U San Francisco Upgrades Water Fountains
The University of San Francisco (CA) has upgraded existing water fountains to make it easier to fill up a reusable bottle. The upgrades come as the result of a three-year campaign by the student-led university Green Team to get the campus to stop selling single-use water bottles. To prepare for the lack of bottled water for purchase, the university has purchased kits to that will convert existing fountains and add a second spout to allow for easy filling.
Utah State U Tower Receives Energy Upgrade
Utah State University has given the lighted “A” atop the university's Old Main tower an energy upgrade. The light will receive new light-emitting diode strips to replace the current neon lights. The new LED lighting has a longer lamp life of about 10 years and is expected to save a considerable amount of electricity.
Washington and Lee U Program Provides Local Food to Summer Camps
Washington and Lee University's (VA) Campus Kitchen has partnered with local camps to provide food education and fresh, local food to the kids. Campus Kitchen serves snacks produced from the campus garden five days a week and plans to host local YMCA summer camps, inviting the kids into the garden to learn firsthand where food comes from.
Washington State U Works With Camelina Farmer for Fuel
Washington State University has partnered with a local wheat and barley farmer who has dedicated part of his operation to camelina, an ancient oilseed crop and one of the newest possibilities for sustainable biofuels production. University scientists will work with the farmer on refining camelina varieties, cropping practices, economics and marketing. Every 100 pounds of seed produces between five and six gallons of oil.
Western New Mexico U Offers Free Solar Energy Courses
Western New Mexico University will offer two new courses on solar energy this fall to laid-off workers and those already employed in the solar, construction or electrical fields at no cost. The courses will be offered in partnership with the Southwestern Area Workforce Development Board under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Applicants who are selected to participate will have the opportunity to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners PV Entry Level exam upon completion of both courses.
Alabama A&M U to Begin Producing Biofuel
Alabama A&M University has partnered with Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc. and bioenergy venture Willbrook Solutions, Inc. to improve campus bioenergy efforts. Willbrook Solutions has donated a prototype biodiesel processing unit for experimental research. Toyota will donate 100 gallons of waste vegetable oil for conversion to biodiesel each month. The biofuel produced will help power transit vehicle operations on campus.
Alfred U to Install Solar Array
Alfred University (NY) has been awarded a $268,840 grant from the New York State Energy Research Development Authority to build a large solar panel array. The solar array will be installed on the Science Center roof and is expected to meet an average of eight percent of the annual electrical energy needs of the building. The project will bring the university closer to its goal of generating 100 kilowatts of solar power on campus within five years.
Appalachian State U to Begin Sustainable Initiative with Brazil
Appalachian State University (NC) has received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s U.S.-Brazil High Education Consortia Program. The funding will go toward the implementation of a four-year U.S.-Brazil Sustainability and Sustainable Development Education Initiative. In collaboration with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, University of Fortaleza and State University of Amazonas in Brazil, the project will work to improve the quality of undergraduate and graduate education with a focus on sustainability and sustainable development through the exchange of faculty, staff, students, coursework and cultural experiences.
Ball State U Planning Campus-wide Geothermal System
Ball State University (IN) is working on the first phase of an $80 million project that will heat and cool the entire campus using geothermal energy. The geothermal project entails a ground source heating system that uses the earth’s below-surface temperature of 55 degrees to act as a heat source during the cooler months, and a heat sink during the warmer months. Geothermal pumps will push the water through an underground pipe system. By utilizing geothermal ground source technology throughout its 660-acre campus, the university expects to save $2 million annually on utility bills and eliminate 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
Bowling Green State U Receives Grant for Energy Upgrades
Bowling Green State University (OH) has received a $911,658 grant to upgrade the energy efficiency of 45 buildings and provide educational opportunities for students and staff in sustainability and energy-efficient design. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant will fund heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system upgrades. The fund will also assist with the installation of energy-efficient lighting and computer-based control of lights and temperature in buildings.
California State U Fullerton Receives Solar Panels
In an agreement between the State of California Department of General Services, the California State University system and solar service provider SunEdison, California State University, Fullerton has received photovoltaic panels. The panels are expected to produce 600 megawatts of power. The power-purchase agreement allows the university to purchase renewable power at or below current retail rates, while avoiding the cost of installing the system. Under the agreement, SunEdison will finance, build, operate and maintain the solar panels for 20 years.
Central Michigan U Starts Campus Grow Project
Central Michigan University has launched the Campus Grow Project. With a focus on organic community gardening and composting, the project offers sustainable alternatives to the industrial food system through access to healthy local food and educational gardening opportunities. Students can grow and harvest food in two organic gardens on the university’s campus, where food scraps from the university’s residential restaurants are used to create nutrient-rich soil. Plots are also available to faculty and community members.
College of William & Mary Uses Wild Algae for Biofuel
The College of William & Mary (VA) has launched an experiment to produce biofuels from oil extracted from wild, naturally growing algae. This is the first freshwater experiment of the college's year-old Chesapeake Algae Project, funded by Norwegian energy company Statoil. More robust, fast-growing and plentiful than their monoculture counterparts, wild algae can be converted into a variety of biofuel products including biodiesel, ethanol and butanol.
Evergreen State College Performs Biomass Plant Study
Spurred by the students, faculty and administrators working to make Evergreen State College (WA) carbon neutral by 2020, the college has started a $200,000 study to determine whether a $10 million investment in wood waste makes technical, economic and environmental sense. Natural gas currently burned in campus steam boilers equals 40 percent of the college’s carbon footprint. Proponents believe that substituting wood waste to create steam with a biomass gasification plant will create fewer pollutants and as long as the wood waste is replenished in the forest, the net effect is that carbon released in the atmosphere is equal to the carbon stored in trees. Opponents believe the biomass project will emit twice as much carbon as the gas-fired plant.
Macalester College Invests in Bank for Under-Resourced Citizens
Macalester College (MN) has made a financial investment in University Bank, which supports economically distressed communities in St. Paul, Minn. Through the partnership, students research micro-lending, green banking methods and culturally-appropriate banking through classes and internship opportunities. The campus community can also contribute to the Socially Responsible Deposit Fund with an investment option that helps improve local urban neighborhoods.
Rochester Inst of Tech Student Awarded Electric Energy Fulbright
A master's student at the Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has been awarded a Fulbright Student Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study the potential impact of electric vehicles on Singapore's transportation sector. Samir Nazir, a student in the science, technology and public policy program, will spend a year as a visiting scientist at the University of Singapore. The work builds on research Nazir conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology, which analyzed various types of power plants using both conventional and alternative energy technologies.
Sacred Heart U Plants Community Garden
Sacred Heart University (CT) has debuted its St. Martha Community Garden. The garden has four raised beds, each containing rows of red and black bush beans. All of the produce from the community garden will be donated to the Connecticut Food Bank through Catholic Charities Harvest Now. Students in the fall will have the opportunity to harvest the beans and decide on an expansion of the garden based on the needs of the community.
Southern Illinois U Edwardsville Receives Green Roof System
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has received a portable self-contained green roof system donated by Green Roof Blocks. Green roofs are vegetated roof covers that help reduce energy consumption and costs, decrease storm water runoff and preserve the life of roof materials. Sixteen Green Roof Blocks have been installed as part of an eventual 1000- block system that will be used for student research.
U Calgary Dining Services Goes Green
In response to campus community input, the University of Calgary’s (AB) Dining Services has begun implementing sustainable initiatives. The university has eliminated Styrofoam containers and will use biodegradable and compostable coffee cups and chlorine-free napkins. Dining Services will also serve fair trade coffee and sustainable seafood.
U Kansas Launches Farm to Cart Program
The University of Kansas’ Dining Services recently debuted the Farm to Cart program, where students and faculty can buy fresh fruits, vegetables and other products from local farms. Students and faculty can check out the Dining Services website, www.union.ku.edu/dining, to see the list of available and upcoming items.
U Louisville Renovated Engineering Center Earns LEED Gold
The University of Louisville’s (KY) Duthie Center for Engineering has received LEED Gold certification. The renovation of the 34,000-square-foot facility includes energy-saving thermostats, energy-efficient fixtures, new landscaping and parking spots for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. The renovation reused 95 percent of the structure, including the exterior walls, roof decking and the structural floor. Seventy-seven percent of materials that weren’t used during the demolition were recycled. New building materials contain 27 percent recycled content and 31 percent of the materials were produced in the region.
U Missouri, Kansas City Hires Sustainability Coordinator
The University of Missouri, Kansas City's Campus Facilities Management program has named its first full-time sustainability coordinator. Kaye Johnston, a geosciences and public affairs Ph.D. student at the university, will helm campus sustainability efforts. Johnston currently serves as the leader of the university's Sustainability Team.
U New Haven Residence Hall Receives LEED Gold Certification
The University of New Haven’s (CT) Soundview Hall has received LEED Gold certification. The residence hall is equipped with a variable refrigerant-volume heating and cooling system that provides individual temperature control to each suite. Other sustainable features include low-flow plumbing, passive solar design, drought resistant plants and grasses, and stormwater management.
U Toledo Announces Solar Research and Development Partnership
The University of Toledo (OH) has partnered with silicone supplier Dow Corning for discussions on photovoltaic solar research and development efforts to help reduce solar energy costs. The collaboration will offer researchers from both organizations the opportunity to share data and technology, and could include additional universities and businesses in the future.
Wake Forest U Completes Green Residence Hall
Wake Forest University (NC) recently completed its first campus building that was planned, designed and constructed with LEED certification in mind. Sustainable features of the $18 million, 67,000-square-foot residence hall include monitors that show the amount of water and electricity consumed on each of the four floors, passive solar design and energy-efficient windows. South Hall will open to students this fall.
Yale U Develops Green Incentive Program
Yale University (CT) has developed a set of Green Certification programs for campus workplaces, labs and events. The program is designed to educate faculty and staff about the sustainable practices they can implement to reduce the university’s impact on the environment. A blend of information and incentives, the program offers four levels of certification. Workplaces, for example, can attain the various levels of certification by accumulating points that are awarded through the accomplishment of ongoing, monthly activities.
California IT Receives Grant for Energy Innovation Hub
California Institute of Technology will receive up to $122 million over the next five years from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish an Energy Innovation Hub aimed at developing methods to generate fuels directly from the sunlight. A multidisciplinary team of scientists will work at the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to develop an integrated solar energy-to-chemical fuel conversion system and move the system from the discovery phase to a scale where it can be commercialized.
Colorado State U Initiates Green Walking Tour
Colorado State University has created the self-guided Green University Walking Tour. The tour of its Fort Collins campus takes students, staff and visitors to more than a dozen locations that have been essential in the school’s sustainability efforts including the LEED Silver-certified Guggenheim classroom building and the School of Global Environmental Sustainability.
Emory U's Oxford College Uses Solar Electricity for Irrigation
Emory University's Oxford College (GA) uses solar-produced electricity to irrigate its demonstration organic garden. Through the recent installation of solar panels on Haygood Residence Hall, the solar electricity powers a water pump that irrigates the garden with rainwater collected from the residence hall roof. When the pump is not in use, the electricity is sent to the grid. The amount of electricity produced is monitored online and, between January and June 2010, the panels produced enough electricity to power 32 homes for one day.
Illinois Valley CC Receives Grant for Green Job Training
Illinois Valley Community College has been awarded a $560,000 grant to train technicians for jobs in the alternative energy industry. The three-year grant from the National Science Foundation will assist with the launch of a wind energy technician program this fall. Later phases of the grant will focus on programs for technicians in other renewable energy industries.
John Tyler CC Science Building Earns LEED Silver
John Tyler Community College’s (VA) new science building has been awarded LEED Silver certification. The 60,000-square-foot building features a green roof, low VOC-emitting building materials and bike racks. Showers and changing rooms are available for those wishing to use alternative transportation.
Middlebury College Uses Compost for Organic Maintenance
Middlebury College (VT) has started spreading compost on its natural-grass athletic fields to transition those grounds to organic maintenance practices. The college composts 10,000 pounds of food waste from its dining halls and residential houses annually, measuring to 1,500 cubic yards of compost.
Monroe County CC to Build Solar Installation
Monroe County Community College (MI) has partnered with Detroit Edison to install a 500-kilowatt photovoltaic system as part of a 20-year renewable energy agreement. The solar system will be owned, installed, operated and maintained by Detroit Edison. The college will use the system for alternative energy demonstration, education and instruction.
North Carolina Institutions Receive Grants to Train Green Interns
The North Carolina Energy Office has distributed $5.6 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to create an internship program that will employ 400 North Carolina students training in green energy-related fields. North Carolina State University, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University will receive grants.
North Carolina State U Centennial Campus to Feature Green Grid
North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus has completed construction on the 72,000-square-foot Keystone Science Center. Among its tenants is the National Science Foundation-sponsored FREEDM Center, which plans to create a one-megawatt green grid to showcase solar, wind, fuel cell, battery storage, flywheel storage and plug-in vehicles. Researchers will test and evaluate how the different components work together in a distributed electrical system.
Texas Tech U Receives Grant for Renewable Energy Institute
Texas Tech University and the National Institute for Renewable Energy have received $8.4 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to create a renewable energy institute. The university and its wind research organizations will receive $6.4 million of the award. Initial research will look at further decreasing the cost of wind energy and other renewable energy sources, and developing energy storage technologies.
U Alberta Hires New Academic Coord for Office of Sustainability
Dr. Susan Barker has been named as the new academic coordinator for the University of Alberta's (AB) Office of Sustainability. The academic branch encourages sustainable concepts in classes, curriculum and research. Barker, whose research interests include ecological and environmental education, is currently the university's chair of Secondary Education and serves on the Canadian National Expert Council for Education for Sustainable Development.
U Chicago Utilizes Dorm Open Space
The University of Chicago (IL) has announced plans to create student-maintained gardens with available land space outside dormitories. The "Uncommon Garden Project" will encourage dorm residents to plant, cultivate and harvest their own fruits, vegetables and herbs just outside their kitchens. With support from the Uncommon Fund, start-up costs will be provided along with the education needed to maintain the gardens. A Web page found on the Geophysical Science department website will feature updates, photos and garden announcements.
U Illinois at Chicago Installs Green and White Roofs
The University of Illinois at Chicago has installed green and white roofs. Funded by federal stimulus grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, the green roofs' vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and the heat in the summer to provide extra insulation year-round. The university is also applying white acrylic coating on several campus roofs. The lighter paneling absorbs less heat and reduces the amount of energy needed to cool the building.
U Nevada Reno Creates Energy Management Certificate
The University of Nevada, Reno will offer a new Energy Management Certificate program in the fall. The 10-session certificate offered by the university's Extended Studies will examine the essentials of building-energy management technologies, regulatory compliance issues and increasing efficiency and return on investment. The courses are designed for building and facility/plant managers, construction planners, engineers, maintenance personnel and others interested in energy resources.
U New Haven Announces Undergraduate Sustainability Program
The University of New Haven (CT) has developed a Bachelor of Science sustainability studies program to debut this fall. The interdisciplinary program is designed to help prepare students for careers in the green job market with the application of sustainability principles and practices in a variety of professional positions in industry, government and academia.
U South Florida Global Sustainability School Names First Director
The University of South Florida has named Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy as director of the university's new School of Global Sustainability. The former chair professor of water engineering at the University of Birmingham (UK) and chair professor of sustainable urban water infrastructure systems for UNESCO-IHE's Institute of Water Education will begin his new assignment in the fall with the inaugural class of 25 students. The School of Global Sustainability is an interdisciplinary effort to prepare graduate students for a new generation of "green collar" careers. The first degree program offered by the school is a global sustainability master's degree with a focus on water management.
U Texas Athletics Creates Renewable Energy Service
The University of Texas Men's & Women's Athletics program has formed a new partnership with Dallas-based Branded Retail Energy Co. to offer a 100 percent renewable energy service to alumni and those in deregulated regions of Texas. Texas Longhorns Energy will be powered by electricity provider Champion Energy Services, with each new customer account generating funds for sustainability efforts within the university's Athletics department. The service will launch in mid-August with rates comparable to current renewable energy market rates.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh, Elon U Launch Social Network Carpool Service
In separate partnerships, Elon University (NC) and the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh have joined with the San Francisco-based company, Zimride, to launch a campus social network for carpooling. The company created a Facebook-integrated platform to help its users share commutes or one-time rides. Faculty, staff and students at Elon University and the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh will help to reduce campus traffic and parking congestion by finding others with similar commuting patterns using the website.
Vanderbilt U Improves Student Move-In Day Recycling Efforts
As students return to Vanderbilt University (TN) in the fall, the university will offer plastic film recycling in addition to the cardboard and plastic foam recycling offered previously. Last year, two 26-foot trucks were filled with plastic foam and 7.5 tons of cardboard were recycled. To help divert water bottles from the landfills, the university will also provide 12 water cooler filling stations instead of handing out water bottles.
Wisconsin Lutheran College Installs Solar Panels
Wisconsin Lutheran College has installed 60 solar panels on the roof of the campus library. Students and the community can visit a kiosk in the library to learn more about the panels and track the amount of energy being produced on campus. The college received a $35,080 grant from renewable energy adviser Focus on Energy to help offset the cost of the system.
American U Sharjah Offers Green Building/LEED Prep Course
American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) is offering a new course in green building/LEED AP preparation. Students receive an introduction to concepts of sustainable, high-performance green buildings, as well as the methods for design, construction and evaluation. An emphasis is placed on the review of LEED Rating System fundamentals and relevant LEED certification processes. The course will also provide information about the tools and technical expertise needed to take the LEED credentials and LEED Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction exams.
American U Sharjah Students Test Vehicle Emissions
Environmental sciences students at American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) recently conducted vehicle emissions testing for air quality as a public service. The initiative was designed to increase student awareness about their vehicles and the types of pollution they cause. The vehicles received unofficial testing of toxic gases such as VOCS, CO and C3.
American U Sharjah Students Win DuPont Eco Challenge
Students at American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) recently took top prize in the DuPont Bright Ideas Eco Challenge for their project titled "Rid the Environment of Waste Rubber." The award aimed to increase awareness about environmental disasters and concerns and help facilitate possible solutions. With their project titled "Generating Electricity Using Quartz Crystal Electric Technology," another group of American University of Sharjah students earned third place in the competition.
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Posted Aug 1, 2010
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Other News
Bournville College to Debut Green Campus
Bournville College (UK) will unveil a new environmentally friendly campus in September 2011. Able to house up to 15,000 students, the campus is designed to achieve the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method Excellent rating. Sustainable campus features will include rainwater harvesting, exposed concrete soffits to absorb heat during the day and release heat at night, a transportation plan that utilizes the local railway and bus stations, and a waste recycling plan. Future plans will connect buildings to a district heating system.
