Albany State U to Revamp Water Conservation Program
Albany State University (GA) has announced plans to upgrade its water conservation program. The program was first implemented in 2007 during the last major statewide drought. It helped reduce water use on campus by 23 percent, but campus leaders are putting a renewed focus on conservation. The university has stopped washing all vehicles and will discontinue the watering of lawns.
Antelope Valley CC Completes 1MW Solar, Energy Efficiency Project
Antelope Valley Community College (CA) has announced the completion of a 1.1-megawatt solar and energy efficiency project on campus in partnership with Chevron Energy. The project includes a new solar energy system, car charging stations and a central cooling plant and data center. Alongside numerous energy efficiency improvements made, the college expects to gain more than $1.1 million net savings in the first five years. The college also expects to save the district more than $25 million over the life of the project, including incentives from the California Solar Initiative. Chevron Energy Solutions designed, constructed and will operate the solar system. The company also engineered and installed energy-efficient improvements.
Appalachian State U Introduces Green College of Education
Appalachian State University (NC) has unveiled its new College of Education building. The university expects to receive LEED certification for the $35 million structure, which includes a green roof, motion-sensor lights and cork flooring. Recycled materials were used during construction and solar panels were installed on the roof to help with domestic water heating.
Arizona State U Tapped to Lead National Clean Energy Effort
Arizona State University will lead a consortium of higher education institutions and service providers that offer clean energy training and education to develop and implement programs worldwide, it was recently announced. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a $10 million cooperative agreement to the university; $3 million to build and develop the program and up to $7 million for country specific projects to be formed under the Vocational Training & Education for Clean Energy umbrella. Led by the College of Technology and Innovation on the university's Polytechnic campus, the initiative will help create curricula around the operation and maintenance of decentralized clean energy technologies.
Brown U, Cornell U Awarded Int'l Sustainable Campus Awards
Brown University (RI) and Cornell University (NY) were honored by the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) at the recent International Sustainable Campus Awards. The awards are open to any college or university worldwide that has developed outstanding construction or educational projects that promote sustainability on campus and in the surrounding community. Brown University received the Excellence in Campus award for its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program and Goals, which is well ahead of schedule with a 21 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2007 and an annual savings of $1.8 million. Cornell University Sustainable Design, a student-led organization, won the Student Leadership in Sustainable Campus award for its Schoolhouse South Africa project, an interdisciplinary student-led project to finance, design and build a 6,000-square-foot preschool and teacher training center in South Africa.
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Posted Jun 28, 2011
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Other News
Butte College Announces Grid Positive Status
Butte College has become the first institution in the U.S. to go "grid-positive," producing more than 100 percent of the electricity it uses from its on-site solar arrays. The solar arrays total 4.538 megawatts and will generate more than 6.5 million kilowatt hours per year. By eliminating its electricity bill, getting paid for excess electricity production and avoiding future electricity rate increases, the college estimates that it will save between $50 million and $75 million over 15 years. Watch for a formal press release to be released tomorrow on the college's website.
Dept. of Energy Allots $30 Mil Toward Energy Efficiency Training
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the availability of more than $30 million to train undergraduate and graduate engineering students in manufacturing efficiency to help them become the nation's next generation of industrial energy efficiency experts. Through the Industrial Assessment Center program, university teams across the country will gain practical training and skills by helping local companies and factories reduce energy waste, save money and become more economically competitive.
Dixie State College Launches Energy Saving Initiative
Dixie State College (UT) has initiated the Energy Saving Company, a project that will implement various strategies to reduce campus energy costs. The money saved will be used to purchase energy-saving equipment. Lights throughout campus including two sporting venues will receive upgrades. The project also includes the installation of solar panels and adjusted temperature controls of cooling and heating units. The college expects to save $200,000 a year if the project is successful.
Elon U Alumni Field House Earns LEED Gold
Elon University's (NC) Alumni Field House has earned LEED Gold certification. Environmentally friendly features of the 30,000-square-foot building include added layers of insulation to improve its thermal envelope; high-efficiency window glazing that acts as a passive solar mechanism to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer; low-flow plumbing fixtures that reduce potable water consumption by 40 percent; and climate adaptive vegetation and a drip irrigation system. Ninety percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill for recycling or reuse.
Frostburg State U to Conduct Campus-Wide Energy Audit
Frostburg State University (MD) has announced that it will move forward with a campus-wide energy audit this fall. The university was awarded a Constellation Energy EcoStar grant in support of the student-led initiative. Audits will determine individual and collective energy usage on campus, aid in the effective implementation of energy saving devices and provide recommendations for individuals to change energy use habits. A team of students will be trained to conduct the audits, scheduled to begin this summer and continue through May 2012.
Georgia Tech Basketball Center Earns LEED Gold
Georgia Institute of Technology’s Zelnak Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. The design and construction of the basketball practice facility was guided by the institute’s Yellow Book. The Georgia Tech Yellow Book is a document that guides architects and engineers in the process of designing new buildings, additions and renovations to existing buildings. The center is the institute’s fourth building to receive LEED Gold certification.
Georgia Tech Improves Bike Culture on Campus
Students and staff on the Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee at Georgia Institute of Technology have announced plans to make it safer and easier to bike to campus. With a $26,146 grant from the Student Government Association, the group will spearhead additional bike racks and bike lanes, slated for a fall 2011 completion. The group also debuted an online campus bike hub.
Lake Region CC Installs Solar System
Lake Region Community College (NH) has installed 15.57 kilowatts of photovoltaic panels on campus. The stationary 12.42-kilowatt panels were placed on the college’s Center for Arts and Technology academic building. Another 3.15-kilowatt photovoltaic panel has a built-in tracking system that follows the sun’s trajectory. The college expects to save $3,600 a year in energy costs and the project qualifies for a $12,000 incentive. The project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the State Energy Program through the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning.
Lehigh U Donated Item Sale Raises Nearly $15K for Community
A recent clothing and household items sale at Lehigh University (PA) raised $14,700 for the Community Service Office's Homework Clubs. This is a record amount for the event, which began 13 years ago when university professors noticed the vast number of usable items being discarded by students who were leaving campus for the summer. That initial drive netted $500 for the South Bethlehem Neighborhood Center. Starting with a donation drive in April, this year's sale featured two 100-square-foot tents full of reduced price items donated by students.
Linfield College Students Embark on Sustainability Road Trip
Six students from Linfield College (OR) are traveling cross-country this summer in a renovated veggie oil bus to promote sustainability. Dubbed "The Self Express," the bus features donated bamboo boards, solar panels and used veggie oil from Community Plate in McMinnville, Ore. Enviofuel of Corvallis, Ore. donated the labor to install a new veggie oil system. The students will stop first in Salt Lake City for the sentencing of Tim DeChristopher, convicted for disrupting an oil-and-gas lease auction by bidding when he wasn't planning to buy in an attempt to protest policies on climate change. The bus hopes to connect with other forward-thinking youth, nonprofits and media there. The students also plan to visit Appalachia to see the environmental and social devastation of mountaintop removal coal mining.
Manhattan, Queens College Awarded NYC Green Infrastructure Grants
Manhattan College and Queens College recently received funding from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's for their innovative methods to manage stormwater runoff. A total of 15 awardees - ranging from private property owners, businesses and nonprofit organizations - will share approximately $3.8 million to build green infrastructure projects that will reduce combined sewer overflows and improve water quality in New York Harbor. Manhattan College was awarded $420,125 to retrofit two parking lots with porous concrete, which will allow rain to seep to underlying layers of gravel and other substrate instead of running into the sewer system. The system will manage more than one million gallons of stormwater per year. Queens College received $375,000 to retrofit three different areas on campus to infiltrate stormwater runoff, managing more than 707,000 gallons of stormwater per year through the use of porous concrete and rain gardens that will infiltrate and retain water using native plants and trees.
Michigan State U Uses Hybrid Technology for Construction
Michigan State University has started using hybrid technology at a construction site on campus. The university’s contractor opted for a green alternative and invested in a hybrid excavator. The machine can cost up to 20 percent more than a regular machine, but with the amount of reduction in fuel consumption, the excavator can pay for itself in three to five years.
Owens CC to Offer Urban Agriculture and Sustainability Program
Owens Community College (OH) has announced that it will offer a new urban agriculture and sustainability certificate program. The program will require 26 credit hours of coursework including plant science, soil science, greenhouse management, urban livestock and animal husbandry, organic gardening and food systems management, harvest and post-harvest technology, and urban horticulture and sustainability. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in various experiential learning laboratory projects at Toledo GROW’s Oneida Greenhouse.
Palm Beach Atlantic U Receives Water Monitoring System
An underground soil moisture monitoring system has been donated to Palm Beach Atlantic University (FL). The university will use the system to measure and help reduce its water usage for irrigation purposes on campus. The system measures soil moisture at the root level and transmits data wirelessly to a base station that works with the existing irrigation clock to prevent over-watering. The moisture sensors and base units are expected to save as many as 2.5 million gallons of water a year.
Pennsylvania State U Directs Northeast Food Insecurity Study
Faculty in Pennsylvania State University's College of Agricultural Sciences will direct a new $5 million project to study whether greater reliance on regionally produced foods could improve food access and affordability for disadvantaged communities. Part of a national initiative to reduce food insecurity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded project, "Enhancing Food Security in the Northeast with Regional Food Systems," brings together researchers, educators, entrepreneurs and community leaders from a 12-state region to shed light on how the food system can better serve disadvantaged communities, farmers and others in the food supply chain across the nation. Other participating institutions include Columbia University (NY), Cornell University (NY), Delaware State University, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (MD), Tufts University (MA), University of Vermont and West Virginia State University.
Pomona College Offers Sustainable Kits for Check Out
Pomona College (CA) has launched a new program that allows the campus community to check out sustainable kits for free. Campus event kits are available that include reusable dining ware, compost materials, event signage and more. Also available for loan are laundry racks and compost buckets.
Santa Clara U Creates Department of Environmental Studies
Santa Clara University (CA) has approved the creation of the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. As a part of creating the new department, the university will also transform the environmental studies companion major into a stand-alone major with coursework that focuses on societal responses to environmental problems. The curriculum includes environmental law, policy, economics and sustainable development.
Santa Clara U Receives $1.3 Mil for Green Energy Scholars Program
Santa Clara University’s (CA) School of Engineering has received a donation of $1.3 million to help create a green energy scholars program. The donation will help the university launch the Latimer Engineering Scholars Program in the 2011-2012 academic year to support teaching and research in sustainable energy. Five students will be selected to receive education on renewable energy, focusing initially on photovoltaic technology and then expanding to other areas as the program grows.
Santa Clara U Students Create Carbon Calculator
Inviting their peers to consider the connections between their actions and carbon emissions, Environmental Ethics Fellows at Santa Clara University (CA) have created a Carbon Footprint Calculator for students to measure their impact on the environment. The students developed the calculator with open-source programming to allow other universities to adopt the same model.
Shoreline CC Students Perform Energy Audit
Shoreline Community College (WA) students performed an energy audit for the Parent Child Center building on campus. The students presented their findings and made recommendations that would reduce the amount of energy loss and save energy costs. Recommendations included a new heat ventilation air conditioning system, Energy Star Rated appliances, low-flow plumbing and a rooftop garden to reduce the heat gain in the summer.
U California Berkeley Earns Sustainable Seafood Certification
The University of California, Berkeley's Cal Dining has become the first public university in the nation to be awarded a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for its commitment to seafood sustainability. The MSC ecolabel designates seafood that can be traced through every step of the supply chain to show it has not contributed to the environmental problem of overfishing. To be certified by the MSC, a dining program must be able to prove that the seafood comes from an MSC-certified supplier.
U California Riverside Students to Develop Solar Clothes Dryer
A team of students from the Bourns College of Engineering at the University of California, Riverside have been selected for a $15,000 grant from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency to develop a system that will use heat from the sun to operate a clothes dryer. The system will harness solar thermal heat from a rooftop solar heat collector and heated air from the attic. The students are working to implement the concept at a 30-home zero net energy, urban agriculture-focused community planned for 10 acres. The heated air can also be directed through air ducts for space heating applications in the house as needed to reduce the electric and natural gas heating costs. The students estimate that using the system will save nearly $6,500 in a 20-year period. In April 2012, the students will travel to Washington, D.C. to find out if they won the $90,000 phase two grant that would provide funding to commercialize the idea.
U Connecticut Unveils Campus-Wide Retro-Commissioning Project
The University of Connecticut has begun implementing recommended energy conservation measures at a dozen campus buildings as part of phase one of its campus-wide retro-commissioning project. The university's Smart Building Smart Grid Workgroup, driven by eight School of Engineering faculty members, will use one of the retro-commissioned buildings as a test bed for research that will also raise campus awareness about enhanced sensors, controls and fault detection for building systems. The retro-commissioning project is expected to improve the energy efficiency of 34 campus buildings, saving $500,000 in energy costs and cutting 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
U Louisville Expands Organic Garden
The University of Louisville (KY) has announced that its Garden Commons, a 6,000-square-foot organic garden on campus, will undergo a major expansion. Plans include erecting a greenhouse, planting garden beds and setting up compost bins and rain barrels. Volunteers will also stain benches, spread mulch and lay paving stones that allow water to drain through to the soil to form the foundation of a new outdoor classroom. Approximately $26,000 in private money is funding the expansion.
U Massachusetts Amherst Debuts Green Building Guidelines
The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Green Building Committee has published Green Building Guidelines that outline and prioritize the strategies for sustainability that are most important to the campus. Design teams for all new campus buildings will use these guidelines, which use the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system as a framework to address sustainable site development, water efficiency, materials and resource use, indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
U Mass Medical School Installs Gray Water Pipeline
The University of Massachusetts Medical School has announced the installation of a gray water pipeline to reduce the amount of fresh water the campus power plant uses while generating steam, electricity and chilled water. The 12-inch pipeline will connect the power plant to a drainage system within the university's planned Albert Sherman Center that will capture rainwater from the building's roof and water that condenses around the building's air conditioning systems.
U Mass Medical School Streamlines Rechargeable Battery Recycling
The University of Massachusetts Medical School has partnered with the nonprofit organization Call2Recycle in an effort to streamline the recycling of rechargeable batteries and provide a useful second life for them. Pre-labeled boxes will allow departments to collect and mail old rechargeable batteries for recycling at no cost. The collected batteries are then recycled into new batteries and other stainless steel products. Hazardous materials that can be reused, such as gold and silver, are reclaimed while any remaining hazardous materials are treated properly for disposal.
University Leaders Meet to Discuss Access, Equity
Strategies for increasing enrollments of students of low socioeconomic status were discussed at the recent International Association of University Presidents conference. University leaders from approximately 80 countries gathered to discuss access, trends in learning technology, quality and quality assurance, and the role of higher education in conflict resolution. Leaders also discussed the importance of working toward equity in their own ranks. A panel looked at the continuing gender imbalances in university leadership, stressing that the underrepresentation of women is not just a "women's issue" but a problem that should concern everyone involved in higher education.
U Victoria Recognizes Campus Sustainability Champions
The University of Victoria (BC) awarded its first Sustainability Champion Award during its recent 2011 Sustainability Awards, a peer-nominated recognition that highlights staff initiatives in greening their workplace and contributing to the university's sustainability goals. The manager of food production and purchasing for University Food Services received the award for her work toward sustainable food purchasing and supporting local farmers, bakeries and other food suppliers. Two Sustainability Action Teams were also honored for their achievements over a three-month period to conserve energy, reduce waste and promote sustainable transportation choices in their buildings.
Virginia Tech Students Win EcoCAR Challenge
A team of 30 mechanical engineering students from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University have won first place in the three-year “EcoCAR Challenge,” co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors. An engine from a 2009 Chevy HHR was donated by General Motors to the participating schools. The Virginia Tech students added a battery, an electric motor and eliminated engine idle with stop/start. The end result is a car that can travel 50 miles on its battery, another 155 on gasoline and gets 82 miles per gallon. The redesigned car boosted the fuel achievement of the stock engine by 70 percent. The team consisted of 30 mechanical engineering students.
Wake Technical CC Students Install Solar Hot Water System
Students in Wake Technical Community College’s (NC) solar thermal training class have installed a solar hot water system in a specially outfitted trailer on campus. The project is part of the Green Building Training Program, designed to ready technicians and small business owners with the knowledge and skills to market themselves in the growing green economy. Solar thermal is one of four short-term “green” training classes being offered through a partnership with the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability.
41 Campuses Complete Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Forty-one signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on April 4, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by Alfred State College SUNY College of Technology; American University (DC); Aquinas College (MI); Bucknell University (PA); Catawba College (NC); Colby-Sawyer College (NH); College of Saint Mary (NE); Colorado Mountain College; Columbia Gorge Community College (OR); Dakota County Technical College (MN); Des Moines Area Community College (IA); Eastern Iowa Community College District; Fayetteville State University (NC); Finger Lakes Community College (NY); Glendale Community College (AZ); Heartland Community College (IL); Ithaca College (NY); Keene State College (NH); New Mexico State University at Alamogordo; New College of Florida; Ohio University; Olympic College (WA); Oregon Institute of Technology; Paul Smith's College of Arts and Sciences (NY); Queens University of Charlotte (NC); Roxbury Community College (MA); Saint Peter's College (NJ); Sweet Briar College (VA); Temple University (PA); The Ohio State University; University of Florida; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; University of Miami (FL); University of Missouri; University of New Mexico-Los Alamos; University of New Mexico-Taos; University of Vermont; Utah State University; Virginia Wesleyan College; Wesleyan College (GA); and William Rainey Harper College (IL).
Bishop's U Announces Geothermal Heating Project
Bishop's University (QC) has announced plans for an $8 million campus energy efficiency project that will include a new geothermal heating system. Starting this month, the university will drill 60 wells under the campus soccer field. The university is also upgrading campus lighting with energy-efficient fixtures and optimizing campus building automated controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning to fit the needs of each individual building and room. The project is expected to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent, natural gas usage by 64 percent and will eliminate the use of oil to heat.
Colorado State U, East China Normal U Partner for Energy Research
Colorado State University and East China Normal University have partnered on a new Joint Research Institute for New Energy and the Environment. The institutions will work together to develop new energy solutions to help deal with the impact of energy on climate, air quality, land use and water resources. Colorado State University is also pursuing student exchange programs and research initiatives with other Chinese universities.
DePauw U Receives $15K for Eco Rep Outreach Program
DePauw University (IN) has been awarded a $15,000 grant to initiate a program that will place two student Eco Reps in each first-year residence hall. The aim is to connect individual behaviors to environmental stewardship, promote environmentally sound living and have the reps act as liaisons to the greater community. The university was one of five Indiana independent colleges selected as recipients of the 2011 Ball Brothers Foundation Venture Fund.
Dept. of Energy Awards Energy-Efficient Lighting Research Grants
Arizona State University and the University of Rochester (NY) have received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a research initiative to develop new energy-efficient lighting products and expand domestic manufacturing capacity. The universities will focus on filling technology gaps in LED and organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) development, improving scientific knowledge and providing performance data for these technologies.
Maryville U Creates New Center for Sustainability; Hires Director
Maryville University (MO) has announced the creation of a new Center for Sustainability and has named Sustainability Advisory Council co-chair Peggy Lauer as the director. Programs initiated through the center will help advance sustainability on campus and throughout the greater St. Louis region. Lauer, who is the serials and monographs coordinator at the University Library, was awarded a staff sabbatical in 2009 to explore various sustainability programs in the St. Louis area and ways that the university can partner with other organizations and institutions in the community to promote such efforts.
Mohave Community College Receives $150K Solar Energy Grant
Mohave Community College (AZ) has been awarded a $150,000 grant to build a solar energy system. The grant, awarded by Mohave Electric Cooperative, consists of $50,000 provided by the cooperative’s Renewable Energy Program and $75,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. If the project is approved by the college’s governing board, construction of the solar array is slated for a September completion. The system is expected to provide 5 percent of the campus’ electric power.
Montana State U Billings Installs Wind Turbine as Teaching Tool
Montana State University Billings' College of Technology has installed a new 10-kilowatt wind turbine. Students participating in the sustainable energy technology program will be monitoring and collecting data from the $80,000 turbine. The turbine will also generate electricity for part of the university’s campus.
New York U Climate Action Plan Wins EPA Award
New York University's Climate Action Plan was recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the 11th annual Clean Air Excellence Awards. The awards recognized 12 programs across the U.S. for innovative efforts in achieving cleaner air and education efforts that help citizens make better informed environmental decisions. The university was recognized in the Community Action category for directly reducing pollutant emissions, demonstrating innovation, offering sustainable outcomes and providing a model for others to follow.
Seattle U Offsets 100% of Natural Gas with Waste-to-Power Project
Through Puget Sound Energy's new Carbon Balance Program, Seattle University (WA) has offset 100 percent of the natural gas used to heat campus buildings and reduced net greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings by 96 percent. The university purchased carbon offsets from a Washington dairy farm that captures methane gas released by manure and burns it in an on-site generator to produce electricity. Puget Sound Energy's recently launched program aims to help natural gas customers reduce their carbon footprint.
Syracuse U Students Help Local Businesses Become Green-Certified
Students in the Syracuse University (NY) chapter of Students in Free Enterprise recently paired with local business as consultants for the Green Core Company program. Launched in 2010 with a group of pilot businesses through the university's Campus-Community Entrepreneurship Initiative, the program is a certification blueprint for businesses working to achieve green operations through reduced environmental impacts. The student's on-site work, sometimes done on a weekly basis, addressed areas such as waste/recycling, energy use and green cleaning. As a result, eight businesses graduated from the green certification program.
The New School Debuts Enviro Policy & Sustainable Mgmt Program
The New School's (NY) Milano Management and Urban Policy school will offer a new Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management graduate program starting in fall 2011. Offered on a part-time or full-time basis, the program is designed to prepare graduates for roles as planners, managers, policy analysts and consultants in defining environmental policy and giving support to institutions that seek to enhance their sustainability performance.
U British Columbia Announces New Energy System
The University of British Columbia’s Board of Governors has approved a new $85 million district energy system that is expected to reduce campus greenhouse emissions by 22 percent and campus energy consumption by 24 percent. The five-year project will replace the university’s steam heating system with a natural gas-powered hot water plant. The university expects to save $4 million in operation and energy costs annually.
U California Berkeley Plans Campus LED Retrofit
The University of California, Berkeley has received 1,000 LED retrofit kits from Sentry Electric. The lights will be installed in decorative post-top luminaries on the campus. The LEDs are projected to deliver 81 percent in energy savings and the university hopes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 568 metric tons. The installation is a result of the California Public Utilities Commission’s approval of a proposal allowing the installation of LED lighting to customers that contract with the utility for street and highway lighting.
