Saint John's U Begins 400kW Photovoltaic Project
Saint John's University (MN) and Saint John's Abbey have begun installing 1,800 solar modules that will produce an anticipated 400 kW. The power generated by the panels will be connected to the electrical grid serving Saint John's and the central Minnesota area. The facility will offset about 20 percent of Saint John’s peak energy needs during the summer months and approximately four percent of the campus’s overall energy needs on an annual basis. The expected completion date is late November 2009.
U Kansas Fuels Game Zone with Biodiesel
The University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative and Kansas Athletics have partnered to sponsor the Family Fun Zone at home football games. The Zone features inflatable games that will be powered by generators fueled by biodiesel from used cooking oil in campus dining areas.
Brandeis U Signs PPA to Install 227 kW Solar System
Brandeis University (MA) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Alteris Renewables to develop and install a 227 kW solar system. This contract is expected to save the University nearly $1 million over the life of the system.
Eastfield College Installs Solar Array
Eastfield College (TX) has partnered with Green Mountain Energy Company to install a 380-square-foot, 24-solar-panel array that will produce 4.4 kW. It is expected to save the college $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifespan. The solar array was donated by Green Mountain Energy Company. It will be used as a teaching tool for the College and is already included in many course curricula.
Memorial U Completes Energy Reduction Project
Memorial University (NL), in partnership with Honeywell, has completed a series of energy upgrades to facilities across campus. Through energy-efficient building improvements and infrastructure upgrades, the program will help the University address deferred maintenance and save approximately $1.5 million in utility costs per year. The project focused on the central heating and cooling plant, and seven buildings on the university's 250-acre campus. Specifically, Honeywell installed new high efficiency controls and burners on three boilers in the central plant, which will allow the facilities staff to respond to load changes caused by weather or equipment malfunctions more efficiently.
U Dayton Implements Energy Reduction Initiatives
The University of Dayton (OH) has announced several new initiatives to help reduce campus-wide energy use by its goal of 10 percent before the end of the academic year. UD plans to remove half of the lights in its campus library and upgrade the other half with energy-efficient lighting. The University expects to achieve a 50 percent energy usage reduction in the library with a barely noticeable reduction in light output. In addition, UD estimates it will receive approximately $55,000 in rebates for the library project. Other projects will include the installation of occupancy sensors that control lighting and temperature as well as automation controls for the central boiler plant to ensure optimal performance.
Harvard U Installs 2 Wind Turbines
Harvard University (MA) has installed two 10 kW wind turbines on the top deck of a campus parking garage. The Bergey Excel turbines, which are each perched on 40 foot towers, provide a portion of the energy needed to power the parking center.
San Diego CCD Partners to Install 2.4 MW Solar System
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has approved a 20-year agreement with Borrego Solar to construct and maintain a photovoltaic system that will provide about 2.4 megawatts of green energy across the district. The system will be financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) which will enable the District to access and use solar-generated energy, without the upfront capital costs or operational expenses. Under the agreement, Borrego Solar would build, operate, and maintain the solar system, and sell the generated solar energy back to the District at rates approximately 18 percent below those of San Diego Gas & Electric; a savings of more than $110,000 annually. The solar energy generated by the District system would be enough to meet 26 percent of current peak electrical demand. The photovoltaic program calls for the solar panels to be installed on building rooftops, parking structures, and atop new solar panel shade structures on parking lots throughout the District.
Arizona State U Retrofits Lighting
Arizona State University has begun a project to retrofit over 10,000 lighting fixtures in and around 13 buildings. The project, which is schedule for completion in December 2009, is expected to save $100,000 annually on utility bills.
Smith College Replaces Lighting in Indoor Sports Facility
Smith College (MA) has completed a full light replacement in its Indoor Track and Tennis facility. The project replaced 120 metal halide light fixtures, each of which used 1,000 watts, with 144 fixtures that use 600 watts per unit. Smith expects the lighting project to save $38,000 per year. The College plans to install motion sensors to automatically shut off the lights when not use.
U Mississippi to Post Real-Time Energy Use on Facebook, Twitter
The University of Mississippi is partnering with SmartSynch Inc., a smart grid infrastructure company, to set up smart meters in campus buildings that will track power usage in real time. The University plans to publish the real-time results for the general public on Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. UM to identify a detailed pattern of electricity usage at its buildings and, using the smart meter data, determine methods to reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions. The program is part of the University's "Red, Blue and Green" campaign.
Arkansas Colleges Receive Funding for Energy Efficiency
Governor Mike Beebe has announced that two- and four-year higher education institutions across Arkansas will receive a total of $42.5 million from the federal stimulus package. The money is slated to be used for renovation, energy-efficiency improvement, and expansion of facilities.
Butte College Wins EPA Award for Green Power
Butte College (CA) has received a Green Power Leadership Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for on-site generation of renewable energy. Butte was the only education institution recognized by the EPA. The College produces 39 percent of its electricity needs through solar arrays. Butte's current solar-power capacity includes 1.916 MW.
New York Institute of Technology Unveils Solar Car Port
The New York Institute of Technology, with the help of federal grant money, has opened the first of two solar car ports on its campus. Part of NYIT's "One Spot, One Car, One Commute" solar plug-in hybrid electric vehicle project, the freestanding, four-car carport prototype has solar panels integrated into its structure. The carport shades parked vehicles while collecting energy from the sun and converting it into power to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles. School officials expect that the energy produced from one car spot will be enough to power a solar plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for the average New York metro commute.
U Maryland Eastern Shore to Build 2.1 Mega Watt Solar Farm
The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore has announced plans to install a 20 acre solar farm that will produce 2.1 MW of energy. The University is partnering with SunEdison, a solar energy services provider that will finance, build, operate and maintain the system. University officials look at this job as both a way to offer an alternative energy and lower costs. Under the solar power service agreement, the solar plant will require no upfront capital investment by the University. Construction is scheduled to begin in early September with anticipated completion by the end of 2009.
Whitman College Installs 21kW Solar Array
Whitman College (WA) has installed a 21kW photovoltaic array on the roof of the Bratton Tennis Center. Whitman expects the new installation to replace approximately 20 percent of the building's annual energy use. Whitman’s environmental studies program will utilize the project in educational programming for students and community members, and a solar monitoring station will be established on the first floor of the Hall of Science, adjacent to a pre-existing weather, seismic and stream-monitoring station. A website will allow anyone to monitor the system’s output.
Bismarck State College Installs Wind Turbine
Bismarck State College (ND) has installed a 2.4 kW wind turbine on campus. The project will provide power to a maintenance building on campus. The turbine provides access for students enrolled at BSC's National Energy Center of Excellence to learn about wind as a renewable source of electricity generation. The renewable component will be integrated into existing energy program curriculum.
Eastfield College Unveils Solar Array
Eastfield College (TX) has unveiled its new, 4.4 kW solar array. The solar system is ground mounted and will be used as a teaching tool for the College. It is estimated that the array will save the college more than $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime.
California State U San Bernardino Installs Green Fitness Machines
California State University, San Bernardino has installed 20 elliptical fitness machines in the student recreation and fitness center that generate energy from exercise. Each machine generates about 100 watts of power per hour when in use and features a sign that explains that the machine generates energy that is converted to electricity. A digital banner on several television monitors also shows the generated electricity.
U Hawaii MÄnoa Unveils Solar Testbed
The University of Hawai'i, MÄnoa has installed a renewable energy demonstration and testing site on the roof of a campus building, Saunders Hall. The “Kumu Kit” solar panel system will provide an opportunity for students to study the potential of solar energy and test different technologies for turning sunlight into electricity. The first project for the testbed will evaluate micro-inverter technology that improves the efficiency of solar power arrays. The micro-inverters communicate real-time power production data from each solar panel to a central web site that archives historical data.
U New Mexico Unveils Veggie Bus
The University of New Mexico has unveiled its Veggie Bus, a shuttle powered by waste vegetable oil. The vehicle, which would have otherwise been retired, was overhauled to run on used oil that is collected from UNM dining facilities and converted to B-100 vegetable fuel.
Western State College to Install Biomass Boiler
Western State College of Colorado has announced plans to install a boiler system that relies on woody biomass for fuel. A local source does not currently exist for the wood chips necessary to fuel the system, so Western plans to produce its own.
Delaware Technical & CC Begins Energy Conservation Prgm
Delaware Technical and Community College has begun the "Energy Rangers" program, in which a group of approximately 50 volunteers ensures that classroom and office lights are turned off when classes end. Each volunteer, who is also in charge of letting facilities staff know when a building's heating and cooling system is not working properly, adopts a corridor or bank of offices in a campus building.
Drury U Installs 4 KW Solar System on Res Hall
Drury University (MO) has installed a solar system on a campus residence hall. The new system will be used to create electricity and to heat water. The solar thermal portion of the system will pre-heat water to between 80 and 120 degrees before it is transferred into the hot water tank where it will be heated to 140 degrees. When operating at maximum capacity the system will produce four kilowatts of energy.
Marin College Installs Solar Panels and Geothermal System
Marin College (CA) has installed 16, 30-foot by 30-foot photovoltaic shared structures and a 40-foot-deep geothermal system. The solar structure will provide an estimated 50 percent of the energy needed to operate the newly renovated physical education building, which will open this winter. The geothermal system is expected to pay for itself in five years through reduced energy costs. The two new installations were funded by a bond measure passed by Marin County voters that allocated $249.5 million for upgrades and retrofits at the college. The funds will also be used to construct a new fine arts building and a science and math building, both of which will seek a U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating.
U California, San Diego Installs Sun-Tracking Solar Panels
The University of California, San Diego has installed solar panels that automatically track the sun as it crosses the daytime sky and concentrate sunlight onto hundreds of electricity-producing solar cells, each smaller than a shirt button. The 220-square-foot, 5.75 kW concentrating photovoltaic panel is mounted on a movable platform atop a metal pole and has an average efficiency of nearly twice that of conventional photovoltaic technology.
U North Alabama Receives Green Campus Initiative Funding
The University of North Alabama has received $951,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy for phase two of the University’s Green Campus Initiative, an effort to make UNA facilities as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. UNA’s Green Campus Initiative projects are designed to promote greater efficiencies of energy usage, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and recycling of appropriate items. Phase one of the initiative includes the current renovation of Keller Hall. The Keller renovation features solar panels, new windows, and a new heating and air system.
U North Carolina Implements Energy Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has implemented a new campus-wide energy policy that aims to decrease energy use by reducing the amount of air conditioning and heating used in buildings. The temperature set points will be between 76 and 78 degrees during the summer and between 69 and 71 degrees during the winter. Most buildings will be programmed to relax these settings (to between 64 and 83 degrees) when buildings typically are unoccupied or have low occupancy. The University expects a savings of between $4 and $5 million per year in energy costs.
U North Carolina Launches U.S. Energy Use Website
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched “Powering a Nation,” an experimental multimedia news website that explores U.S. energy use and its relationship to the country’s demographics. Ten Carolina journalism students selected as News21 fellows have been working since January with faculty – joined by two students from Harvard University (MA) and the University of Missouri – to produce stories about wind farms, the electrical grid, mountaintop removal, coal activists, biofuels, religious response to environmental issues, and other topics. The stories are presented as feature articles, multimedia documentaries, motion graphics, blog posts, and games.
Arizona State U Installs LEDs in Parking Structures
Arizona State University has retrofitted six parking structures on the Tempe campus with new light- emitting diode (LED) fixtures. The project will afford ASU with an annual savings of up to $127,000 in energy and maintenance costs.
Durham College Installs Solar Array
Durham College (ON) has installed a $500,000 grid-tied photovoltaic system. The new solar power system is part of a 40,000-square-foot expansion and upgrade of the College’s Whitby campus that is designed to increase energy efficiency and energy production while supporting a range of energy-focused programs and learning facilities.
Harvard U to Install 500 kW Solar Array
Harvard University (MA) has announced plans to install a 500 kW solar array on the top of one of its campus buildings. The array, which is expected to reach nearly 2 ½ football fields in length, is being funded in part by a $1.08 million grant from the state’s Commonwealth Solar rebate program, which aims to increase the amount of renewable energy generated by photovoltaic technology in Massachusetts.
Keene State College Installs Co-Gen Plant
Keene State College (NH) has installed a co-generation heat plant that is expected to reduce energy costs by more than $120,000 a year and to reduce greenhouse gases caused by campus electrical consumption by more than 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. The new facility features two new boilers that have high-efficiency burners that increase steam output with almost no waste; a control system that regulates the boilers for maximum output; and the ability to allow steam to provide heat and turn a turbine that will generate up to 12 percent of the campus's electricity.
U Akron Installs Energy Efficient Stadium Lighting
The University of Akron (OH) has installed five energy efficient light masts around its football stadium. The new installations will use as much as 25 percent less energy than traditional stadium lighting.
Colorado State U to Install Solar Power Plant
Colorado State University has announced plans to install a 2 MW solar power plant on its Foothills Campus. The 15 acre solar array will generate enough solar power to meet more than 10 percent of the University’s electric energy needs. In exchange for hosting the solar panels, Colorado State has secured a 20-year contract for solar power to keep costs low.
Drexel U Adopts Smart Grid Technology
Drexel University (PA) has deployed an energy monitoring system on its main campus. The system will provide real-time measurements of Drexel's power usage and eventually allow the University to sell energy back to the larger public grid. Using real-time pricing technology, the system will also allow the University to purchase power at times of the day when demand is low and sell excess power back to the larger power grid. The Power Resources Department at Drexel’s College of Engineering will use the campus smart grid as a working laboratory to advance its study of urban power systems.
Florida State U Partners to Build 5 MW Solar Thermal Plant
Florida State University has announced plans to build a 5 MW power plant that uses solar thermal energy and biomass to generate electricity. The plant will use thermal aluminum panels that capture and store heat and will use biomass to make up for hours of the day when the sun isn't out. Construction is set to start in the fall and is expected to be completed in 18 months.
U Iowa 15th in Nation for On-site Green Power
The University of Iowa has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the Top 20 On-site Green Power Users, with a rank of 15th in the nation. As the only college campus on this list, the UI has an on-site power plant that uses oat hulls to generate nearly 9 million kilowatt-hours of biomass power annually, equivalent to 3 percent of its electricity use.
College of Charleston Releases Campus Sustainability Video
The College of Charleston (SC) has created a video about sustainability on the Charleston campus. The video aims to teach students about sustainability and how they can reduce their energy consumption on campus and to encourage students to take action to make the College more sustainable.
Colorado College Saves $100K in Energy Costs
Colorado College has announced that it saved nearly $100,000 during its 14 week "aCClimate14" conservation campaign during the spring semester. The "aCClimate14" effort was a campus-wide resource conservation campaign designed to achieve a 14 percent reduction in electricity, heat, and water use through behavioral change. Each of the 14 weeks in the semester focused on different daily habits such as computing, bathing, transportation, and studying. The campaign included various communal tools to encourage behavioral shifts, including drying racks, outdoor recycling receptacles, shower timers, and plug-in electric meters.
Penn State Approves Energy Conservation Policy
Pennsylvania State University has announced plans to release a new energy conservation policy this fall. The policy, which has been approved by the University, includes guidelines such as making ''every effort'' to maintain the temperature inside facilities at 70 degrees in winter, and turning off or putting in ''standby mode'' any office equipment not in use ''unless it is detrimental to the operation of the equipment to do so.'
U New Mexico-Taos Goes 100% Solar
The University of New Mexico-Taos has announced that its 3 ½ acre, 500 kW solar array, which is expected to be complete by the end of July 2009, will provide the University with more than 100 percent of its electricity needs. UNM Taos officials believe that the community college is the first in the nation to be completely powered by solar energy.
Shasta College to Install Solar Panels at Campus Farm
Shasta College (CA) has signed a contract to fill a 250 yard by 100 yard rectangle with solar panels, and the campus farm has been selected as the preferred site. Shasta estimates that the new installation could reduce its electricity costs by as much as 40 percent.
Smith College Reduces Emisisons 31 Percent
Smith College (MA) has announced that it reduced its emissions by 31 percent between 2004 and 2008. The College has attributed the decrease to ongoing efficiency upgrades to campus buildings and infrastructure and to its conversion from burning mostly oil to natural gas in the central heating plant.
U Kansas Generates Energy from Student Workouts
The University of Kansas has retrofitted 15 elliptical machines with devices that draw on kinetic energy created by people's workouts and reroute that energy back into the building's electric grid. The energy produced from the workout machines will be used to help power the David A. Ambler Student Recreation Center.
Appalachian State U Installs 100 kW Wind Turbine
Appalachian State University (NC) has announced the completion of a 100 kW wind turbine located on campus. Officials believe it is the largest wind turbine in the state of North Carolina. The $533,000 project was funded by Appalachian students through a $5 Renewable Energy Initiative fee collected each semester.
St. Olaf College Awarded for Energy Efficiency
St. Olaf College (MN) has been named Xcel Energy's Number 2 "Efficiency Partner" - one of 56 businesses the company honored recently for participating in Xcel's 2008 efficiency programs. St. Olaf was noted in the "Top 10" list for having saved 6.91 million kWh. St. Olaf also ranked No. 1 in natural gas efficiency, with 417,840 therms saved.
U Colorado at Colorado Springs Installs Solar Panels
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has installed a solar system on the roof of its Science and Engineering building. The $107,000 system was funded with a grant from the Governor’s Energy Office, proceeds from a 2008 fee passed by UCCS students, and funds from Colorado Springs Utilities rebate program. The energy produced by the solar system will be displayed on a kiosk in the lobby of the building.
Colorado State U Installs Biomass Boiler
Colorado State University has partnered with the Colorado State Forest Service to install a biomass boiler heating plant on the Foothills Campus to reduce the university's greenhouse gas emissions and cut energy costs. The heating plant will burn wood chips rather than rely solely on natural gas to provide hot water for the Judson M. Harper Research Complex. The wood chips will be obtained from forest restoration and management efforts such as forest fire mitigation projects, which typically supply about 10 tons of wood chips per acre. CSU officials estimate that it will save approximately $60,000 in utility costs annual as a result of the new biomass boiler.
