Colorado State U Receives $44M for Algae Research
Colorado State University, in partnership with Solix Biofuels Inc., has been awarded a $44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for algae-to-oil research. The grant is part the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts, and the researchers will focus on such issues as reuse of biproducts and feasibility of algae replacing gasoline.
Duke U Introduces Reusable To-Go Containers
Duke University (NC) has introduced the "Eco-Clamshell," a reusable to-go container which is now available to students, faculty, and staff. The clamshells are like current to-go containers used on campus, except they are made of environmentally-friendly polypropylene, a type of hard plastic. Students and employees who want to participate pay $5 for each reusable container. After the initial $5, no other fees are paid. After using a clamshell, employees and students are asked to rinse it out and return it to a drop station by the cash register at a campus dining facility, where it will be cleaned and sanitized. When an owner turns the to-go container in, he or she receives a keychain token that can be turned in for a replacement clamshell. Campus Dining gave away the first 200 to-go containers as part of the program's launch.
Elon U Conducts Sustainability Assessment with EPA System
Elon University (NC) has begun a sustainability assessment with the Environmental Management System, a tool promoted by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Colleges and Universities Sector Group. The EMS program allows colleges to identify and rank environmental aspects in order to develop new goals and procedures. Students and staff are analyzing environmental factors in each department to determine where they can cut down on waste and conserve more.
Georgia Institute of Technology Buses Use Biodiesel
Georgia Institute of Technology has signed a 10-year contract with a transportation provider that will bring new buses and trolleys to campus. The new vehicles will be using a B20 mixture of biodiesel fuel, which will be made out of cooking oil from the school's dining services.
Illinois CC Sustainability Network Receives Grant
The Illinois Community College Sustainability Network (ICCSN) has received a $1.7 million grant to expand its green educational and training offerings throughout the system and to open three new Green Job Centers. The ICCSN is a consortium of 48 community colleges geared toward advancing career development in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Maharishi U Management Expands Recycling Program
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has introduced a greatly expanded recycling program that includes recycling bins in every residence hall room, 30 recycling stations in the major buildings, and 15 recycling sheds spread around campus. MUM also plans to increase awareness among the students, staff, and residents through a new recycling campaign. The project was funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Marshall U Hands Out Reusable Water Bottles
Marshall University's (WV) Sustainability Department handed aluminum water bottles out to students in an effort to reduce waste and promote recycling. The Department, which was created by a student green fee, hopes to distribute 6,000 bottles in the near future.
Rowan U Students & Faculty Work to Green Pharmaceutical Companies
Students and faculty in Rowan University's (NJ) College of Engineering are working with pharmaceutical companies to help green their processes. Through EPA grants totaling over $200,000, the University is expanding its green engineering research to work with the pharmaceuticals to help them reduce waste and become more efficient. Current research focuses on minimizing the impacts of raw materials used in creating the products and reducing pollution.
Syracuse U Opens Green Data Center
Syracuse University (NY) has completed its new Green Data Center. The $12.4 million, 12,000-square-foot facility uses an innovative on-site power generation system for electricity, heating and cooling, and incorporates IBM’s latest energy-efficient servers, computer-cooling technology and system management software. The Center is anticipated to use about 50 percent less energy than a typical data center. The SU GDC features an on-site electrical tri-generation system that uses natural gas-fueled microturbines to generate all the electricity for the center and cooling for the computer servers. The center will be able to operate completely off-grid. The project is seeking LEED Silver certification.
U Michigan Launches Integrated Sustainability Assessment
The University of Michigan has launched a year-long initiative to study campus operations with a plan to set ambitious goals to become more sustainable. UM's recently formed Sustainability Executive Council approved the study—called an integrated assessment—as one of its first major initiatives. The result will be a thorough and multi-layered analysis that will give the University the detailed knowledge and insight needed to make decisions. The assessment also sets the stage for the long-term behavioral changes that will enable UM to reach its goals. The Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute and the Office of Campus Sustainability will engage teams of faculty, staff and students in the integrated assessment in a coordinated process to gather data, capture a multitude of perspectives, promote buy-in and draw on deep technical expertise. The assessment has two phases: one to establish initial recommendations and a second to dive more deeply into priority areas identified through the first phase. Student involvement is a key feature of the integrated assessment.
U Texas Arlington Hires Sustainability Director
The University of Texas at Austin has named Meghna Tare as its first director of sustainability. Tare holds a master's degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University (CA) and a master's degree in chemistry from the University of San Francisco (CA). She was an environmental manager with the city of Dallas' Office of Environmental Quality for the past three years and has taught environmental studies at California State University at Hayward and worked at Stanford University (CA) with the Institute of Environmental Science and Policy. Her duties include initiating and coordinating programs in utility efficiency and management, carbon foot print reduction, recycling and waste reduction, transportation, environmentally preferable purchasing, and much more.
U Toronto Athletic Center Installs Solar Hot Water Heater
The University of Toronto (ON) Athletics Center has installed 100 rooftop solar collector panels to supply nearly 25 percent of the heat for the building's showers and laundry facilities during peak sunshine months, substantially reducing natural gas use throughout the year. The initiative first took shape as a student project in 2006, when Faculty of Applied Sciences undergraduate Ashley Taylor evaluated the feasibility of installing solar collector panels at the location. Now employed full-time by the University's sustainability office, Taylor worked with the facilities and services division on campus to see the project through to completion.
William Paterson U to Install 3.5 MW Solar Array
William Paterson University (NJ) has reached an agreement with Nautilus Solar Power and SunDurance Energy to install a 3.5 MW solar array. The project, which will include the installation of solar panels on the rooftop and parking lot of the campus, will initially aim to generate three megawatts of solar power with the completion of its first phase this summer. The second part of the project, which will add another 500 kilowatts, is currently scheduled to go online sometime in 2011.The school estimates that it will save $4.3 million in energy costs over the next 15 years.
5 Campuses Announce New Ride-Sharing Programs
The University of California, Irvine; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco (CA); University of Maryland; and George Mason University (VA) have launched an integrated car and ride sharing application on their campuses. The integrated Zipcar-Zimride application allows members to share a ride by posting the date, time, and destination of the trip to the Zimride campus community. Once posted, Zimride's route algorithm finds and notifies users looking for a ride to the same or nearby destination. Zimride members also may find and share a local Zipcar if a posted ride is not available or does not exist. The campuses hope to reduce congestion, parking demand, and CO2 emissions while at the same time providing a cost-saving and convenient alternative to car ownership for faculty, staff, and students.
Agnes Scott College Receives Grant for Green Initiatives
Agnes Scott College (GA) has received a $150,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to continue and expand its efforts to become more sustainable. The grant will be used to fund a sustainability fellow position, install real-time utility trackers in several residence halls, and an energy audit that will provide a detailed assessment of the College’s energy use.
Albion College Recycles & Reuses International House Materials
Albion College (MI) has announced that, before Gerstacker International House was demolished, a significant amount of recyclable and reusable material was removed from the building. Along with recycling metals and plastics, the College's Facilities department salvaged materials that may be used elsewhere on campus, and gave other building materials to community groups such as Habitat for Humanity. The I-House site will be developed into green space and a garden, which will retain the I-House's courtyard sculpture and many of the current plantings.
Bowdoin College Health & Fitness Center Awarded LEED Silver
The Buck Center for Health and Fitness at Bowdoin College (ME) has earned LEED Silver certification. The building contains several green performance elements, including energy-efficient lighting and water fixtures, certified wood, and eco-friendly furniture and carpeting, as well as water-efficient landscaping.
California Polytechnic State U Recognized for Commuting
The California Polytechnic State University has been awarded a gold medal for Best Workplace for Commuters. Amenities such as 11 vans for van pooling, showers for bike commuters, and car-share programs like Zipcar were all part of the University winning the award. The University of Southern Florida’s National Center for Transit Research awarded 27 companies, institutions, and individuals around the country for their commuting efforts. Also recognized was Stanford University (CA) and Virginia Tech.
California State U Bakersfield Hosts E-Waste Event
California State University, Bakersfield is hosting an e-waste event at the end of January to collect electronic waste from the surrounding community. Electronic items often contain hazardous elements, such as lead or mercury, and providing an event for citizens to recycle these items, helps keep them from landfills.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Covers Pressure Faced by Coal Campuses
The Chronicle of Higher Education has published an article on the pressure faced by coal-burning campuses to convert to renewable fuels. Higher education institutions mentioned include: Pennsylvania State University; University of Wisconsin, Madison; Binghamton University (NY); University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; University of Southern California; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Duke University (NC); Virginia Tech; Ohio State University; University of Manitoba; and Ball State University (IN).
Cornell U Collaborates to Launch Campus Carbon Reduction Website
Cornell University (NY) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have launched a website to help campus-based institutions develop clean energy and carbon-reduction strategies. The Climate Neutral Research Campuses website provides campuses with a process to establish a baseline carbon inventory and develop and implement their own climate action plans. The core of the website is a resource center that describes 24 specific climate action options. For each action, the website provides a leading example of the related technology and reference links. It also offers guidance on selecting the right technology options for an individual campus.
Cornell U Sets Goal to Become Coal-Free
Cornell University (NY) has finished a new Combined Heat and Power Plant, which uses mainly natural gas, that will help the institution move away from using coal by mid-2011. The plant will not only provide electricity, but the extra heat will be used to keep buildings warm. The new plant is expected to reduce the University's carbon footprint by almost 30 percent.
Emory U Structure Receives LEED Gold
The Emory University (GA) Goizueta Foundation Center, a classroom and administration building for the business school, has received LEED Gold certification. The 101,920-square-foot building contains low-flow fixtures that reduce water use by 20 percent, an underground cistern to capture storm water that will be used to irrigate campus plantings, and a protective tree save area. 50 percent of the building material used during construction was made from recycled content, and 86 percent of the construction waste was diverted from local landfills.
Georgetown U Fuels Fleet with Biodiesel
Georgetown University (DC) has begun to use blended biodiesel in its fleet of GU Transportation Shuttle buses and other staff vehicles in an effort to reduce its carbon foot print 50 percent by 2020. The University currently uses a B20 blend.
Goucher College Opens Green Anthenaem
Goucher College (MD) has opened its 103,000-square-foot, four-story Anthenaem, which is seeking LEED Silver certification. Features include two green roofs, a rain garden, high-performance glass, recycled materials, and innovative mechanical systems of optimal efficiency.
Grand Valley State U Begins Composting Program
Grand Valley State University (MI) has implemented a composting program to help the campus reduce its landfill waste. Two of Grand Valley's dining locations now offer guests the opportunity to compost food waste, serviceware, and packaging. Posters hang above receptacles to indicate items that can be placed into "landfill" and "composting" bins. The collection receptacles are lined with biodegradable bags. Bags are transferred to separate collection points for recycling, composting, and landfill.
Gustavus Adolphus College to Increase Green Energy Lab Projects
Gustavas Adolphus College (MN) has received a $155,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to incorporate sustainable and renewable energy into the science programs. The grant will allow the college to set up new lab programs that focus on renewable energy from sources such as wind and biofuels. Equipment to be purchased includes solar thermal collectors, a demonstration model of a small wind turbine, demonstration fuel cells, solar panels, and a hydroelectric generator.
Harvard U Lab Achieves LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors
The Harvard University (MA) Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Schreiber Lab has achieved LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors version 2.0. A renovation of the 1,700-square-foot chemistry lab was completed in the summer of 2008. Energy-saving features include: high-performance, variable air volume fume hoods; occupancy sensors that will turn off the overhead lighting and setback ventilation rates and temperature setpoints when a space is unoccupied; and commissioning of mechanical and electrical systems by a third-party. In addition, the project utilized salvaged office and classroom furniture from storage areas within the Cabot Chemistry Complex. 38 percent of the total value of materials used in the project came from materials with recycled content and 80 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills to recycling facilities.
Humboldt State U Installs 2 Hydration Stations
Humboldt State University (CA) has unveiled two hydration stations to help reduce the campus' dependency on disposable water bottles. The hygienic, hands-free stations filter local tap water and operated by a sensor. One hydration station was funded by a grant from the HSU Energy Independence Fund, and the other was donated by a manufacturer of the units.
Kean U Receives EPA Grant for Emissions Reduction Trainings
Kean University (NJ) and the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability have received a three-year grant for $179,655 to help carry out a series of seminars and workshops for colleges and universities in New Jersey on how to become more sustainable. The 18 training sessions will focus on reducing and preventing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; improving environmental performance; and quantifying and reporting the resulting reductions or avoided emissions use.
Mississippi State U Completes Successful Trial Recycling Program
Mississippi State University has completed a recycling trial with three local companies that was determined a success, and a full scale program will begin soon. Over the three-month period, 75,000 pounds of recyclables were collected from the 27 campus buildings where the trial was conducted.
Olympic College to Train Energy Auditors
Olympic College (WA) has received a $3.9 million grant in federal funds to help create green jobs. The College will use the funds to train individuals to conduct energy audits and weatherize homes and businesses. There are nearly a dozen other organizations partnering with the College to help carry out this training.
Riverland CC Offers Solar Installer Certificate
Riverland Community College (MN) has begun offering new classes for students interested in solar installation. The new solar installer certificate will train students in the electrician program to specialize in installing, repairing, and evaluating sights for solar panels.
Rochester Institute of Technology Building Receives LEED Platinum
Rochester Institute of Technology's (NY) new University Services Center has been certified LEED Platinum. The three-story and 54,000-square-foot structure opened last summer and serves as the administrative hub for various RIT support services. Green highlights include: a 48.6 percent energy cost reduction over industry standards for heating and cooling efficiency; a 43 percent reduction in water usage over national requirements for fixture performance; and 35 percent of the building’s electricity is supplied from renewable sources, including on-site solar photovoltaic panels. The University Services Center is located on a previously developed site on campus that is accessible from existing parking and multiple public transportation lines. To encourage alternative transportation, the facility offers secure bicycle racks and changing rooms that feature showers. In an effort to promote biodiversity, the project restored 50 percent of the site with native and adapted vegetation that is indigenous to the region.
Santa Clara U Brings Car-Sharing to Campus
Santa Clara University (CA) students, faculty, and staff will now be able to choose from two communal cars provided by Zipcar on campus. The vehicles are available to those in need of transportation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Gas, insurance, 180 free miles, reserved parking spots at SCU, and roadside assistance are included in the rates.
Southwestern U to be Powered 100% by Wind
Southwestern University (TX) has signed an agreement with the City of Georgetown that will enable the institution to meet all of its electric needs with wind power for the next 18 years. Wind-generated power will be provided by the City of Georgetown through an agreement with AEP Energy Partners, a subsidiary of American Electric Power. The electricity will come from the Southwest Mesa and South Trent Wind Farms in West Texas. These two wind farms have a total of 151 wind turbines, each of which can generate between 0.7 to 2.3 megawatts of electricity.
Stony Brook U to Host Renewable Energy Research Center
Stony Brook University and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has announced that SBU will host the Advanced Energy Center (AEC), which will support efforts to advance innovative energy research, education, and technology deployment with a focus on efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy. The commitment by NYPA includes $500,000 to support the operations of the AEC. Construction of the AEC building is expected to be completed by fall 2010.
Sweet Briar College Students Build Biodiesel Processing Plant
Two students from Sweet Briar College (CA) have designed and constructed a biodiesel processing plant for their senior capstone project. Dining Services donates approximately 50 gallons of used vegetable oil each month, 95 percent of which will become biodiesel. The 40 gallons of biodiesel produced each month will be mixed with the standard diesel used in physical plant vehicles at a ratio of approximately 20 percent biodiesel to 80 percent conventional diesel. The College is expected to save $120 per month in fuel costs.
U Buffalo Class Designs Local Walking & Biking Plan
A University at Buffalo (NY) graduate-level Urban and Regional Planning class has designed a safe walking and bicycling map and plan for the Williamsville Central School District (WCSD). The plan discusses the reasons for encouraging active commuting, cites existing barriers to walking and makes a series of policy, program and physical recommendations directed to the town and district to help get the students to walk to school. The report notes that at this time, only 7.8 percent of the 7,017 K-8 students in the WCSD walk or bike to school, although 48.8 percent live within a one-mile radius of their schools.
U Central Florida Science Building Receives LEED Gold
The University of Central Florida Physical Sciences I building has received LEED Gold certification. Completed this year, Physical Sciences I was constructed on a parking lot, so no untouched land or natural habitat was eliminated. Native landscaping covers 5,500 square feet around the building, providing shade and habitat for animals. Other green features include high-efficiency water fixtures resulting in a 30 percent reduction in potable water consumption; an air system that brings only fresh air into the building; and reflective roofing material that keeps the building cooler. Native vegetation will also be installed on the roof to provide additional cooling benefits, new habitat, and water runoff reduction.
U Delaware to Establish Energy & Env'l Policy Ctr in South Korea
The University of Delaware has signed an agreement with the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Free Economic Zone Authority to establish the UD Center for Energy and Environmental Policy campus in Daegu, South Korea. The agreement will allow for the development of multilateral relations and an exchange of scientific ideas. Collaborative research in the field will be conducted at the new campus.
U Florida Increases Recycling During Football Season
The University of Florida has completed its 2009 Tailgator Green Team Recycling effort. This year, the stadium added more Green Team volunteers and increased access to recycling, with a recycling bin for each trashcan within the stadium. The program captured nearly four tons of recyclables per game. Over 190 volunteers donated more than 600 hours over the seven home games.
U Florida Students Make Soap with Used Vegetable Oil
Two University of Florida students have begun making organic, UF-themed bars of soap to promote sustainable fuel and biodiesel production, after UF's biodiesel plan to was forced to halt its operations last spring. The soap, called Gator Gylss, is made using glycerin, a byproduct of biodiesel production, and essential oils made from fruit peels collected from campus eateries.
U Kansas Receives $12M Grant to Build Green Technologies Facility
The University of Kansas School of Engineering has received a $12.3 million from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Construction Grant Program to build a green technologies research facility. The 34,600-square-foot Measurement, Materials, and Sustainable Environment Center, which will aim for LEED certification, will house research projects on the development of biofuels; remote sensing technologies used to monitor polar ice and glaciers; and development and testing laboratories for commercial avionics, sustainable materials, and advanced research in materials fracture and fatigue. The University must raise $6.5 million in matching funds for the project, which will total $18.8 million.
U Vermont Ctr for Rural Studies Receives Sustainable Foods Grant
The University of Vermont’s Center for Rural Studies has received a grant for $228,410 to address program goals in the study of local and regional food system issues, community problem-solving, entrepreneurship assistance, and community-level information resources for Vermonters. A number of workshops will be held to provide technical assistance to food entrepreneurs, as well as to help set up local networks.
U Wisconsin Madison Students Work to Increase Composting
Students in University of Wisconsin, Madison’s School of Business are taking a class that focus on environmentally sound business practices. A recent project focused on increasing the amount of composting being done in the School’s dining hall by educating diners. Students in the course also work with local businesses to help them become more sustainable.
Weber State U Launches Free Tuition Program
Weber State University (UT) has launched a program to provide free tuition to Utah residents whose annual household income is equal to or less than $25,000 and who are Pell Grant eligible. The goal of "Dream Weber" is to make higher education accessible to students from socioeconomic backgrounds that wouldn’t typically pursue higher education because of a lack of financial resources. The program is made possible through private donations designated for scholarships for under-served populations with acute financial need. These private donations, combined with federal and state financial aid funds, will finance the program, which will begin in the fall of 2010.
Wilfrid Laurier U Opens Sustainability Office, Hires Coordinator
Wilfrid Laurier University (ON) has opened an office on campus devoted to environmental sustainability initiatives and has hired a sustainability coordinator. The office, which was created with funding from the student green fee, will work with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to improve Laurier's environmental impact. The University has hired Sarah English to head the new office. As the campus' first sustainability coordinator, English will seek to enable communication and foster collaboration between student, staff, and faculty environmental initiatives on campus. English is a recent graduate from the University of Waterloo where she received a BES in Environmental Planning, led a student alternative transportation group, and sat on the board of the UW Sustainability Project.
Yale U Installs Thin Film Solar System
Yale University (CT) has installed a 22 kw thin film solar system on one of its dormitories. Traditional solar cells are made from silicon and are usually flat-plated and bolted to the roof at a 45 degree angle. Second generation solar cells are called thin-film solar cells because they are made from amorphous silicon or non-silicon materials such as cadmium telluride. Yale will gather data over time and compare the new system's energy yield to conventional panels already in place on campus to better assess the technology’s fit for the campus. The brand new system is expected to provide roughly three to five percent of the building’s annual electricity consumption.
