Indiana U Announces Sustainability Research Grant Projects
The Indiana University Office of Sustainability has announced the recipients of its Sustainability Research Development Grants for the 2011-2012 academic year. Two teams of faculty and graduate students will explore conditions for the successful implementation of low-carbon distributed energy programs in developing countries, and the use of policy tools to promote protection, conservation and development of the urban tree canopy. Each project will receive $15,000 that can be used for graduate fellowships, faculty research fund awards or summer faculty fellowships. Recipients are expected to develop new, collaborative lines of research that have the potential to grow into externally funded research projects.
U Montana Receives $250K Toward Biomass Boiler Project
The University of Montana has received an additional $250,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to help with its plans to develop a biomass boiler project on campus. The grants awarded by the U.S. Forest Service are designed to help projects that are attempting to find ways to turn the woody material taken from forests into energy. Several tons of biomass is generated each year from projects including wildfire prevention and logging operations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
U Vermont Announces Clean Energy Fund Projects
The University of Vermont's Office of Sustainability has announced new campus clean energy projects selected for funding in the 2010-2011 funding cycle. Composed of undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty, the Clean Energy Fund committee allocated up to $234,050 to seven projects chosen from 68 entries. These projects include a campus-wide renewable energy feasibility study and strategic plan; a clean energy internship program; funding for a series of public lectures and events; a Green Labs energy conservation program; and two preliminary studies to support the installation of energy-saving revolving doors on campus and additional rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
College of William & Mary Announces Green Fee Awards
The College of William & Mary’s (VA) Committee on Sustainability has announced its spring 2011Green Fee Project Awards. The 10 projects selected for funding include bike commuting outreach, reusable bags for incoming students, floating treatment wetlands, plastic bag recycling bins and water bottle refill stations. The projects were funded by the student green fee, a $15 per semester fee totaling about $210,000 annually.
Cornell, Northwestern Host Int'l Impact Investing Challenge
Cornell University's (NY) Johnson Graduate School of Management and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (IL) recently hosted the first International Impact Investing Challenge. The invitation-only pitch competition asked students to design investment vehicles that create sustainable impact and are large enough to attract institutional investors, which distinguishes impact investing from traditional socially responsible investing. A team from Kellogg won first place for its Grain Fund Depot, a real estate investment trust with a focus on building grain storage facilities and renting that space to small farmers in India.
Hartnell CC Receives $900K Clean Energy Grant
Hartnell Community College (CA) has received $900,000 from the National Science Foundation to fund the Salinas Valley Consortium for sustainable energy, education and research. The grant will be used to prepare engineers and technicians to address the problems of efficient energy use with a minimal carbon footprint. A key component of the project will also be a sustainable energy laboratory, micro-grid and test bed that will give students the opportunity to do experiments on generating, monitoring and storing energy.
U Albany Receives Renewable Energy and Economic Development Grant
The University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NY) has received a $225,000 Renewable Energy and Economic Development grant. Funding presented by the National Grid will be used to develop, install and demonstrate a Photovoltaic Control and Monitoring Center. The center will enable gathering of research data that will provide designers, architects and installers with critical feedback to accelerate the construction and integration of roof-mounted solar systems. The university will partner with EYP Energy and Alteris Renewables to establish the center, which is part of a larger $1.35 million solar demonstration initiative that will evaluate and compare state-of-the-art, thin film-based solar photovoltaic technologies as a means of accelerating the use of clean energy technologies.
U California Berkeley Awards TGIF Grants
The University of California, Berkeley's The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) has awarded a total of nearly $248,000 to 15 campus sustainability projects. Winning projects include the institution of composting options in campus buildings, a campus bicycle initiative and green certifications for student groups. This year's awards will also fund 32 new green student internships and various education and behavior change initiatives. Since its inception, TGIF has awarded a total of $956,000.
U California Santa Barbara Announces TGIF Grants
The University of California, Santa Barbara's Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Grant Making Committee has announced its grant recipients for the 2010-2011 funding cycle. Composed primarily of undergraduate and graduate students, the committee received 37 applications for various campus sustainability projects from students, staff and faculty, and selected 18 projects to receive awards totaling $177,080. Projects include the construction and operation of a student-owned Student Food Collective Sustainable Food Cart; the conversion of a campus theater's halogen lights to energy-efficient, low-wattage LED fixtures; and a cover on the campus pool to prevent heat from escaping and water from evaporating during non-operation hours that is expected to cut energy costs by $48,750 per year.
U Illinois Chicago Receives $15K Federal Grant for Seed House
The University of Illinois at Chicago's Hull-House Museum has received a federal grant of more than $15,000 to open a public heirloom seed library to provide free, regionally adapted seeds to urban farmers and gardeners. The public can apply for library cards to obtain seeds if they agree to plant the seeds, nurture the plants and return some seeds from the next generation at the end of the season. The museum is one of 14 national recipients of the Institute of Museum and Library Services' new Sparks! Ignition grants. The program funds innovations that use time and money most productively to expand library and museum services.
SUNY ESF Receives Grant to Produce Biofuel from Wood
Scientists at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry have begun researching ways to turn locally produced wood into sustainable biobutanol. Researchers are experimenting with different strains of bacteria that can ferment sugars extracted from wood into biobutanol that can be pumped into automobile gas tanks. Biobutanol is one of a handful of fuels that can be produced from wood sugars and is considered to be more efficient than ethanol in producing energy, and easier to add to the existing gasoline distribution infrastructure. The research is supported by a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $75,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
U Maine Fort Kent Receives $500K Grant for Biomass Boiler System
The University of Maine at Fort Kent has received a $500,000 grant from the Maine Department of Conservation to convert the oil heating system for the two largest campus buildings into a biomass system. The system will provide heat for 1.75 acres of floor space and is expected to save the campus nearly $1 million in heating costs in the next decade. The entire project will cost $858,000.
Western Washington U Announces Green Fee Recipients
From a new solar array to water bottle refilling stations, Western Washington University has announced the campus sustainability projects slated to receive funding from its Green Energy Fee grant program. Students pay $21 each academic year for the Green Energy Fee and the majority is used to pay for renewable energy credit. The money left over is used to fund the Green Energy Fee grant program.
Indiana U-Purdue U Indianapolis to Fund Sustainability Projects
Nine sustainability projects on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus ranging from water bottle fill stations to sculptural bike parking have received grant support from Greening IUPUI. The 2011 grant proposals marked the third round of Greening IUPUI grant awards. The grants fund student, faculty and staff-led initiatives that plan to “green” the university by advancing its sustainability principles.
U California San Diego Receives $1.4 Mil for Energy Research
The University of California, San Diego has received a $1.4 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research. The funding will accelerate the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies for Californians. The university plans to boost solar forecasting research, support the development of solar powered electric vehicle charging stations and solar integrated energy storage systems on campus, and improve information technology architecture with grid operators.
U California Santa Cruz Carbon Fund Selects Green Projects
The student-run Carbon Fund at the University of California, Santa Cruz has selected nine staff and student projects for funding. Each project is community-based, requiring cooperation between students, staff and community members. Projects will include a “Take Back The Tap” pilot program, a water conservation system, the installation of a solar panel and wind turbine at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, energy-efficient lighting in parking lots, a certification program to make campus staff offices more ecologically friendly, and educational programs to help reduce water use throughout the region. The Carbon Fund receives money from a student-approved ballot initiative that raises money through a $3 per quarter student fee.
U Hawaii at Manoa Biofuels Project Wins $1 Mil Competition
The University of Hawaii at Manoa's project to advance the use of biofuels on the Hawaiian islands has won a $1 million sustainability research competition. The two-year project will conduct research and plant test sites of Jatropha curcas, a fast-growing, drought resistant tropical oil-bearing plant rich in fatty oils that can be converted to biodiesel. It will also explore the conservation of waste biomass into carbonized material that can be used for soil enrichment. The project will include educational outreach through a capstone engineering course, as well support for undergraduate students in senior thesis projects. The development of a business plan for the commercialization of some of the technologies has the potential to sustain the project after its initial two-year duration.
U Alaska Fairbanks Approves Student Sustainability Projects
The University of Alaska, Fairbanks has approved nine student-led sustainability projects totaling $128,140. Grant proposals were reviewed by the Office of Sustainability and Student RISE (Review of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Energy) Board and preference given to projects that invest in energy efficiency programs and renewable energy projects. Projects selected for funding include a glass pulverizer; local shopping/restaurant guide; student CSA share plan; interactive dashboard; and a carbon emissions inventory.
U New Mexico Sustainability Studies Program Receives $1.6 Mil
The Sustainability Studies program at the University of New Mexico has received two grants totaling more than $1.6 million from the W.K. Kellogg foundation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also gave the program $290,000 to pay faculty salaries, hire a graduate assistant for a year and a half and provide travel grants and stipends for minority students to take part in the summer field program. The Kellogg grants were invested in the stock market to pay dividends and help keep the program running.
Georgia Tech Alumni Gifts $20K to Recycling Efforts
Georgia Institute of Technology's Student Alumni Association recently presented the campus' Office of Solid Waste Management and Recycling with more than $20,000 through its Gift to Tech program. The department will work with the student association to expand recycling efforts on campus. The initiative was voted to receive funding by students, who chose from five campus projects including campus safety efforts, the Alumni Association's Living History program and a commemorative bench at the undergraduate learning commons.
Southern Oregon U Receives $23K in Renewable Energy Credits
Southern Oregon University has received a $23,000 refund from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The refund is a result of the university’s investment in renewable energy credits, known as “Green Tags,” purchased with student fee money to offset the institution’s energy usage. The foundation uses the money from student fees to research and develop sustainable energy projects and 20 percent of the total amount received is refunded back to the school for its own projects. The Student Fee Committee is weighing requests from students for ideas on how to use the money.
Lane CC Receives $100K Grant for Rooftop Solar Panels
Lane Community College (OR) has been awarded a $100,000 Green Power grant funded by Eugene Water & Electric Board customers that opt into the utility company's Green Power program. The college plans to use the grant money to install solar panels atop the roof of its downtown campus building.
U Utah Announces New Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Projects
The University of Utah's Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund has announced 14 new campus sustainability projects that were approved during the spring 2011 call for applications for a total amount of $171,000. This semester was the most successful round to date for the university, with 18 project applications and more than $275,000 in funding requests. The project that received the largest amount of funding, $70,000, is a first-year architecture graduate student's proposal to equip the new Honors housing with environmentally friendly features. The student will work with professionals to install equipment including energy expenditure monitoring, eco-drains that will recover heat from water being drained, and an automatic shut-off feature for heating and air conditioning as windows are opened.
Indiana U Students Successfully Petition for Sustainability Fund
Thanks to the signatures of 11,266 students, Indiana University Bloomington's Student Sustainability Council has helped establish a sustainability fund that will finance campus sustainability projects. The council, with support from the Indiana University Student Association, pioneered the use of an online petition to collect signatures from students in favor of the $5 fee. The money collected during each registration period will be used for projects such as recycling, lighting retrofits, solar panel installations and transportation updates.
U Texas El Paso Awarded $1 Mil Solar Grant
The University of Texas at El Paso has received a $1 million grant for a solar canopy system for its Facilities Services parking lot. The grant is from the Distributed Renewable Energy Technology Program of the Texas State Energy Conservation Office in an effort to increase the amount of installed renewable energy in Texas.
Francis Marion U Receives Grant for Green Roof
Francis Marion University (SC) has received a $40,400 grant that will be used to finance a green roof atop its McNair Science Building. An experiment conducted by a biology professor found that plants on the science building absorbed between 75 to 100 percent of rainfall.
U Albany Part of $58 Mil Federal Grant for Solar Energy Research
The University at Albany (NY) is involved in a $58 million investment by the federal government to increase the nation's share of the solar energy research market and help create thousands of jobs with the creation of a national center in solar energy research. Most of the grant will go to a public-private partnership between the SEMATECH company and the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The grant aims to make the Albany, New York area a hub for research and clean energy in the photovoltaic manufacturing market.
Montclair State U Wins $2.65 Mil Grant for Solar Farm
Montclair State University’s environmental education and field research campus, the New Jersey School of Conservation, has been awarded a $2.65 million grant from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. This grant will be used to install a 300,000-watt solar farm that will generate enough power for the entire campus and additional electricity that will be available for sale to local utility companies. The half-acre solar field will be fully operational in the later half of 2011.
U Delaware Receives $4.4 Mil for Solar Array Project
The University of Delaware will receive $4.4 million from The Churchill Companies to construct a new solar array on the roof of seven campus buildings. The system is expected to reduce the university's carbon footprint by 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
U Maryland Approves 3 Green Fund Sustainability Projects
The University of Maryland's Sustainability Council has approved three new projects to receive almost $82,000 collected from its mandatory student green fee. Projects include the construction of a campus garden, the implementation of environmentally friendly water treatments for indoor pools and the expansion of recycled materials used in theater productions. The sustainability fee collects $6 from each student per academic year and will eventually cap off at $12 in 2013.
SEED Initiative Receives $1.3 Mil Grant for Green Jobs Training
A new $1.3 million dollar grant awarded to the Sustainability, Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) by the Kresge Foundation will expand green job training opportunities and innovations at community colleges. A host of SEED activities will be launched under the two-year grant, from workshops to an awards program.
U California San Diego Wins Solar Grant
The University of California, San Diego chapter of the Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) has received a $10,900 grant from the national ESW organization to develop a mobile solar-powered station. The intent of this mobile solar unit is to charge batteries for electrical appliances such as laptops, cell phones, campus electric utility vehicles and other devices.
U Georgia Awards $13K for Student Sustainability Projects
The University of Georgia's Office of Sustainability has announced the inaugural winners of its Campus Sustainability Grants Program. Four student projects will be funded through $13,000 of green fee funds. The projects include the installation of a water bottle refill station; the establishment of the university's first bike share program; the expansion of the university's dorm move-out waste reduction program; and the installation of a rainwater harvesting system at the campus community garden.
Indiana U Students Grant $12K Toward Solar Installation
The Indiana University Student Foundation will award a $12,000 grant to install a two-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array panel on the Indiana Memorial Union. The funds come from the foundation's "Hoosier Legacy Fund," established with contributions from last year's Senior Challenge. The annual Senior Challenge gives each graduating class the opportunity to build its own campus philanthropic legacy with donations. This year's seniors will donate $20.11, in recognition of their year of graduation.
U British Columbia Receives $11.2 Mil for Clean Energy Project
The University of British Columbia received $11.2 million in government funding to help finance its clean energy demonstration project. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,500 tons a year, roughly the equivalent of removing 1,100 cars from the road. It will accomplish this with a biomass-fueled heat and power generation system.
Utah State U Students Approve Sustainability Fee
Students at Utah State University have approved a student-proposed $3 per-semester fee that will create an office of sustainability on its Logan campus and fund student projects geared toward conserving resources. The Blue Goes Green fee was modeled on a small fee approved by University of Utah students two years ago and has since funded a variety of projects including the resurrection of an old fruit orchard and research into low-water irrigation for campus landscaping.
Vanderbilt U Creates $75K Green Fund
After receiving student surveys and letters of support, Vanderbilt University (TN) has established a Green Fund with $75,000 in administration funds. The fund will be available to finance student projects that aim to reduce the university’s energy consumption and/or carbon emissions. It will serve a three-year trial period in which it will be non-revolving, meaning that savings from the projects funded will not be directed back into the fund. After three years, the university will determine whether the fund was successful enough to finance a revolving fund. Projects that incentivize a switch to sustainable energy during peak hours will be especially competitive, according to fund managers.
EARTH U Receives $200K for Student Scholarships
Panasonic Corporation of North America has awarded $200,000 to EARTH University (Costa Rica) to provide full, four-year scholarships for three students from the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. EARTH University's educational model emphasizes scientific and technical innovation, values, ethics, entrepreneurship and environmental and social commitment.
U Colorado Boulder Green Loan Fund Earns 38% Return
Three years after University of Colorado at Boulder student leaders invested $500,000 in an endowment for energy efficiency projects, the university is receiving, on average, a 37.8 percent return on investment. Compared to first-year efficiency savings of $24,000, the university is expecting third-year savings of $143,500. The fund has financed 80 micro-projects aimed at increasing efficiency in the campus' student, recreation and health center.
Dalhousie U Receives $1.4 Mil for Natural Gas Conversion
Dalhousie University (NS) has received a $1.4 million grant from the Nova Scotia government to help finance its conversion from heating oil to natural gas. The total project will cost $1.8 million and the conversion will not only help reduce the university’s greenhouse gas emissions, but it will also expand the natural gas distribution infrastructure in Nova Scotia.
North Central Missouri College to Build New Campus with USDA Loan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a variety of projects that will be funded through its Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program. A new agricultural and natural resources campus for North Central Missouri College will be constructed with the help of Grundy Electric Cooperative, who received a $740,000 loan for the project.
Seattle Central CC Awarded $2 Mil Conservation Grant
Seattle Central Community College (WA) has received a $2 million conservation grant from the State Jobs Act for Public K-12 and Higher Education Institutions. The grant money will be directed towards an energy efficiency project that will upgrade the Energy Management System in many of the campus’ buildings and be used for retrofitting energy appliances.
U Chicago Receives $50K Grant for Green Roof
With the assistance of a $50,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the University of Chicago (IL) will help fund a 5,000-square-foot green roof atop the new Chicago Theological Seminary building. By providing a rooftop lawn, the building will reduce the heat island effect and reduce stormwater runoff. The grant was made available through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The building is a construction partnership between the university and the Chicago Theological Seminary.
U Guelph Significantly Reduces Emissions with Student Green Fees
The just-released Community Energy Plan report for the University of Guelph (ON) shows that the university saved $734,000 and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,363 tons in the 2009/2010 school year with energy and water conservation programs. Funded by a $10 per semester fee for students, the programs focused on developing a greenhouse gas tracking inventory, renovating outdated windows in residence halls, installing retrofit lighting and a heat-recovery system, and implementing a water conservation project in its Aqualab.
