Oregon Institute of Technology Installs Solar Array
The recent installation is expected to save the institute $3.3 million in energy costs over the next 25 years. With a large portion of its energy already supplied by an on-site geothermal plant, the addition of solar panels will set the institute up to receive the majority of its power from an alternative energy source.
Students Gear Up for EcoCar2 Competition
Fifteen teams of undergraduates recently gathered in Los Angeles for the first-year assessment of the U.S. Department of Energy's three-year world-wide competition to design environmentally friendly cars, known as EcoCar. All teams proposed some type of plug-in hybrid arrangement using rechargeable batteries, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education. While about 75 percent of EcoCar alums have ended up with jobs in the automotive industry, the article looks at ways that the competition series could do more to advance new energy technologies in the marketplace.
National Outdoor School Completes Solar Array, Geothermal System
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) has unveiled an 11-kilowatt solar array addition on its Rocky Mountain operations building, the final part of a larger renovation that includes a new geothermal system and additional energy efficient renovations. The array, the final phase of a 25-kilowatt array at the facility, was funded by Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky renewable energy program.
U Wisconsin Eau Claire Student Center to Go Carbon Neutral
The university’s Student Senate has approved a partnership with Xcel Energy’s Windsource program to purchase renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of the energy consumed by its new student center. The Student Office of Sustainability’s green fund will cover the purchase of offsets at a cost of approximately $13,500.
Egypt University Pilots Solar/Biomass Hybrid Power Project
(Egypt): A consortium of European governments, universities and research institutions are funding a solar/biomass hybrid power plant pilot project in Egypt that uses molten salts as the heat transfer fluid. An experimental demonstration plant will be built at the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) near Alexandria, Egypt that will co-generate one megawatt of electricity and four megawatts of thermal energy to power air conditioning equipment for buildings.
Kent State U Installing First Renewable Energy Project
(U.S.): More than 1,000 solar panels will be installed at the Kent State Field House by July as the university's first renewable project on campus. The university does not initially own the solar panel system, but will purchase the electricity produced with the option to purchase the system after seven years.
Madurai Kamaraj U Plans Solar Panels for 10 Buildings
(India): Following the installation of an eight-panel solar plant on campus last month during a three-day international workshop conference on renewable energy, the university has announced plans to install rooftop solar panels on at least 10 campus building as part of a "Go Green" initiative.
Broome CC Unveils Wind Turbine
The community college will use the 4-kilowatt turbine as an educational tool for students from multiple departments. The turbine is wired to a laboratory to collect data and will eventually be linked to solar panels on campus to measure energy use. A three-year grant from the state Energy Research Development Authority covered the cost of the turbine.
Delaware Technical CC to Install $7 M in Energy-Saving Measures
In partnership with Pepco Energy Services, Inc. the college will retrofit more than 1 million square feet of building space with energy-efficient measures including variable air volume units and new chillers. The majority of the project is financed by an energy efficiency tax-exempt bond issued by the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility. Over the 15-year contract term, the college expects to save more than $9 million in energy costs.
Lincoln Land CC to Build 2 Wind Turbines
A 10-kilowatt turbine will provide energy to a campus building and a second 1-kilowatt turbine will be used for instructional purposes. The project is funded by part of a renewable energy grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
U California Berkeley Debuts New Building Energy Dashboard
The university's new myPower site is connected to 57 campus buildings, allowing the campus community to view how much electricity a building is using in real time on their own computers. In addition to targeting individual behavior and behavioral change by showing how energy saving habits can make a difference, the new dashboard allows the university to spot and fix any energy-related issues. The university plans to get another 45 buildings online this year.
Johns Hopkins U Debuts Solar Energy Partnership
The university has partnered with Eastlight Renewable Ventures and RGS Energy for a solar energy generation project. An 818-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system has been installed on seven building on three of its campuses. The university and Eastlight entered a long-term Solar Power Purchase Agreement that allows the university to reduce its electricity costs without making any capital investment or assuming any responsibility for managing the system.
Nat'l College Geothermal Energy Competition Finalists Announced
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the eight university teams that will compete in the 2012 National Geothermal Student Competition, which challenges teams to conduct cutting-edge research in geology, geoscience, chemical and bio-molecular energy, and engineering that could lead to breakthroughs in geothermal energy development. Student teams from Boise State University (Idaho), Colorado School of Mines, Cornell University Energy Institute and Cornell University Sustainable Design (New York), Idaho State University, Southern Methodist University, University of Idaho and University of Texas at Austin will analyze the economic feasibility of developing clean, renewable geothermal energy in Snake River Plain, Idaho.
San Diego State U Installs Solar Array Atop Student Center
With funding from a student-introduced referendum passed by the student body in spring 2008, the university has installed a 115-watt solar photovoltaic array atop its Aztec Recreation Center. The system will lower Associated Students costs and help keep student membership fees low. Visitors to the facility can view the solar production in real-time.
U Connecticut Unveils New Fuel Cell Power Plant
Funded by a federal stimulus grant from Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, the 400-kilowatt fuel cell will provide energy to university research labs and offices, including those working on advancing fuel cell and microgrid technology at the Center for Clean Energy Engineering.
Oberlin College Announces Plans for New 2.3 MW Solar Array
Construction of a 2.27-megawatt solar array consisting of 7,722 polycrystalline photovoltaic panels will begin soon and start producing energy in September. The array will also provide research opportunities for students and faculty in multiple disciplines. The college has entered into an agreement with Spear Point Energy to purchase the electricity that is produced.
Santa Clara U Athletics Center Introduces User-Powered Treadmills
The university has added two new treadmills that are "powered by sweat" for a total of 33 fitness machines that are self-generating and require no electricity. In total, the university reports that the 33 machines save enough electricity to power a personal computer for 10 years.
U Chicago Works to 'Green' Campus Fitness Center
In addition to user-powered fitness bikes and reuse/swap/donation options for its older fitness machines and athletic uniforms, the university's Ratner Athletics Center is working with Facilities Services to implement energy conservation lighting and recalibrate and balance its ventilation system.
EPA Announces Green Power Challenge Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized a Champion Green Power Conference as well as the largest single green power users in its sixth College and University Green Power Challenge for 2011-2012. At more than 228 million kilowatt-hours, the Pac-12 conference topped the list with the largest total purchase among all conferences.
Gustavus Adolphus College Installs Solar Panels
Purchased through an anonymous donation, the college has installed solar panels on four buildings to heat the water system in various parts of campus. In addition to conserving energy on campus, the panels will help provide research opportunities for students. Student researchers can receive access to a power grid to observe installations or get virtual access for projects in the teaching lab.
Medical U South Carolina Reports Significant Energy Savings
Through an Energy Savings Performance Contract with Ameresco, the university has announced savings of almost $2.5 million in annual energy costs. Energy-efficient retrofits completed under the contract include lighting system upgrades and the installation of more efficient water fixtures, fume hoods and mechanical upgrades and controls.
U Buffalo Debuts 750 kW 'Solar Strand'
The university's 3,200-panel solar photovoltaic array is expected to meet the electricity needs of hundreds of student apartments and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 400 tons per year.
American U Cairo Reduces Energy Use by 20%
(Egypt): With its Energy and Resource Conservation and Efficiency Project, American University in Cairo has used 20.4 percent less energy in kilowatt hours campus-wide in the past six months compared to the same six-month period a year earlier. With the goal of reducing overall campus energy use by one third in three years, the initiative includes retro-commissioning all major building systems on campus; ending the use of cooling and heating after hours and on weekends, breaks and holidays; and eventually consolidating classroom operations during winter and summer sessions to stop heating and cooling empty classrooms.
Harvard U Law School Weatherizes Dorm Windows
(U.S.): After dorm residents in Harvard Law School's North Hall noticed cold spots near their windows on cold days, the university weatherproofed all 117 windows. Calculated using the Harvard Green Building Resource Life Cycle Costing Tool, an open resource that helps project managers analyze life cycle costs for energy conservation measures, the law school expects to save $1,006 annually.
IIT Bombay Implements Energy Conservation Measures
(India): As part of its Green Campus Initiative, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay has installed occupancy sensors in bathrooms and toilet blocks in its 14 hostels and academic departments, a measure that is expected to reduce energy consumption by 70 percent per day. The institute has also installed six solar water heaters and is planning to make use of heat generated from air-conditioning systems for cooking and heating water.
U Mass Med School New Air Systems Save Water and Energy
(U.S.): In an effort to reduce energy and water consumption, the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s facilities team has completed the replacement of two medical vacuum systems and one medical compressed air system. The new systems are expected to save 483,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and four million gallons of water per year.
U Worcester Completes Solar Array Installation
(U.K.): Students and faculty will have the opportunity to monitor the amount of energy produced from the 50-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array and, by contributing power to the electrical grid, the university will benefit from the feed-in tariff payments.
Genesee CC Debuts Solar Powered Weather Station
The wireless weather monitoring station is powered through solar energy stored in rechargeable batteries. Current temperature and weather conditions are available via the college's Facebook page. The station was funded through the college’s Foundation President’s Innovation Award Program.
Luther College Completes Community Wind Power Project
A 1.6-megawatt wind turbine owned and operated by Luther College Wind Energy Project is providing the college and community with wind-generated electrical power. The power generated by the turbine is being sold to Alliant Energy under a long-term power purchase agreement and the project's Renewable Energy Certificates are being sold to the college.
U Vermont to Install Solar Panels at Equine Farm
With $55,740 from its Clean Energy Fund, the university has announced a solar panel installation at its Miller Equine Farm. Students will have the opportunity to work with Vermont Solar & Wind Partnership Program and the Clean Energy Fund during the installation in May. The power generated will feed directly into the electrical grid.
Carnegie Mellon U Purchases Wind Power
The university has partnered with Renewable Choice Energy to offset 100 percent of its 2012 electricity consumption. The university purchased 116,000-megawatt hours of certified renewable energy credits sourced from wind farms located in the Midwest.
Champlain College 'Kill-A-Watt' Winner Reduces Energy by 36%
The top energy savers of Sustain Champlain's annual energy reduction challenge among residence halls achieved a 36 percent savings in electricity use. The winner, Rowell Hall, was determined through a point system split between actual electricity reduction and spreading awareness through programming.
Western Washington U Installs Solar Panels
The energy produced by 24 solar panels on the roof of the Environmental Studies building will feed directly into the university’s electrical grid. A Student Green Energy Fee funded the $167,500 array, which is expected to be operational this month.
Ball State U Completes First Phase of Campus Geothermal System
The university has completed the first phase of what the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is calling the "nation's largest geothermal heating and cooling system." The $80 million project is expected to save the university $2 million in annual operating costs and cut its carbon footprint by nearly 50 percent. The system should be complete by next year, "at which time we will decommission the remaining two coal-fired boilers and be a completely geothermal district heating and cooling campus," the university's Center for Energy Research/Education/Service Director Robert J. Koester tells the AASHE Bulletin.
Kirkwood CC Installs Wind Turbine as Teaching Tool
Students in the community college's energy production and distribution technologies program will use the turbine as a learning laboratory and power from the turbine will be sold to an area utilities company, generating about $300,000 a year for the college.
Lanier Technical College Installs Solar Arrays
With a $503,000 grant from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, the college has installed a total of 407 square feet of solar photovoltaic and thermal panels on two campuses. Students have the opportunity to manage the energy produced.
U Kansas Reduces Energy Consumption with 'Lights Out!' Campaign
After a month of competition to save energy, three campus buildings have reduced their overall energy consumption by 10 percent compared to February 2011 by ensuring that unnecessary lighting, office equipment and electronics are powered down when not in use.
U Tennessee Knoxville Meets Challenge to Reduce Electricity Use
Since the university's chancellor issued a challenge to reduce energy consumption in February 2011, the university has reduced electricity use by one kilowatt-hour per square foot and saved $900,000 in utility costs. The university is also halfway to meeting the first interim goal of its Climate Action Plan to reduce campus operations emissions to 20 percent below the 2008 level by 2021.
Columbia U Receives $1 M for 'Green' Power Plant
(U.S.): The new plant, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, will combine natural gas boilers, "greener" refrigeration machines, variable-speed motors and a cutting-edge industrial grade control system to reduce overall plant energy costs and energy consumption.
SmartPower Names 'America's Next Eco-Star'
(U.S.): Recent Middlebury College (Vermont) graduate Katelyn Romanov has won the title of "America’s Next Eco-Star." She was selected by more than 10,000 voters and a panel of experts during the SmartPower and U.S. Department of Energy nationwide competition. Romanov was recognized for her clean energy and environmental activism as a founding member of student group Sprout (dedicated to promoting environmental education in local schools) and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Middlebury student chapter.
U South Pacific Unveils Solar Energy System
(Fiji Islands): The 45-kilowatt grid connected system is expected to provide approximately 10 percent of energy needs for the campus. Funding for the system was part of a contribution by the Korean government’s East Asia Climate Partnership initiative.
U Vermont Launches Campus Renewable Energy Feasibility Study
(U.S.): Initiated by the university's Clean Energy Fund, the study will reveal which locations on campus can improve their energy technologies with a focus on the possibility of campus-based renewable energy and its role in achieving carbon neutrality. The project is expected to be completed by September.
