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.
Desert Research Institute Installs Solar Array
The institute, in partnership with Black Rock Solar, has constructed a 100-kilowatt photovoltaic array to offset the energy costs of its laboratory facilities. The cost was fully subsidized by NV Energy’s Solar Generations Program. The institute has also partnered with the State Works Division and Hamilton Solar to construct a 365-kilowatt solar array on its Las Vegas campus.
U Georgia Installs Pilot Solar Photovoltaic Modules
If the pilot installation atop the College of Environment and Design is successful in terms of clean energy efficiency, the university will consider further solar installations. Grants, student fees and a utility award from the university’s Facilities Management Division funded the project.
Central Connecticut State U Installs 1.4 MW Fuel Cell Power Plant
The university's new power plant is expected to reduce energy costs by $100,000 per year. The $9 million project was funded in part by $3.4 million provided by the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. Greenwood Energy developed and financed the project, and will own the plant and sell power and steam to the university as part of a long-term energy purchase agreement.
Harford CC Approves Power Purchase Agreement
The college has entered into a power purchase agreement with Tecta Solar that is expected to save the college more than $1 million in energy costs over 20 years. The company will install a solar energy system on campus and sell the panels to a third party, which would then sell the energy generated from the panels back to the college at a discounted rate. The project will provide a website that will allow faculty and students to monitor the energy generated.
Southern Polytechnic State U Installs Solar Panels, Greenhouse
Two sets of solar panels have been installed to provide power to a new greenhouse that is expected to be complete by August. The project will provide the Alternative Energy Center and students with opportunities to collaborate. The solar panels were funded by a grant from the 2009 American Recovery and Investment Act on behalf of Marietta Power and Water, the local municipal utility.
Western Carolina U Meets State Energy Reduction Goal
Working from a 2002-03 baseline, the university has reduced its energy consumption by 30 percent. The university credits its success to student involvement and energy-saving measures including taking older buildings offline and ensuring new construction employs high building standards and energy efficiency. These conservation efforts have resulted in $13.8 million in energy savings since 2002-03. As mandated by the state, all universities in the University of North Carolina system are required to meet this goal by 2015.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Installs Solar Array
The college, in partnership with New Richmond Utilities and WPPI Energy, has installed a 4-kilowatt photovoltaic solar system. The project is expected to save approximately $650 annually and will provide educational opportunities for students in the Industrial Automation and Controls Networking program.
Auburn U Uses Solar Power to Charge Electric Vehicles
(U.S.): Facilities Management, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability, has funded a pilot project for the installation of 24 solar panels atop the stadium parking deck. The solar system is designed to offset the energy used for 10 electric charging stations that have been installed on the lower level of the parking deck. The system is also expected to offset the energy to power lighting when the charging stations are not in use.
Cebu Technological U to Establish Renewable Energy Center
(Philippines): The university has received a grant to establish an Affiliated Renewable Energy Center to pursue a national program for the development of indigenous energy resources. As part of an agreement with the Department of Energy, a solar waste pumping station project will also be implemented.
Institutions Weigh Natural Gas Options in Face of Rising Tuitions
(U.S.): A solution to rising tuition prices is one reason that colleges and universities in the shale-gas zone, which extends from New York to Ohio and West Virginia, are considering the option of opening campus land to natural gas drilling, reports a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article. Pros include the money, research opportunities and new gas industry programs that "fracking" (a controversial extraction method for natural gas) would bring. Also tempting is a proposed bill that would allow Pennsylvania's public colleges to keep the money that comes from drilling for gas on their land and use it for energy-efficiency projects or a backlog of deferred maintenance, which stands at $2 billion systemwide. Cons include the environmental, socioeconomic, and public-image implications of pursuing fracking on university land in the face of local community opposition and institutionalized sustainability commitments. A new state law that directs Ohio's state institutions to inventory their parcels and determine whether gas companies can drill on them also has Ohio institutions worried that they will be forced into gas leases.
Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management Goes Solar
(India): A 50-kilowatt solar power plant was installed aimed at providing clean energy to the institute. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who also advocated rainwater harvesting to conserve ground water, inaugurated the plant.
U Lisbon Wins Nationwide Green Campus Challenge
(Portugal): The University of Lisbon has been named the winner of Portugal's Green Campus Challenge: Energy Efficiency in Higher Education. After an energy analysis of one of their buildings, during which they created an energy profile that distinguished the thermal and electrical energy sectors, the Faculty of Science team presented a set of technical and behavioral changes to reduce energy consumption that included energy, economic and environmental savings.
U Mass Medical Installs LED Light Fixtures
(U.S.): A wing of recently renovated offices for research staff features the first installation of an integrated LED system for offices on campus. In combination with new lighting controls, the LED fixtures are expected to be 30 to 50 percent more energy efficient, and last up to seven years longer than the fluorescent lamps used elsewhere on campus.
U Tennessee Knoxville Installs Solar Secure Structure
(U.S.): The university has installed a new solar powered wireless structure that provides self-sufficient power and a communications source for Emergency Assistance Stations, video surveillance, LED lighting and wireless Internet. The SunStation also features a power outlet, allowing students the convenience to stay connected by using their laptops, cell phones and other technology outdoors.
Milwaukee Area Technical College Plans Wind Turbine
The college’s Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing has announced plans to install a 47-foot wind turbine at its Oak Creek campus. If approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the turbine would join the campus' 510-kilowatt Photovoltaic Educational Laboratory solar array.
U Michigan Opens Sustainable Computing Data Center
The new data center has the capacity to house up to 1 megawatt of high-performance computing equipment in a compact container the size of several shipping containers. With the flexibility to expand its capacity as needed, the center is designed to cool equipment 75 percent of the year with the use of outdoor air.
Luther College Debuts 280 kW Solar Energy Field
The college's recently installed $1.2 million solar energy field is expected to go online by the end of July. Located on a two-acre site, the 280-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system features 1,250 solar panels mounted in six rows. The solar field will provide electricity used by Baker Village, an all-electric student housing facility that uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling.
Mercer County CC Solar Project to Meet 70% of Electricity Needs
The upcoming 8-megawatt solar installation on campus, funded by the Mercer County Improvement Authority, is expected to meet 70 percent of the college’s electricity needs. This will yield an approximate savings of $1 million per year in electricity costs.
Bill Could Expand Drilling on Pennsylvania College Campuses
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has voted 131 to 68 to approve a bill that could expand oil and gas drilling on public-university campuses in the state. The legislation, which awaits a final vote in the State Senate, would allow colleges to keep 40 percent of any royalties; 15 percent of which would have to be devoted to reducing tuition costs.
