Simon Fraser U Holds Green Lab Energy Reduction Challenge
The university recently held an energy reduction challenge to encourage occupants of the campus science and chemistry buildings to reduce their energy use. Facilities and Sustainability Office staff monitored fume hood and lighting usage in labs at different times of the day, and prizes were awarded.
Southern Oregon U Highlighted in Energy Department Video Series
The U.S. Department of Energy has released its fourth video in the “Clean Energy in Our Community” series, highlighting clean energy investments by the university. Some of the initiatives highlighted include the school’s investments in renewable energy, sustainability, and purchase of renewable energy certificates.
U California Riverside Students Build Mobile Solar Power System
Engineering students have designed and built a mobile solar power system aimed to replace gasoline-powered generators to provide clean energy everywhere including on- and off-campus projects. The Green Campus Action Plan, a student-approved green fee, provided funding for the $34,000 project.
U Washington Installs Eco Thermostats in Residence Halls
The university’s Division of Student Life has developed and installed an Eco Thermostat for new residence halls on campus, putting students directly in touch with their energy consumption. Total energy needs in buildings with Eco Thermostats are expected to be reduced by about five percent.
Urbana U Installs Solar Array
The university has installed a 500-kilowatt solar array that will provide one-fifth of its total electrical usage. The panels are owned and maintained by Melink Corporation under a 10-year purchase agreement.
Tamil Nadu Colleges to Harness Solar Power
(India): The state government has created a solar purchase obligation that requires colleges to meet six percent of their power usage from solar energy. Vellore Institute of Technology will surpass this quota by using solar power for 30 percent of its energy needs. Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering will expand upon a pilot project to use solar energy for street lighting on campus.
U Illinois Approves Plans to Construct Solar Farm
(U.S.): The university’s trustees have approved plans to build a 20.5-acre solar farm that is expected to provide two percent of the campus’ electricity. Phoenix Solar Inc. will build and operate the solar installation for the first 10 years, and the university will buy the energy produced under a $15.5 million power-purchase agreement. Subsidies to cover additional energy costs over the next 10 years will in part be covered with proceeds from a student sustainability fee.
Indiana U Pennsylvania Debuts Campus Energy Channel
The university has begun broadcasting a channel in the lobbies of residential buildings that displays energy use on campus. The goal of the project is to increase students’ awareness of their energy impact, while reducing energy consumption in the residence halls and promoting a lasting awareness among students of energy conservation and sustainability.
Reed College Signs Energy Efficiency Contract
The college has signed a $5.4 million energy savings performance contract with Ameresco Quantum Inc. The company will provide efficiency upgrades to eight buildings and will lead campus-wide energy efficiency lighting and water conservations efforts. The improvements are expected to save the college more than $2.7 million in energy costs over 10 years and reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 2.65 million pounds.
U Toledo Debuts Friday Night Lights Program
Two student organizations, Engineers Without Borders and the Society for Environmental Education, have teamed up to create the Friday Night Lights Program. In an effort to reduce energy consumption, student participants will turn off lights in campus buildings that would otherwise be left on over the weekend. Energy savings will be monitored and recorded at the end of the semester.
Michigan State U to Install Renewable Energy Biogas Plant
The university has partnered with Anaergia Inc. to develop and install a campus-based anaerobic digestion system. When completed, the facility will convert 16,800 tons per year of campus food waste, manure from the university's dairy farm, and food processing waste from the local community into 460 kilowatts of renewable energy. The renewable electricity will be used on campus while the natural fertilizer created through the process will be used on agricultural land.
U Michigan Begins Solar Energy Installation
The university has partnered with DTE Energy’s SolarCurrents program to construct a ground-mounted solar array that is capable of producing up to 430 kilowatts. The energy produced by the utility-owned panels will be fed into the electric grid.
Bentley U Purchases Renewable Energy Credits
Along with the implementation of several energy efficiency initiatives, the university has invested $25,000 in renewable energy certificates. This has allowed the university to cut its carbon footprint in half and will also help to increase the amount of wind power in the electricity grid.
Lyndon State College Students Install Solar Panels
Students have assembled and installed twin-array solar panels as part of a class on energy and the environment. In addition, students are monitoring the system to gauge its capability and will also install a data collection system. A U.S. Department of Energy grant funded the project.
Ohio State U Studies Ways to Make Campus Operations Sustainable
The university has invested in a scientific study to improve the efficiency and sustainability of campus operations. An interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers will work with the university’s Energy Services and Sustainability Office to estimate the environmental footprint, and will then identify ways to reduce that footprint as well as operating costs. This project will help the university work toward achieving its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.
St. Lawrence College Completes Solar Installation
The college has completed the installation of a solar project, which included the installation of 1200 solar panels on the Kingston Campus and 442 on the Brockville Campus. The project is expected to generate approximately $230,000 in revenue annually in Kingston and $93,000 in Brockville. Students in the college's Energy Systems Engineering program will gather real-time solar data and learn how solar power generation is impacted by tilt angles, flat versus sloped rooftops, types of inverters, and different geographic locations.
Manipal U Debuts Solar Water Heaters
(India): Thirty-nine solar water heater units have been installed to provide hot water to the university’s hostels, medical colleges, and hospital. The university has also announced plans to install solar panels alongside its coastal community.
Rajiv Gandhi Technical U to Construct Solar Power Plant
(India): The university has announced plans to construct a power plant that will feature cross linear concentrated solar power as part of the Jawahar Lal National Solar Mission, an effort to produce 10,000 megawatts of solar thermal power by 2022. The 30-kilowatt plant will be used for air-conditioning on campus.
Thomas College to Install Solar Array
(U.S.): The college has announced a new partnership with ReVision Energy for a solar energy project. The 170-kilowatt, 700-panel solar photovoltaic array will be mounted on the athletic center and is expected to produce about 11 percent of the college’s energy needs. The project is being financed through a Power Purchase Agreement.
St. Peter’s U Launches Clean Energy Project
The university has created an energy resource area that contains equipment and software that will track the amount of solar energy being used on campus as part of a new energy conservation project. The project also includes installing solar panels, building a cogeneration plant and energy-efficient lighting in various campus locations. The university expects the new project to reduce the campus’ carbon emissions by 6.4 million pounds per year.
U California Los Angeles Debuts Solar Power Project
With the assistance of Facilities Management, students have installed 132 solar panels on the roof of the student-owned Ackerman Union. The panels will supply 2.5 percent of the building’s electricity. The university’s Green Initiative Fund provided a $176,000 grant to cover costs.
Eastern Connecticut State U Installs Fuel Cell System
Under a 10-year Energy Services Agreement, UTC Power has installed a combined heat and power fuel cell system at the university’s Science Building. With effective use of the thermal output, overall system efficiencies of up to 90 percent are possible.
Northern Maine CC Dedicates Biomass Boiler
The newly installed wood boiler will provide heat to the two largest buildings on campus while replacing nearly 70 percent of the college’s fuel oil consumption with local, renewable energy. The project is expected to save more than $43,000 in utility costs annually and replace an estimated 47,000 gallons of fuel oil with local pellets.
Ohio U Announces Energy Performance Contract
The university is expected to save $38 million over a 15-year period through an energy performance contract with Constellation. By implementing water and energy conservation measures in 72 campus buildings, the university expects to conserve an estimated 9 million gallons of water and avoid the creation of 50,145 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Temple U Announces Energy Conservation Campaign
The goal of the campaign is to reduce energy use per square foot of building space by 25 percent over the next two years. The campaign will begin with the development of a Utility Master Plan, the first phase consisting of an Energy Saving Strategies Plan to identify energy conservation strategies and develop large scale efficiency projects.
U Missouri Installs Wind Turbine
The 20-killowatt turbine has the ability to provide power to one small building and the excess energy will feed into the university’s power grid. Primarily to be used as an educational tool, students will have the opportunity to tour the project and have access to an online monitoring system.
Catholic U of America Dedicates Solar Panel System
The system features more than 2,600 solar panels including a canopy of 714 panels over more than 70 parking spaces. Standard Solar installed the solar panels and the system will be operated by Washington Gas Energy Systems as part of a 20-year power purchasing agreement with the university.
U Colorado Boulder Renovations to Reduce Carbon Footprint
The university has begun constructing a new campus utility system that will provide heating, cooling and electricity to campus through energy-efficient means. Alongside the new 72,000-square-foot power plant designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the university will renovate the original campus plant that will use natural gas to generate electricity. It is anticipated that the renovations will reduce carbon emissions by 30,000 metric tons per year.
U Missouri St. Louis Debuts Solar Installation
The university, in partnership with Express Scripts, has completed its first solar panel installation. The 25-kilowatt photovoltaic system installed atop of the Mark Twain Athletic & Fitness Center will also feature an information kiosk and online monitoring system.
Unity College Installs Solar Array
The college, in partnership with ReVision Energy, has constructed a 37-kilowatt, 144-panel solar photovoltaic array atop the Quimby Library and Thomashow Labs. The grid-tied system will send electricity not immediately used by the library onto the public utility grid, generating a credit for the college to be applied at other times of the year when the solar system is less productive. After six years, the college will have the option to purchase the system from ReVision.
Aligarh Muslim U to Harvest Wind Energy
(India): The university, with the support of local government, has announced plans to launch a wind energy project. Several windmills will be installed on campus to provide power and allow scientists to study climate change in the area and its impact on wind energy.
Indiana Institute of Technology Debuts Wind Turbine
(U.S.): The institute has installed a 120-feet-tall wind turbine to help engineering students learn about alternative energy sources. The turbine, a gift from the Steel Dynamics Foundation, will provide energy to the electrical grid.
U British Columbia Opens Renewable Energy Facility
(Canada): The university has unveiled a $34 million clean energy center that produces heat and electricity for the campus entirely from renewable bioenergy. The Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility will supply up to 12 percent of the university’s heat requirements as well as reduce its natural gas consumption by 12 percent. The facility runs on tree trimmings and wood chips from local landfills.
U Vermont Installs Solar Panels on Campus Farm
(U.S.): Funded by its Clean Energy Fund, the university’s 134 solar panels will produce an average of 100 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, enough to supply 8.5 percent of the research farm’s electricity needs. An important aspect of the demonstration project is that farmers will have the opportunity to visit, see how the system was installed, understand its economics and the incentives that are available, and determine if the technology is feasible at their own farms.
Benedictine College to Conduct Energy Audit
The college has announced plans for a three-month in-depth analysis of all campus facilities to identify opportunities for energy savings and infrastructure improvements. The evaluations will cover 24 buildings and more than 660,000 square feet of space
Rutgers U Installs 32-Acre Solar Canopy
Consisting of more than 40,000 solar panels, the $40.8 million project will generate 8 megawatts of power to satisfy 63 percent of the electrical demand on campus.
Lone Star College Installs Solar, Wind Energy Systems
The college has installed two solar panels, two solar tracking arrays and three wind generators to provide energy to the electrical system. The systems will also be used as teaching tools in advanced technology courses. Funding for the installations was provided by a $400,000 grant from the State Energy Conservation Office.
Temple U Installs Solar Powered Tables
The university has installed three solar-powered charging stations on campus. In addition to the renewable power source they offer, the Solar Dok patio tables are constructed of plastic materials made from 1,200 recycled plastic milk jugs.
Hollins U Installs Geothermal Well System
The university has completed the construction of a geothermal well field that will serve Tinker Hall, the largest student residence on campus. The system is expected to improve temperature control and indoor air quality, and reduce energy costs.
Tennessee Technological U Installs Solar Panels
The university has connected several large solar panels to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s power grid. The university received a one-time $1,000 payment as an incentive for becoming a TVA Generation Partner and will receive 12 cents for each kilowatt of power the panels produce.
California State U Sacramento to Buy Power from Solar Panels
(U.S.): The university is set to begin buying electricity generated by solar panels on the roofs of the campus library and recreation center at a constant rate of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 20 years. The privately owned and maintained solar system generates about 1.6 percent of the campus' total usage.
Montana State U Explores Geothermal-Based Heating and Cooling
(U.S.): In an ongoing effort to implement a comprehensive energy plan, the university has begun drilling test bore holes to explore the use of geothermal-based heating and cooling as a way to reduce energy consumption and costs on campus. After the holes are drilled, a group of engineering students will take part in the process of attaching testing equipment to the systems and analyzing the data collected.
U West England Installs 2 Solar Arrays
(England): The university, in partnership with Solarsense, has constructed a 50-kilowatt array on its Centre for Sport and a 32-kilowatt array atop the Department of Planning and Architecture. The university is also implementing a program to replace existing campus lights with low energy lamps.
Western Nevada College Constructs Second Solar Array
(U.S): The college, in partnership with Black Rock Solar, has constructed a 100-kilowatt photovoltaic array consisting of 840 panels. The system is expected to save the college $14,000 per year in energy costs.
U Hawaii Manoa Enters Power Purchase Agreement
The agreement signed between the university and SolarCity will provide renewable energy to the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology for the next 20 years. As part of the agreement, SolarCity has begun to install, and will own and maintain, a series of photovoltaic systems with the capacity to provide an estimated 25 percent of the institute’s energy needs, with 260 kilowatts of generation capacity. The project received financial support from the Center for a Sustainable Future, and is expected to provide up to $2.3 million in cost savings to the university.
