ACUPCC Partners to Promote University Climate Neutrality Worldwide
The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) has joined the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an outreach initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote a global transition to low carbon economies and societies. In joining CN Net, the ACUPCC has pledged to promote efforts by colleges and universities around the world to move towards climate neutrality and contribute to international knowledge-sharing of academic expertise, including "twinning" projects between universities in developed and developing countries. Other UNEP CN Net partner institutions include Allegheny College (PA); College of the Atlantic (ME); Evergreen State College (WA); Middlebury College (VT); the University of California, Berkeley; and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Appalachian State U Opens New Office of Sustainability
Appalachian State University (NC) has formed an Office of Sustainability. The Office hopes to engage and educate the community, increase efficiency and effectiveness of resource use, and promote a healthy, balanced community. Other plans include developing an annual sustainability report for the University, updating the campus greenhouse gas inventory, and making sustainable transportation a top priority.
Arkansas State U Goes Trayless
Arkansas State University’s dining services has decided to stop using trays in an effort to reduce food waste and the use of water, electricity, and chemicals. The University reduced food waste by approximately 400 pounds in one of three trial runs last semester.
Dalhousie U Launches Bike Center
Dalhousie University (NS) has celebrated the grand opening of its new Campus Bike Center. The Center will offer drop-in bike sessions and classes in bicycle repair/maintenance and cycling safety education for the Dalhousie community.
EPA Awards Green Building Challenge Winners
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the winners of its Lifecycle Building Challenge, a competition that honors innovative green building design ideas that reduce environmental and energy impacts of buildings. The awards recognize student and professional designs for buildings and building projects that support cost-effective disassembly and anticipate future use of building materials, as well as special categories, including the creation of green jobs. This year, the competition was extended to include international participants who hailed from Singapore, Taiwan, Argentina, Columbia, France, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Haley Stewart from California State University, Pomona received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Green Job Creation and Jason Griffiths from Arizona State University was awarded the Student Building Honorable Mention.
Frostburg State U Renewable Energy Ctr Receives Federal Grant
Frostburg State University’s (MD) Renewable Energy Center has been awarded an $856,350 appropriation from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the final steps in the establishment of its Sustainable Energy Research Facility (SERF), a green, self-sufficient, off-the-grid building designed for educational research on renewable energy in the Appalachian region. The funding will make it possible to purchase research equipment and computer hardware and software, as well as to employ researchers and student assistants. The research planned at SERF will study the effectiveness of sustainable energy resources in Appalachia. Using sensors to record wind and solar energy data at numerous locations, the data will be collected at SERF for processing and analysis, used to model, design and control integrated renewable energy supply systems. The ultimate goal will be to develop a knowledge-base for renewable and clean energy resources available in the region.
Green Chemistry Center at Queen’s U Receives $13.6 Million
Green Centre Canada, to be located at Queen's University (ON) in early 2010, has received $13.6 million in funding from the Ontario government. The Center hopes to transform Green Chemistry discoveries into real-world products and industrial technologies for reducing harm to the environment. Over the next five years Green Centre Canada aims to manage the commercialization of 50 Green Chemistry technologies, leading to at least 10 license agreements, and to establish at least six start-up companies.
Indiana U Receives Grant to Green Student Union
Indiana University has received a $50,000 grant from Duke Energy to conduct a study on how to make the Indiana Memorial Union more sustainable. The “Greening of the IMU” initiative consists of students, officials, and firms that will work together to make the building a more sustainable place. Possible changes include bringing in more local and organic foods, revamping the ventilation and water systems, and increasing natural lighting. The group will use the findings in this study to help green other campus buildings.
Kent State U Names Sustainability Manager
Kent State University (OH) has hired Melanie Knowles as the University's first sustainability manager. Knowles will guide Kent State in becoming more cognizant of environmental consequences in its operations and community interactions. She will also work closely with the Sustainability Task Force to serve and help educate the entire university community. Knowles holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and economics from Miami University and a Master of environmental science from the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University. She has worked in Northeast Ohio for several years, most notably for the Cleveland Green Building Coalition.
Pennsylvania Colleges Receive Funds for Renewable Energy Projects
West Chester University and Bucks County Community College have received loans from the State of Pennsylvania for renewable energy projects. WCU was granted two loans of $192,294 and $195,00 to install a geothermal system for two academic buildings. BCCC received an $85,500 Renewable Energy Program loan to install a geothermal system in the Upper County Campus. The money became available after Pennsylvania’s governor made $18.4 million available for 31 statewide projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Builds Green Sports Complex
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has built a new, green athletic facility with a multipurpose lighted stadium, a basketball arena, a strength and conditioning center, and athletic offices. The building is registered for LEED Silver certification. Green components include natural light, a solar shading screen to control glare and heat from the western sun exposure inspired by a DNA genetic bar code, and landscaping that will reduce water consumption by 50 percent. The arena roof is also suited to have solar panels installed in the future and the stadium is equipped with the ability to host 20 micro wind turbines.
Saint John's U Begins 400kW Photovoltaic Project
Saint John's University (MN) and Saint John's Abbey have begun installing 1,800 solar modules that will produce an anticipated 400 kW. The power generated by the panels will be connected to the electrical grid serving Saint John's and the central Minnesota area. The facility will offset about 20 percent of Saint John’s peak energy needs during the summer months and approximately four percent of the campus’s overall energy needs on an annual basis. The expected completion date is late November 2009.
Stanford U Hospital Offers Local, Organic Food to Patients
The Stanford University (CA) Hospital is now bringing in local produce through its new Farm Fresh project. The program offers organic and locally grown food to patients. Doctors believe the initiative will also help with nutrition education, which is a focus of every meal served at the Hospital. Some doctors believe the program could even help speed up patient recovery.
Stimulus Money Helps New York Schools with Green Infrastructure
The State University of New York (SUNY), Newburgh; SUNY Purchase; and Bard College have received stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through New York’s Green Innovation Grant Program. The program supports cost-cutting solutions for progressive water conservation, energy efficiency technologies for drinking water systems, and clean water infrastructure. SUNY Newburgh and SUNY Purchase will use the money for building green roofs. Bard College plans to install a new microfiltration system and a finished water storage tank.
U California, Irvine Launches Automated Bike-Share Program
The University of California, Irvine has launched ZotWheels, a new bike-sharing system that enables faculty, staff, and students to borrow a bicycle by swiping a membership card. Membership can be purchased for $40 per year, and the first 250 subscribers will receive a helmet, safety light, lock, and water bottle. Ports to accommodate 40 bikes are located across campus. The University expects ZotWheels to save between 20 and 40 metric tons of CO2 per year, depending on the program participation.
UC Irvine Acquires $2 Million for Renewable Energy Research
The University of California, Irvine’s Advanced Power & Energy Program (APEP) at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering has obtained $2 million of state and private funds to develop safer, cleaner, and more affordable electricity generation and transportation. APEP will use the funding to create a framework for a cost-effective and reliable energy infrastructure that relies on renewable resources – solar photovoltaics, wind and biomass fuels – and will also improve transportation, waste management, and the energy efficiency of buildings.
U Colorado Student Union Commits to Zero-Waste Student Gov't
As part of its ”˜Green Office Certification’, the University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) has committed to becoming a zero-waste student government. UCSU has partnered with the CU Environmental Center, who has also gone zero-waste, in an effort to pilot a program that has the potential to be spread campus wide and reduce significant amounts of waste. The Student Union also plans to work with independent vendors in the facility to help them achieve the zero-waste standard UCSU will be putting in place for all of its buildings.
UConn Begins Recycling Program at Football Stadium
The University of Connecticut has partnered with Sodexo, which operates concessions at the University's football stadium, to implement a recycling program this season. There will be recycling bins in every suite and throughout the concourses for bottles and cans, food waste will be recycled, and cooking oil from fryers will be turned into biodiesel fuel.
UConn Installs Porous Parking Lots
The University of Connecticut has installed a porous concrete parking lot and a porous asphalt parking lot to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each. The permeable paving allows the water to sink into the ground rather than become runoff which can create erosion problems and pick up contaminants.
UC San Diego Partners to Transform Region to Smart Grid
The University of California, San Diego (CA) and CleanTECH San Diego have created a coalition of 25 local, national, and international organizations to transform the San Diego region’s electrical grid into a digital smart grid. The coalition will, in part, create a community-scale utility system within the region that can interconnect greater percentages of renewable generation at both the distribution- and transmission-system levels, store electricity, and use automated sensors and communication technologies to help manage these intermittent energy resources. The smart grid will utilize the latest technology in the energy field including renewable energy generation, advanced electric transmission, and distribution technologies, smart metering, and energy storage.
UC Santa Barbara Opens New Academic Building Complex
The University of California, Santa Barbara has completed a new 209,750-square-foot complex of three buildings for its Education, Social Sciences, and Media Studies departments. The buildings incorporate many environmentally friendly designs including special vertical shutters designed to work in tandem with ceiling fans to reduce the need for air conditioning. The building is registered for LEED certification and hopes to be awarded a Silver rating.
U Kansas Fuels Game Zone with Biodiesel
The University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative and Kansas Athletics have partnered to sponsor the Family Fun Zone at home football games. The Zone features inflatable games that will be powered by generators fueled by biodiesel from used cooking oil in campus dining areas.
U Missouri Brings Local Food to Students
The University of Missouri has begun purchasing produce from farmers in a 100 mile radius of campus. The University is buying from 12 farmers, including one beef farmer that sells Dining Services 400 to 500 pounds of beef per week.
U Richmond Launches Bike-Share
The University of Richmond (VA) has launched a bike-share program that will provide 35 bikes around campus for students to use. The program was implemented by a small group of students and will be maintained by volunteers.
U San Diego Opens Green Student Center
The University of San Diego (CA) has completed a 55,000-square-foot green Student Center. The Spanish Mediterranean themed building is seeking LEED Gold certification and features a roof top garden where vegetables and herbs will be grown, a BioHitech system that breaks down excess food scraps into water, and natural ventilation with windows that open and an inner courtyard to promote air flow. The facility will also offer more sustainable dining options and the outside pavilion will host a weekly farmers' market.
U Washington Implements Compostable Lid
The University of Washington, in partnership with International Paper and Coca-Cola, has become the first university to begin use of a compostable fountain-drink lid for the compostable Coca-Cola ecotainer cup. The new plant-based 100 percent-compostable lid augments the compostable cups and straws already in use on UW's Seattle campus. In March 2010, the UW expects to introduce a compostable lid for hot foods—such as soups—to campus. Once in place, campus dining facilities believes it will be almost entirely solid-waste free.
Warren Wilson College featured in NY Times for Sustainability
Warren Wilson College (NC) was recently featured in The New York Times for sustainability efforts at the EcoDorm, its LEED Platinum residence hall. Students living in the dormitory, which uses two-thirds the amount of energy of a comparable building, pledge to embrace sustainability by using composting toilets, harvesting fruits and vegetables from the gardens, and reducing their energy consumption.
Wayne State U Creates Sustainable Eng Grad Certificate Prgm
Wayne State University (MI) has created a graduate-level sustainable engineering certificate. The program will require 13 credit hours of sustainable engineering and will offer classes such as "Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering," "Ethics in Engineering and Construction," and "Alternative Energy Technology System and Design.
Appalachian State U Receives $182K for Climate Change Research
Appalachian State University (NC) has received a three-year, $182,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the relationship between the growth of the ponderosa pine and Douglas fir and the rise in carbon dioxide in the Northern Rockies. The study is in collaboration with the Department of Geography at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
Brandeis U Signs PPA to Install 227 kW Solar System
Brandeis University (MA) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Alteris Renewables to develop and install a 227 kW solar system. This contract is expected to save the University nearly $1 million over the life of the system.
California State U, Long Beach Launches Zipcar Program
California State University, Long Beach has launched a new car-sharing program in an effort to address its problem of having 40,000 students and only 13,000 parking spots on campus. Zipcar will provide five cars on campus that are available to students, faculty, and staff to use for a small fee. The car share program is part of many efforts by CSU, Long Beach to reduce campus congestion.
Clemson U Buildings Receive LEED-NC Gold, Silver
Clemson University (SC) has received two LEED certifications for two buildings on the campus of its Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). Innovation Place, which houses the CU-ICAR partnership offices, and its adjacent AutoPark, with parking for 1,200 vehicles, received LEED-NC Gold certification. The Innovation Place project also has been recognized by the South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects with a 2009 Special Citation for Design Excellence. The Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center received LEED-NC Silver certification. The 90,000-square-foot facility houses Clemson’s graduate program in automotive engineering.
Colorado College Arts Center Receives LEED Gold
Colorado College’s Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The 72,419-square-foot arts teaching and performance building opened in fall 2008 and earned LEED points in the categories of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process.
Eastfield College Installs Solar Array
Eastfield College (TX) has partnered with Green Mountain Energy Company to install a 380-square-foot, 24-solar-panel array that will produce 4.4 kW. It is expected to save the college $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifespan. The solar array was donated by Green Mountain Energy Company. It will be used as a teaching tool for the College and is already included in many course curricula.
Furman U Receives Clean Air-Cool Planet Award
Furman University (SC) has received a 2009 Climate Champion Award from Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) in recognition of the University’s leadership and excellence in finding solutions to global warming and climate change. Furman was recognized for its innovative climate action planning model, the breadth of its campus sustainability initiatives, and the visionary leadership in the higher education community of its President, Dr. David Shi.
George Washington U Opens New Dorm
George Washington University (DC) has opened South Hall, a new 474-bed dormitory that has registered for LEED certification. The dorm features bamboo paneling, low-flow plumbing, and Energy Star appliances. In addition, the University received a grant from Brita, a water filtration company, to provide reusable water bottles and dispensers in each suite.
Kenai Peninsula College Sustainability Club Expands Recycling Prgm
A recently formed student sustainability club at Kenai Peninsula College, a unit of the University of Alaska, Anchorage, has partnered with Facilities Maintenance to expand the campus recycling program to include mixed paper, plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. The group has also helped to introduce mixed recycling containers for all recyclables in campus classrooms.
Lawrence Technological U Student Center Receives Green Award
The Lawrence Technological University (MI) A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center has received a Green Good Design Award from the Harley Ellis Devereaux national planning, architecture, and engineering firm. The Green Good Design awards program focuses on new international products and buildings, as well as construction and planning projects that are leading the global way to design structures that are fully sustainable and compatible with the highest green standards.
Louisiana State U Welcome Event Features Composting & Recycling
Louisiana State University has announced that its welcome back celebration, which hosts more than 25,000 students, faculty, and staff, features composting and recycling for the first time this year. The effort, which aims to minimize the amount of waste produced by the event, offered food and drink containers that were either compostable or recyclable.
Memorial U Completes Energy Reduction Project
Memorial University (NL), in partnership with Honeywell, has completed a series of energy upgrades to facilities across campus. Through energy-efficient building improvements and infrastructure upgrades, the program will help the University address deferred maintenance and save approximately $1.5 million in utility costs per year. The project focused on the central heating and cooling plant, and seven buildings on the university's 250-acre campus. Specifically, Honeywell installed new high efficiency controls and burners on three boilers in the central plant, which will allow the facilities staff to respond to load changes caused by weather or equipment malfunctions more efficiently.
Memorial U Signs Sustainability Declaration
Memorial University (NL) has committed the institution to a greener climate on campus. The Sustainability Declaration, an overarching statement intended to define Memorial’s commitment to sustainable principles, was signed by President Dr. Christopher Loomis and other senior officials. The Declaration commits MU to promote a community committed to sustainability within and beyond the University and to develop a comprehensive and collaborative action plan with measurable outcomes. The document was also signed by several students.
Mesa CC Physical Science Building Receives LEED Gold
The Mesa Community College (AZ) Physical Science Building has received LEED-NC v2.2 Gold certification. The 62,000-square-foot science facility includes a 53-seat planetarium that is, in part, powered by rooftop photovoltaic panels donated by a local utility company as well as an interactive graphic display kiosk where students can track the solar energy harvested by the panels and see the inner-workings of a building’s engineering systems to learn about its sustainable features. In addition, over 77 percent of the construction waste was diverted from conventional landfills and 30 percent of materials manufactured utilize recycled content.
Mount Union College Dedicates Green Welcome Center
Mount Union College (OH) has dedicated its Gartner Welcome Center. The 10,190-square-foot structure, which will house Mount Union College’s divisions of enrollment services and student financial services, features a geothermal pump system and is registered for LEED certification.
Nova Scotia CC Receives Grant for Green Building
Nova Scotia Community College has received a $1.4 million grant from the province to include renewable energy technology in its new Centre for the Built Environment. The new building will feature solar panels, a solar hot water system, wind turbines, a geothermal heating and cooling system, a green roof to reduce heating and cooling demands and increase water absorption, and system monitors and controls. The building is set to be open in 2010.
Oregon Campuses Receive Federal Funding for Sustainability Projects
Portland State University and the Oregon Institute of Technology have received funding from Congress's energy and water appropriations bill for green projects. PSU receives $1 million for a green building research laboratory, and OIT received $1 million for a geothermal power generation plant.
SEI Releases College Sustainability Report Card 2010
The Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI) has released its College Sustainability Report Card 2010 on GreenReportCard.org. The annual publication provides school profiles and grades along with insights about sustainability in higher education. For the first time, the Institute is also offering universal access to 1,100 sustainability survey responses about campus, dining, and student initiatives, as well as endowment investment. Grading the schools entailed researching publicly available information, conducting surveys of appropriate school officials, and assessing performance with 120 questions across 48 indicators in the following 9 categories: Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, Green Building, Transportation, Student Involvement, Endowment Transparency, Shareholder Engagement, and Investment Priorities.
Sodexo Commits to Sustainable Seafood
Sodexo, a major food and facilities services management company that serves several college campuses, has committed to sourcing 100 percent of its contracted wild-caught seafood purchases in North America from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries by 2015. Sodexo says this decision is a result of consumers desire to eat healthy and sustainably.
U Colorado Launches Rideshare Program
The University of Colorado has partnered with Zimride to foster a new rideshare community. The Zimride platform aims to connect CU Boulder community members looking to share their ride through a private network that aims to reduce campus traffic and parking difficulties. Through the program’s web-based interface, faculty, staff, and students will be able to find others with similar daily commuting patterns or one-time rides needs. Zimride’s system integrates with Facebook to help develop trust and feedback among users.
U Connecticut Installs Green Roof
The University of Connecticut has installed a green roof to help reduce water pollution of a nearby stream. The green roof will help to absorb storm water and reduce runoff into Eagleville Brook. The roof is ground level and is available to all faculty, staff, and students for its enjoyment.
U Dayton Aims for 90% Waste Reduction
The University of Dayton (OH) has launched a new program to reduce the amount of waste headed to the landfill. To make sure each type of waste ends up in the proper place, dining services has removed waste and recycling containers from dining rooms and is routing all dishes and disposables to tray conveyors. Staff separates the trash, recycling, compostable material, and china in the kitchen. Cooks also will be trained on how to route meat scraps, produce trimmings, and other food waste to appropriate containers. The University's goal is to compost or recycle up to 90 percent of its dining facility waste this academic year. Throughout the first month of the program, the University has redirected nearly 27 tons of waste away from a landfill.
