Energy
Introduction
For most institutions, energy consumption is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global climate change. Implementing conservation measures and switching to renewable sources of energy can help institutions save money and protect them from utility rate volatility. Renewable energy may be generated locally and allow campuses to support local economic development. Furthermore, institutions can help shape markets by creating demand for cleaner, renewable sources of energy.
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Parametric analysis for cost-optimal renewable energy integration into residential buildings: Techno-economic model
- Illinois State University (IL)
- Hanyang University
Determining the optimum penetration of renewable energy systems and their associated aggregated technical and economic benefits is a growing concern for both researchers and policy makers. The purpose of this …
- Posted March 31, 2019
- Publications
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Examining the effect of an environmental social marketing intervention among university employees
- University of Birmingham
- Queen Mary University of London
- University of Sheffield
- Global Action Plan
This paper examines the impact of an environmental social marketing intervention on employees’ energy saving intentions in a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK. The study examines the influence …
- Posted March 30, 2019
- Publications
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Potential of integrating power generation with solar thermal cooling to improve the energy efficiency in a university campus in Saudi Arabia
- King Abdulaziz University
Along with the rapid ongoing developments and expansions of the King Abdulaziz University campus, it is sensible to rethink the way electrical and cooling energy is generated and to explore …
- Posted March 30, 2019
- Publications
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Competing priorities: lessons in engaging students to achieve energy savings in universities
- De Montfort University
- Imperial College London
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
This paper aims to present findings from an EU-funded international student-led energy saving competition (SAVES) on a scale previously unseen. There are multiple accounts of short-term projects and energy saving …
- Posted March 4, 2019
- Publications
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Hodgdon Hall Solar Panel Project
- Tufts University (MA)
This project, spearheaded by the Tufts Energy Group, provides a real life educational experience to the campus community to learn about and use renewable energy in an accessible fashion. The …
- Posted March 1, 2019
- Green Power Projects
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Harvard's Challenge: Institutional Green Power
- Harvard University (MA)
This case study examines the options that Harvard University has for complying with one aspect of its Climate Action Plan, which was announced in February 2018. It specifically focuses on …
- Posted March 1, 2019
- Case Studies
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Offsets and RECs: What's the Difference?
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
In encouraging organizations to choose green power for their electricity, the Green Power Partnership frequently explains renewable energy certificates (RECs) - what they are, why they are needed for green …
- Posted Feb. 25, 2019
- Publications
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Sustainable Energy Certificate Program
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
The Sustainable Energy Certificate is recognition for (a) completing a course of study that prepares you to evaluate the technical, political, economic, social, and environmental dimensions of deploying sustainable energy …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2019
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable Energy Minor
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI)
The Sustainable Energy Minor is a 21 credit minor which combines a foundational knowledge of economics, social sciences, and environmental sciences with more specific topics about sustainable energy and climate …
- Posted Feb. 13, 2019
- Academic Programs
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Solar Power Professional Certificate
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
In this online program, students will learn the fundamentals of photovoltaic "PV" solar powered energy systems, gaining the knowledge you'll need for an entry level position with a dealer, installer, …
- Posted Jan. 25, 2019
- Academic Programs
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Climate Change & Energy Focus (BA in Human Ecology)
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
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Effectively advocating for renewable energy and implementing local projects require a range of knowledge and skills. The College of the Atlantic's interdisciplinary curriculum makes it possible to gain a powerful …
- Posted Jan. 25, 2019
- Academic Programs
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How to Prove ROI and Get Funding for an Energy Management Information System (EMIS)
- Weber State University (UT)
- AASHE (MA)
- Atrius (CA)
Still on the fence about purchasing an Energy Management Information System to manage your university’s resource data? The time to act is now.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, …
- Posted Jan. 17, 2019
- Videos & Webinars
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Reduce Peak Demand and Increase Grid Stability with On-Site Energy Storage
- Austin Community College (TX)
SHINES, or Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar, is a three-year project focused on making solar energy cost-competitive with traditional energy sources. The goals of this project …
- Posted Dec. 21, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Transitioning to Renewables
- Dallas County Community College District System Office (TX)
Each year, a transition to all-renewable sources of energy seems more feasible for colleges and universities. The Texas Higher Education Renewable Energy Consortium is a coalition of colleges committed to …
- Posted Dec. 21, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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UT Austin Green Labs and Green Offices
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
The Green Offices and Green Labs initiative at University of Texas at Austin aims to transform campus workspaces into more eco-friendly environments. Improvements include reducing overall waste, implementation of collection …
- Posted Dec. 21, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Energy Studies Minor
- San Diego State University (CA)
The CES coordinates the minor in energy studies offered at SDSU. This is an interdisciplinary minor that exposes students to a variety of topics in energy technology and policy. It …
- Posted Dec. 13, 2018
- Academic Programs
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AASHE STARS Credits through ENERGY STAR®
- AASHE (MA)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
Download this five-page guide for a summary of ENERGY STAR tools and resources that could be used to earn AASHE STARS credits (version 2.1, July 2017), including credit descriptions and …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2018
- Tools
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Universities as Models of Sustainable Energy-Consuming Communities? Review of Selected Literature
- Texas State University, San Marcos (TX)
Given the prominent position of academia in sustainability studies and sustainability science, it is natural to want to look to universities as models of (or keepers of knowledge about) sustainable …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2018
- Publications
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Aggregating Higher Education Demand for Renewables: A Primer
- AASHE (MA)
- Edison Energy (CA)
Campuses are increasingly looking to renewable energy as the most financially attractive strategy for achieving dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while reducing long-term energy costs and minimizing energy price …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2018
- Publications
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Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems Minor
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville (WI)
The Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems Minor is designed to be a hands-on interdisciplinary program with an emphasis on the study of the economic, social, and environmental aspects of various …
- Posted Nov. 20, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems (BS)
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville (WI)
The study of sustainability and renewable energy systems (SRES) addresses the concerns of world resources, including energy and renewable energy, and their social, economic, and environmental impacts.
The sustainability and …
- Posted Nov. 20, 2018
- Academic Programs
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Teaching decision-making for sustainable infrastructure: a wind energy case study module
- Virginia Tech (VA)
Purpose This paper aims to introduce a case-based module teaching sustainable engineering, linking the Envision rating system with behavioral decision science. Three complete modules are publicly available in a repository …
- Posted Nov. 13, 2018
- Publications
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Energy and Climate Planning at Rice University
- Rice University (TX)
Rice University completed the Rice Integrated Climate and Energy Master Plan (RICEMaP) in 2013. Since that time, the world has arguably entered into a period of significant transition with respect …
- Posted Nov. 8, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Urban, Rural, and On-Campus Solutions (UROC): Living Campus Accelerator Toolkit
- Arizona State University (AZ)
Arizona State University has committed to becoming carbon neutral for campus buildings by 2025. University Sustainability Practices (USP) is working tirelessly to help fulfill this vision. USP and partner universities …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Raising the Bar - Updated Environmental & Social Criteria for EPEAT-Registered Computers/Displays
- Global Electronics Council (OR)
Product design has progressed, and EPEAT standards are progressing along with them. An update to the computer and display standard that large-scale purchasers have relied on to identify more sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Solar and Sheep Grazing - Is it for Ewe?
- Furman University (SC)
Does your institution have solar panels or are you thinking about installing them? Does your institution have sheep or know someone who does? If you answered 'yes' to either of …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Weatherizing Together: Finding Effective Community Partnerships
- Furman University (SC)
Is your school planning on or already implementing a home weatherization program? Have you found community partners for your program? Furman University's home weatherization program, the Community Conservation Corps (CCC), …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Community Impacts Through Energy-Efficient Housing Education
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
The Energy Efficient Housing Research Group (EEHR), an outreach arm of the Hamer Center for Community Design, is a conduit between high-performance housing research and housing stakeholders. EEHR connects multidisciplinary …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Divestment: How Public Universities Can Defund Climate Change
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
This presentation addresses widely held beliefs regarding institutional investors, specifically higher education's approach to investments, and provides a review of methods of fossil fuel divestment campaigns across the country. By …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Closing the Food Loop
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
As a group of student from three different universities and a diverse range of interests, we all noticed that there were many problems with the current food system. To start, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Agrivoltaic Arrays: Cultivating the Future of Renewable Energy
- University of Arizona (AZ)
Agrivoltaics' combines the terms, 'agriculture' and 'photovoltaics' to create a symbiotic relationship between food and renewable energy. The vast majority of solar energy generated comes from solar farms. However, as …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Creating Campus Revenue Streams to Support Sustainability Initiatives
- Brown University (RI)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- Michigan State University (MI)
- Ecosystem (QC)
Educational institutions across North America are aiming to reduce both energy spend and GHG emissions, with targets ranging from 10%-50% by 2030, 2025, or even 2020. At the same time, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Contracting for Renewable Energy Procurement: Financing and Legal Strategies and Considerations
- K&L Gates (DC)
Colleges and universities are adopting aggressive sustainability targets and deadlines to reduce carbon emissions. To meet these targets, institutions have a range of options, including installing on-site energy generation and …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Getting to a Green Light: How to Build Organizational Buy-In for Large-Scale Renewable Energy
- Brown University (RI)
- Michigan State University (MI)
- Coho Climate Advisors (MD)
This interactive and action-oriented session will provide insights and tools to update your understanding of renewable energy, map out critical stakeholders on campus, and translate the renewable energy opportunity into …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Thompson Rivers University - The Solar Compass: A Case Study on Ground Mounted Solar Modules
- Thompson Rivers University (BC)
In the summer of 2017, a collective of faculty, students, industry professionals and an innovative photo voltaic manufacturer installed North America's first ground mounted solar array. The installation is on …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Renewable Energy for Campus Facilities Services
- Black Hills State University (SD)
Through our case study, we were able to demonstrate that a self-sustaining biodiesel program could be effectively operated on the Black Hills State University campus as well as potentially other …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Hitting Bumps in the Road to Renewables
- Connecticut College (CT)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Almost every month it seems like a new renewable energy project is announced on a college campus, feeding a sense of urgency at those colleges and universities who have not …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Shifting to 100% Renewable Campuses and Communities
- Environment America (MA)
- CALPIRG Students (CA)
College and university campuses can lead the way toward a future powered by 100 percent renewable energy. With the effects of climate change growing ever more apparent, and with the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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The Present & Future of the Open Energy Dashboard
- Beloit College (WI)
The Open Energy Dashboard needs your help! OED is a free, open source energy dashboard that continues rapid development with 8-20 student programmers per semester and an expanding user base. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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From Student Power to Renewable Energy: A New Approach to Investing in Solar
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Over the last year and a half, students at Southern Oregon University have worked to develop an innovative new approach to funding solar. Inspired by the power purchase agreement model, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Transitioning a 100-year Legacy of Campus Steam to 21st Century Geothermal
- Carleton College (MN)
Colleges and universities are leading the way on the next generation of energy solutions. Efficiency, decarbonization, and cost management are important elements of these programs, yet how we engage the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Campus-Wide Change: Turn Down for Watt
- Northern Michigan University (MI)
Northern Michigan University's EcoReps and Facilities Management hosted the first Turn Down the Lights campaign during Sustainability Week in March 2018. During this week, corridor lights were turned off in …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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How to Benchmark Your Building in Five Minutes or Less
- Atrius (CA)
As a management practice, benchmarking involves tracking building performance by regularly measuring key performance indicators such as energy use and periods of peak and low demand. Benchmarking then compares current …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Occupant Engagement and Centralized Controls: a Hybrid Energy Management Solution With Major Savings
- Keewi Inc. (CA)
Introduction: Plug loads (PL), devices plugged into wall outlets, comprise approximately 1/3 of electricity use of commercial buildings, and are expected to rise to 1/2 by 2030. Traditional PL reduction …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Using Sub-Metering to Prioritize and Measure Energy Management Projects
- Macalester College (MN)
Every institution faces limitations as it relates to spending money. These limitations can be on operating budgets, staffing levels, or both. It is paramount while operating within these limits to …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Paying for Sustainable Development from Wasted Energy
- NORESCO (NC)
The World Green Building Council posits that green buildings support nine UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Public-Private Partnerships (P3) have become a popular mechanism for higher education institutions to transform …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Turning Energy Challenges into Solutions at Higher Education Facilities
- Constellation Energy (MD)
While budget cuts and finite resources can often act as hurdles to enacting energy efficiency improvements, these investments can produce long-term and unmatched benefits that significantly reduce overall energy expenses …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Infusing Energy Management with Classroom Scheduling
- Western Technical College (WI)
Western Technical College integrated its classroom scheduling software with its building automation system software in the summer of 2017. This project allows us to control the heating and cooling of …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Student-Developed Energy Management Information System
- Macalester College (MN)
Like many other educational institutions, our college cares about the efficient use of energy and seeks ways to reduce its impact on the environment. We promote energy-wise behavior among students, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Creating a Successful Campus Temperature Policy
- Wesleyan University (CT)
Heating and cooling account for more than 60% of Wesleyan's energy and carbon footprint. In 2013, Wesleyan's Utilities Manager estimated that we could reduce our energy consumption 20%, or approximately …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 5: Building Energy Efficiency
- Total performance year site energy consumption per unit of floor area
- Total performance year source energy consumption per unit of floor area
- Percent reduction in total source energy consumption per unit of floor area from baseline
- Description of initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency
- Description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution
- Description of LED lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies
- Description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies
- Description of co-generation employed by the institution
- Description of initiatives to replace energy-consuming equipment with high efficiency alternatives
- Website URL - Energy conservation and efficiency program
OP 6: Clean and Renewable Energy
- Percent of total energy consumption from clean and renewable sources
- Website URL - Clean and renewable energy programs
- Percent of electricity from coal
- Percent of electricity from geothermal
- Percent of electricity from hydro
- Percent of electricity from natural gas
- Percent of electricity from nuclear energy
- Percent of electricity from solar photovoltaic
- Percent of electricity from wind
- Percent of electricity from wind
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.