Mount St. Mary’s U to Host $60 Million Solar Project
Mount St. Mary’s University (MD) has partnered with Constellation Energy to be the site of a $60 million solar project as part of the state’s Generating Clean Horizons initiative. The project will place solar panels on 100 sunny acres of the University’s campus and produce 15.9 megawatts of power, 1.2 of which will return to the University.
North Carolina State U Announces Winter Shutdown
North Carolina State University has announced plans to set back its heating and lighting systems for more than 200 buildings over the holiday break in an effort to save a substantial amount of money and reduce the amount of carbon being expelled into the atmosphere. Facilities Operations will turn down the thermostat for the time period between Thursday, December 24, 2009, and Monday, January 4, 2010. The University is asking employees to do their part before they leave for the holiday break by making sure all office equipment in their department is turned off and unplugged.
San Diego State U Launches Car-Sharing Program
San Diego State University (CA) has partnered with Zipcar to offer a new car-share program on campus. Students 18 years and older can reserve a car online for $8 per hour, and can choose from three hybrid Honda Insights and two Honda Civics.
San Diego State U Powers Pool with Solar Energy
San Diego State University (CA) has installed a 124-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array at its Aztec Aquaplex. The new array completely powers the complex, which is the most energy intensive facility on campus. In addition to the solar array, the facility installed new water pumps that are 70 percent more energy efficient.
Students Attend COP15
Several U.S. and Canadian institution sent student delegations to the United National Climate Change Conference, which was held December 7-18, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hundreds of students blogged and tweeted about their experiences and the Dickinson College (PA) delegation held three conference calls with the AASHE community. Recordings of these conversations are posted on the AASHE website.
Tufts U School of Dental Medicine Adds Green Addition
Tufts University's (MA) 10-story School of Dental Medicine building has been topped off with a five-story green addition. The building, constructed in the 1970s, was always intended to be taller. The five-story addition, which was constructed while the building was still open, is expected to receive LEED certification.
U California, Berkeley Extension Offers Sustainability Certificates
The University of California, Berkeley Extension has opened enrollment for its new programs in sustainability studies: leadership in sustainability and environmental management, and solar energy and green building. The programs are designed for professionals to receive certificates while not attending the University full time.
U Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Business Facility Awarded LEED Platinum
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign’s new business building has received LEED Platinum certification. The Business Instructional Facility generates eight percent of its power from solar panels, has a green roof to reduce run off, and recycled 75 percent of its construction waste. The building is estimated to cut costs by up to $300,000 a year compared to similar traditional buildings on campus.
U Kansas Partners with ESPN to Green Basketball Game
The University of Kansas Athletics, the city of Lawrence, and television network ESPN have partnered to host a "Green Game" for the KU men's basketball game against Michigan on ESPN, which took place on Saturday, December 19th. The telecast featured two short features about go-green initiatives on the KU campus. The first highlighted the 15 elliptical machines in the Student Recreation and Fitness Center that convert kinetic energy created by individual workouts and feed it back into the building's electrical grid. The second video featured KU's Biodiesel Initiative, which collects used cooking oil from campus dining halls and converts it into biodiesel fuel. Also during the game, KU played a 3-second video featuring student athletes recycling a water bottle and recognized the on-campus winners of the Sustainability Leadership Awards program.
U Michigan Student Entrepreneur Plans to Recycle Used Cooking Oil
The University of Michigan has announced the winners of its 1,000 pitches contest. Over 2,000 student entrepreneurs submitted their innovative ideas to be recognized and nine were selected. The winner in the green campus category was Daniel Forhan, who developed a plan to recycle the used cooking oil in the school’s cafeterias to biodiesel for use in campus buses.
Washington U in St. Louis Dining Services Recycles Cooking Oil
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) Dining Services has partnered with Kelley Green Biofuel to recycle its used vegetable oil. Once a week, Kelley Green Biodiesel collects the oil and converts it to biofuel, then places it in a holding tank on campus. The fuel is used for vehicles in the Dining Services fleet.
Yale U Stoekel Hall Receives LEED Gold Certification
Yale University's (CT) Stoeckel Hall, which reopened in January of 2009, has received LEED Gold certification. Originally built in 1897, the structure now contains high efficiency lighting and mechanical systems, high-performance windows, and improved insulation. The building faí§ade was restored and 90 percent of the original walls and floors were reused, reducing demand for new materials, and 85 percent of the waste produced during construction was recycled.
2 College Arts Complexes Receive LEED Certifications
Yale University (CT) and Buffalo State College (NY) have received LEED Gold and Silver certifications respectively for arts complexes on campus. Yale's newly renovated and expanded Paul Rudolph Hall included the restoration of exterior walls, the installation of historically correct windows, and upgrades to all building facilities including the exhibition gallery, jury and studio spaces, study areas, and administrative and faculty offices. The 114,000-square-foot structure provides classrooms, seminar rooms, lecture halls, faculty offices, and a public café. Buffalo State's Burchfield Penney Art Center received its certification for a 40 percent reduction in water consumption, incorporation of local materials in building construction, and an energy efficient HVAC system.
Associated Press Covers Campus Green Poinsettia Initiatives
The Associated Press has published an article on initiatives at some U.S. institutions to grow poinsettias more sustainably. Institutions mentioned include the University of New Hampshire, Purdue University (IN), North Carolina State University, and the University of Florida.
Baldwin-Wallace College Installs Wind Turbine
Baldwin-Wallace College (OH) has installed a 60-foot residential wind turbine on campus. The turbine can generate up to 2.4 kilowatt hours and serves as a sign of the College’s commitment to sustainability. It was paid for with funds from student government and the sustainability department.
Campuses Increasingly Embrace Geothermal Power
The Boston Globe has published and article on how college and university campuses are increasingly turning to geothermal power as an alternative to heating and cooling campus buildings. The article mentions Boise State University (ID), which expects to save up to $80,000 per year in heating costs with its geothermal installations, Ball State University (IN), which expects to save $2 million a year once its project to upgrade 45 buildings to geothermal technology is complete, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, which has recently installed a geothermal system and expects that cost will be recovered in 15-20 years.
Clemson U Researchers Receive Grant to Study Carbon Sequestration
Clemson University (SC) researchers have received an $891,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the storage of carbon dioxide in underground geological formations. The researchers will focus on carbon dioxide dissolved in saltwater at high pressure and how to keep it away from underground drinking water. They will also work with a professor from Stanford University (CA).
College Students Attend White House Youth Energy Forum
The New York Times has posted a blog on the White House Youth Clean Energy Economic Forum, which several campus members were able to attend. The Forum was held to begin building a framework for a green economy. The University of California, Berkeley was mentioned in the post.
Eastern U Installs Solar Panels
Eastern University (PA) has announced plans to cover the entire roof of its Eagle Learning Center with solar panels. The installation will be free-of-charge because Eastern's energy provider, Community Energy, will use it as a working sample for clients. The installation is expected to provide the Center with eight to 10 percent of its energy needs.
Medaille College Partners with Aramark to Achieve Energy Savings
Medaille College (NY) has partnered with ARAMARK Higher Education, the College's facilities management provider, to reduce its energy consumption on campus. In 2008, ARAMARK developed a 5-year plan to reduce energy use by 18 percent. After a combination of improvements and capital investments this goal was reached in just six months and a new goal was set to reach 25 percent. The College expects to save $600,000 and to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the campus carbon dioxide emissions by at least 500 metric tons.
Northern Arizona U Produces Biodiesel on Campus
Northern Arizona University has begun using cooking oil from campus dining halls to create biodiesel for campus buses. The campus began their project when diesel was $5 a gallon; the biodiesel they produce now costs $1.70 a gallon.
North Idaho College Starts Program to Support Biking
North Idaho College’s Natural Resource Conservation and Management class has launched the WeCycle program to promote bicycling on and off campus. The new program is recruiting campus art and welding classes to create bike racks from recycled materials to be placed around town and campus. The class hopes that the 15 new racks will bring awareness to the importance of biking.
Rhode Island Funds Prgm to Send Low-Income Students to College
The State of Rhode Island has begun a pilot program designed to send lower income high school students to college. The program, Bachelor Degree in Three, provides funding for lower income high school students to take up to one year of college courses while still in high school so that they can graduate from a college or university in three years, saving the family money. Participating schools include the University of Rhode Island, the Community College of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island College.
Rice U Increases Shuttle-Riding and Car-sharing
Rice University (TX) has announced that ridership on its campus shuttle service has increased by 30 percent since last year. The University believes that the availability of a car-sharing program on campus has helped increase the number of shuttle riders because it has decreased the need to have a car on campus. The institution has also seen an increase in the number of hours its shared cars are in use.
Slippery Rock U Buses Upgraded for More Convenience
Slippery Rock University (PA) students, faculty, and staff can now use their cell phones to track campus and off-campus buses. The Student Government Association hopes the project will make riding buses more convenient and boost ridership. The new computers installed on the buses were partially paid for with a grant from the student green fund.
Slippery Rock U Greens Graduation
Slippery Rock University (PA) students will be sporting green gowns at their graduation this year. The gowns will be made at of GreenWeaver fabric, which is made out of plastic bottles. Each gown saves about 23 plastic bottles from entering a landfill and is expected to only cost students $3 more.
Temple U Opens Center Focused on Diversity
Temple University (PA) has established a new center focused on diversity. The Academic Center on Research in Diversity launched earlier this year to promote faculty and student research on diversity. The Center will also hosts forums about diversity and reach out to the local community.
U Idaho Graduate Student Wins National Conservation Award
A graduate student from the University of Idaho has won the national William T. Hornaday Conservation Award from the American Society of Mammalogists. Jan Schipper is currently pursuing his doctorate degree at the University and has done a significant amount of work to improve the protection of mammals. One initiative he has led is to assess the status of the world’s 5,500 mammal species by working with organizations around the world.
U Miami Builds Green Medical Center
The University of Miami’s (FL) new Clinical Research Building has received LEED certification. The 15-story, 336,000-square-foot building incorporates drought tolerant landscaping that reduces irrigation by 53 percent, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and the use of renewable sources for 78 percent of the building’s electricity.
Unity College Residence Achieves Net-Zero Status
The Unity House, a 1,930 square foot LEED Platinum home built on the campus of Unity College (ME), is now officially net-zero; it creates more energy than it uses. Construction on the sustainable home finished last fall, and over a period of one year it produced 6,441 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity while using only 6,430 kWh. The house was built for Unity College by Bensonwood Homes in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture. The Unity House is being used as an educational resource for visitors and students, as well as serving as home for Unity College President Mitchell Thomashow.
University System of Maryland Approves 4 Renewable Energy Projects
The University System of Maryland Board of Regents has approved the award of four renewable energy projects that will produce more than 20 percent of the annual electric needs for USM institutions and state agencies. The four projects recommended include a 13 MW solar project at Mount St. Mary's University, a 10 MW wind project in western Maryland, a 55 MW project in West Virginia, and up to 55 MW of offshore wind. It is expected that USM institutions will contract for approximately 20 percent of the Systems’ electrical consumption.
University System of Ohio Establishes Green Jobs Advisory Panel
The University System of Ohio has established the Ohio Green Pathways Advisory Council. The new committee is charged with developing a comprehensive understanding of green workforce demand, building and expanding relationships with green industry leaders, and identifying strategies to create and expand new green opportunities in Ohio. The 20-member panel is comprised of leaders from business and industry, higher education institutions, and state agencies, all representing green workforce and industry in Ohio. After the panel’s first meeting on January 13, 2010, it will recommend to the Chancellor ways to expand access to affordable educational pathways for green jobs and market Ohio's green job pathways as an economic development tool for the State.
U South Carolina Pledges to Cut Vehicle Pollution
The University of South Carolina has announced plans to cut is vehicle pollution by 90 percent by 2015. The University plans to do this by switching the majority of its 400 vehicles to an alternative fuel. These alternatives include ethanol, biodiesel, liquefied petroleum gas, electricity, and hydrogen fuel cells. The transition will begin with a hydrogen hybrid bus joining the fleet next month.
Washington U in St. Louis Serves Ethical Tomatoes
Washington University, St. Louis (MO) Dining Services’ provider, Bon Appétit, has decided to only serve Fair Trade tomatoes in campus dining halls. In the winter, the tomatoes at the University will come from farms in Florida that have signed an agreement, established by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to fairly pay and ethically treat their workers. Currently only one farm will be providing the University with tomatoes.
West Virginia U Energy Saving Program Receives Federal Funds
West Virginia University, in partnership with the state Division of Energy, has received $500,000 in stimulus money to help fund its Save Energy Now program. The program helps businesses in the region save energy, create jobs, and improve the environment. This was the second time the program has received funds, making the total $1.2 million.
Worcester Polytechnic Inst Building Recognized as Green Teaching Tool
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (MA) East Hall has been awarded the 'Judge's Choice' honor from the EducationDesignShowcase.com in its "Building as a Teaching Tool" category. East Hall's design-and-construction process and sustainable features were recognized as "educational opportunities" for the campus community. As part of the building's "teaching tool" features, the residence hall's project team engaged WPI's Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) faculty and students in planning and discussions throughout the construction process. Furthermore, the building's green roof and stormwater monitoring/testing station also serve as teaching tools by allowing for CEE faculty and students to study stormwater quality and flow rate, and conduct green roof technology research.
2009 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing Announced
The 2009 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing has been awarded to a study on the complex relationship between corporate financial performance, corporate social performance, and social pressure. The winning paper, “The Economics and Politics of Corporate Social Performance” was written by David Baron of the Stanford University (CA) Graduate School of Business, Maretno Harjoto of Pepperdine University's (CA) Graziadio School of Business and Management, and Hoje Jo of Santa Clara University's (CA) Leavey School of Business.
Alamo Colleges Purchase Electric Scooters for Campus Security
Alamo Colleges (TX) has purchased 10 electric scooters for its 5 campuses. The scooters, made by T3 Motion, are three wheeled and allow campus police to get around quickly and efficiently. The addition of the scooters, which will only cost 10 cents a day to operate, has allowed the College to get rid of four police vehicles.
Appalachian State U Grads to Wear Eco-Friendly Gowns
Students graduating in December 2009 from Appalachian State University (NC) will be the first on campus to wear a graduation gown made of fiber from renewable and sustainably-managed forests. The gown and its plastic packaging have been constructed to decompose in a landfill in a reasonably short period of time, according to the manufacturers. The eco-friendly gown costs only $3 more than last year's polyester gown.
Butler CC Holds First Sustainability Committee Meeting
Butler Community College (KS) has formed a sustainability committee that is comprised of students, faculty, staff, and local experts. Members of the committee will discuss the steps necessary to make Butler more sustainable. During the first meeting, attendees identified low hanging fruit, such as turning lights off, as well as larger projects such as developing a sustainability plan and conducting an energy audit.
Clemson U Receives Grant to Conduct Wind Turbine Research
Clemson University (SC) has received a $45 million grant from the Department of Energy and an additional $53 million in matching funds to build a wind turbine research facility. The facility will focus on developing large-scale turbines that can generate 5 to 15 megawatts, which currently do not exist in the US. The facility will be part of the Restoration Institute at the former U.S. naval base in Charleston.
Florida Gulf Coast U to Create Green Research Center
Florida Gulf Coast University has partnered with the John D. Back Foundation to create the Florida Gulf Coast Innovation Hub, a 1.2 million-square-foot research and development area. FGCU plans to build a facility at the Innovation Hub to study renewable energy, solar energy, alternative energy sources, biotechnology, green technology and other programs. One of the primary goals of the initiative is to attract businesses and universities with an interest in renewable energy, and spur growth in green jobs.
Harvard U Building Services Staff Receives Green Building Mgmt Training
The Harvard University (MA) Office for Sustainability’s Green Building Services (GBS) team has completed an 8-hour Direct Digital Controls (DDC) training using a custom-made DDC simulator that is a full mock-up of all common pieces of HVAC equipment found in a building, including fans, heating and cooling coils, thermostats, and humidity sensors. The DDC training will help the GBS team ask better questions in project meetings, as well as recommend better solutions when auditing existing buildings. The training is part of an effort to keep the GBS team knowledgeable about the building systems they work with around campus, helping to reduce energy consumption and lower peak demand.
Massachusetts Students Weatherize Local Homes
A group of 140 volunteers made up of Williams College students and faculty members, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students, and local community college attendees have weatherized 35 local homes as part of the area's second annual Winter Blitz. 28 teams of four people each weatherized one or two homes and were provided with the necessary supplies and a trained student leader. As part of the project, students insulated doors, installed storm windows, and filled in cracks in the walls.
Meredith College Plants Edible Landscape
Meredith College (NC) has planted an edible landscape on its campus grounds. A group of 20 students participated in the edible landscape planting, which features apples, plums, pomegranate, blackberries, raspberries, and kiwis.
Mesa College Opens Green Police Station
San Diego Community College District's Mesa College (CA) has opened its new Police Station, a 7,000-square-foot facility that is registered for LEED Gold certification. 75 percent of construction waste was diverted, the attached parking structure features solar panels, and the facility is 12.9 percent more efficient than mandated by code.
Michigan Technological U Transitions Fleet to Hybrids
Michigan Technological University’s Fleet Services has begun to transition its fleet to hybrid vehicles. So far, MTU has replaced four SUVs with hybrid Ford Escapes—which are 50 percent more efficient than their previous vehicles—and has purchased one hybrid Ford Fusion. The current fleet consists of 70 vehicles and consumes 5,000 gallons of gasoline a year. The University plans to switch all 32 of its SUVs and sedans to hybrids within 5 years.
Montgomery County CC to Offer Sustainable Building Program
Montgomery County Community College (PA) has announced plans to launch the Sustainable Building Advisor Program in January 2010. The nine-month program was developed with help from the non-profit organization National Sustainable Building Advisor Program and will cover such sustainable building aspects as site assessment and location, land usage, green communities, renewable energy options, investment costs and savings, indoor environmental quality, and water conservation.
New York U Bans Bottled Water from Dining Halls
New York University Dining Services' Kimmel Market Place and Upstein Dining Hall have removed bottled water from their meal plan options. The two locations now provide compostable cups made from plant materials to students who wish to drink water or fountain soda.
