flexible thin-film solar array and monitoring system on the roof of its Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering. The lightweight flexible panels lie flat and are attached directly to the surface of the roof with an adhesive. Connected directly to the university's power grid, the array will help meet the building's electricity demand. The array will also offer research opportunities for faculty and students with a real-time monitoring system that will allow for an analysis of the array's productivity under different conditions.
U Notre Dame to Save 45K with Fume Hood Set-back Modes
The University of Notre Dame (IN) is installing a set-back mode on its teaching lab fume hoods. The set-back mode will be activated by the last faculty member to use the lab each day by pressing a button near the door, which will reduce the minimum flow in the hoods from 240 to 90 cubic feet per minute. The set-back mode is being installed on 158 hoods in Jordan Hall and is expected to reduce the university's carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 711 tons per year and save $45,000 in annual energy costs. The savings is expected to repay the cost of the retrofit in about six and a half years.
Washington and Lee U to Install 450 kW Solar Energy System
Washington and Lee University (VA) has signed an agreement with solar energy developer Secure Futures L.L.C. to install two solar photovoltaic arrays totaling 450 kilowatts on campus. As part of the 20-year power-purchase agreement, the university will buy solar-generated electricity from Secure Futures and will have the option to purchase the solar arrays in the future.
Arizona State U Announces Patent-Pending Solar Design
Arizona State University's Tempe campus has revealed a patent-pending solar structure design planned for a parking lot adjacent to its Sun Devil Stadium. A partnership between the university and NRG Solar, the 5.25-acre PowerParasol™ design will cover 800 covered parking spaces and generate 2.1 megawatts of electricity. Within the 25-year, $10.5 million agreement, NRG will own and operate the PowerParasol™ and in exchange, the university will pay flat electricity rates during the term. Within three to four years, the university should experience reduced electricity rates. The university can also reduce the total project cost through revenue streams including PowerParasol™ advertising. Construction is slated for mid-August and should be completed before the end of 2011.
New York U Reduces Energy by 15% During Heat Wave
New York University students and employees took the lead in reducing their energy usage during recent record-high temperatures, cutting the university's energy consumption by about 15 percent. The university's executive vice president announced in a university-wide email that unnecessary lighting, elevators and air conditioning were to be shut off per the request of Con Edison, which faced a peak power emergency as a result of record-breaking temperatures across the New York City. Students, faculty and staff were encouraged to change their individual behaviors to reduce electrical usage and campus sustainability advocates helped spread the word about the curtailment and the need for conservation on campus.
Six Colleges Selected for Green Campus Network Program
The Tennessee Valley Authority and the Alliance to Save Energy have selected six regional colleges to participate in the Green Campus Network pilot program. Including Calhoun Community College (AL), University of Alabama, University of Memphis (TN), University of Mississippi, University of the South (TN) and Western Kentucky University, the program involves students, faculty, administrators and campus support staff in cutting energy use on college campuses. The program will also work to incorporate energy efficiency into curricula, encouraging students to pursue careers in sustainability after graduation, and increasing general awareness of energy efficiency. The Tennessee Valley Authority funding will cover program implementation and wages for student interns, who will develop and execute on-campus energy efficiency projects and campaigns with support and guidance from the Alliance.
SUNY Delhi Solar Project Offers Educational Benefits
State University of New York at Delhi has begun installing a system of solar electric modules to provide a permanent site for demonstrating renewable energy technology to students preparing for careers in electrical and building construction. The installation involves 100 solar panels mounted on poles adjacent to the college's Electrical Technologies Center. The proximity to electrical technology classrooms will provide an ongoing learning experience for the university's students and for participants in the college's accredited photovoltaic workshops. Two additional solar modules will be installed exclusively for a laboratory where students will learn how to set up and break down a solar electric system. The project was funded by a $172,000 grant by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Technical College of the Lowcountry Installs Geothermal System
The Technical College of the Lowcountry (SC) has installed a geothermal heat pump system. The college will begin training people next month to become accredited installers of the pumps. The new system and training are the latest manifestations of the college’s ongoing push into alternative energy education. The new system was funded through a $25,000 grant from the S.C. Energy Office.
U Alaska Anchorage Installs Energy Consumption Monitors
The University of Alaska Anchorage has installed a system to monitor energy expenditures of individual buildings. The digital monitoring will be used to create a baseline to determine the energy and water use per square-foot of each building, assess the performance of campus building systems, and to reward occupants who lower their energy consumption.
U Wyoming 'Clean Coal' Project on Hold
The University of Wyoming's High Plains Gasification-Advanced Technology Center research project is delayed indefinitely. The university's partner, General Electric, said the energy market is too uncertain to move ahead with the project, which aims to turn coal into a gas that will burn more cleanly than does coal itself. General Electric cites low energy prices and the lack of a clear federal energy policy, but says that it will take another look at the situation in 18 to 24 months.
EPA Announces Top Campus Purchasers of 'Green Power'
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revealed its top 20 list of campus green power purchasers. Four universities in Pennsylvania are among the 10 institutions in the U.S. that bought the most "green power," characterized by renewable energy certificates, on-site generation and utility green power products. The University of Pennsylvania topped the list, purchasing nearly half of its total electricity in the form of solar and wind power.
Pennsylvania State U Installs Wind Turbine
Pennsylvania State University has installed a 2.4-kilowatt wind turbine. The turbine is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America Program. The university will collect data from the turbine and work with K-12 schools that want to set up their own small-scale turbines for hands-on learning.
U Minnesota Hits Energy Reduction Goal of 5%
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities has reduced its energy consumption by 5 percent for the second consecutive year, avoiding $2 million in annual energy costs. The savings were the result of the campus-wide "It All Adds Up" conservation program, initiated in 2009 by the university's Energy Management department. The program includes recommissioning buildings and engaging the campus community to reduce operational energy use. Since the program began, the university has avoided $4.6 million in annual energy costs and the reduced carbon emissions by 50,000 tons annually.
American U Sharjah Students Harvest Power from Noise
The Institute for Engineering and Technology has recognized the efforts of four American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) students, who have developed a device that can convert otherwise wasted mechanical energy, acoustic noise and ultrasonic waves into electricity. Using piezoelectric technology, the students looked toward places where a lot of mechanical energy or noise is wasted like footsteps on a pavement or the cacophony of a football stadium. One of their envisioned applications includes installing piezoelectric devices in shoes to capture the energy produced while walking or running to power small electronic devices like cell phones.
Banff and Buchan College Installs 100 Solar Panels
More than 100 solar panels have been installed at Banff and Buchan College (United Kingdom) as part of a continuing £20 million expansion. At peak daylight times, the solar photovoltaic array can generate up to 20 kilowatts of energy. The college will use some of the electricity for itself, but sell off the rest to the national grid.
Guam CC Installs Solar Energy System
Guam Community College has installed 200 solar panels on campus. The solar generated energy is expected to save the college $31,000 annually. The photovoltaic panels were also designed to withstand typhoons and run for approximately 25 years. A second set of solar arrays are set to be installed that will double the energy production by the end of the year. The college received funding provided by the federal government.
RIT Dubai Studies Residential Energy Efficiency
A Rochester Institute of Technology researcher at RIT Dubai (United Arab Emirates) is exploring ways to make residential homes in Dubai and other hot climates more energy efficient. The project, which was recently awarded $27,000 from the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, will include local field studies of residential villas and explore energy-saving alternatives in both the design and post-occupancy stages. Researchers will measure the effects of factors such as shading options, insulation, roof treatments, windows and ventilation. The findings will be reported publicly online. The United Arab Emirates has one of the highest per capita energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission rates, according to the lead professor on the project, adding to the urgency for renewable energy sources and energy conservation in a climate that requires significant cooling through much of the year.
U St Andrews Plans 12MW Wind Farm
The University of St Andrews (United Kingdom) has revealed plans to install six wind turbines totaling 12 megawatts to limit its "spiraling" energy bills, which have tripled to £5.4 million a year. The plan follows three years of research, which revealed that wind turbines could potentially generate enough electricity to meet the needs of the energy-intensive science department, as well as the rest of the institution's electricity demand.
U Tokyo Leads Energy Efficiency Efforts After Japan Earthquake
In the wake of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami in March, Tokyo universities are facing a government demand for a 15 percent cut in electricity use, according to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. Classroom temperatures are set at 82 degrees Fahrenheit and many have ended classes early to avoid the summer months. As one of the 10 largest consumers of electricity in the capital, the University of Tokyo has claimed to have shaved 350,000 kilowatts of electricity a day off its bill at its five campuses and aims to double the government target of 15 percent cuts in electricity use to 30 percent. The university's executive vice president sees the changes as an opportunity to transform the nature of the campus: "It's about aggregating small changes to change a system that has been plagued by inertia. If successful, we could be used as a model for other universities."
Antioch U New England Reduces Campus Electricity Use by 34%
The Sustainability and Social Justice Committee at Antioch University New England (NH) has announced that its Green Guru workspace energy efficiency initiative has resulted in a 34 percent cumulative reduction in electricity used during fiscal years 2007-2010 compared to peak electricity usage in fiscal year 2006. This savings represents 186 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided and an estimated savings of $35,371 in electricity bills. The outreach initiative, launched a few years ago as part of the Carbon Counts: You Can Too campaign aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2020, targets individual behavior and provides energy-saving tips.
Southwestern College Installs Wind Turbine
Southwestern College (KS) has begun installing a wind turbine on its campus. The college plans to use the turbine to teach students and the community about wind energy and sustainability. The turbine is expected to produce 400 kilowatts of energy per month.
U Minnesota Building Earns EPA Energy Star Rating
The University of Minnesota's Donhowe Building on the Twin Cities campus is the first University of Minnesota campus building to receive an Energy Star Building rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The building earned a rating of 90, putting it in the top 10 percent of buildings around the country. The building's high energy efficiency is the result of a 2009 recommissioning project by the university's Energy Management group.
