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.

2541 resources

How a New Learning Lab Becomes a Continuous Career Fair and Sustainability Jobs Hub

  • Sacramento City College (CA)
  • Trane (TX)

The Sacramento City College Mechanical Electrical Technology (MET) Program has been in place for decades. In recent years, enrollment has leveled off but local industry still has a relative high ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Featuring the Chemistry Department in Campus Sustainability Initiatives: Best Practices in the Lab and Curriculum

  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
  • My Green Lab (CA)
  • Beyond Benign (MA)

Chemistry laboratories have a long-standing reputation of being energy, water, and waste intensive. The emergence of high standards of environmental and social responsibility have lead to a particular need for ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Leveraging ENERGY STAR to Increase Campus Efficiency: A Northwestern University Case Study

  • Northwestern University (IL)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

Attendees will learn how to implement best practices in energy efficiency and engage the campus community in behavior change. ENERGY STAR® guidelines and assessment tools provided the foundation for Northwestern ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Free, Open Source Energy Dashboard: A Platform for Collaboration Between Students, Faculty, and Facilities Management

  • Beloit College (WI)
  • Central College (IA)
  • Macalester College (MN)

Beloit College is spearheading an effort to create a free, open source energy dashboard that will be usable and customizable across a range of institutions. Features include: acquiring, archiving and ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Developing Carbon Credits on Your Campus through the Voluntary Carbon Market

  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
  • Second Nature (MA)

For the past year, a handful of schools have been third party verifying and selling carbon credits on the Voluntary Carbon Market through Second Nature's Carbon Credit and Purchasing ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Barriers and Breakthroughs On the Road to Large-Scale Renewable Energy PPAs

  • Boston University (MA)
  • University of Richmond (VA)
  • Edison Energy (CA)

Conventional power prices are at historic lows. Yet, wind and solar power costs are still able to compete with 'brown' power. A new renewable energy trends report by the University ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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From Gown to Town: Bringing the Benefits of Solar Energy to the Community

  • University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
  • Midwest Renewable Energy Association (WI)
  • Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (VA)
  • Institute for Sustainable Communities (VT)

Solar energy programs present a unique opportunity between colleges and their communities. We'll explore three areas where collaboration on and off campus are making a difference, including programs that ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Innovative Financing Options and the University Solar Deployment Process

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
  • Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
  • Midwest Renewable Energy Association (WI)
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (CO)

This workshop session will highlight new, high-impact ways in which higher education institutions can finance solar deployment, including making investments via endowments. In this session, EPA will review emerging solar ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Getting Traction with Large-Scale Renewable Energy Procurement: Finding Your Sweet-Spot and Effectively Communicating About It

  • George Washington University (DC)
  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • Coho Climate Advisors (MD)

Technology cost reductions and favorable market economics make large-scale renewable energy an increasingly compelling choice for campuses to make step-change improvements in their GHG footprint while also reducing long-term cost ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Being a RE-Volv Solar Ambassador on your Campus and in your Community: Practical and Curricular Training and Experiences

  • Coastal Carolina University (SC)
  • RE-Volv (CA)

Re-Volv is a solar seed fund non-profit organization from San Francisco. It sponsors teams of college students each year to work with community non-profits and provide them solar energy. Establishing ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Secrets to Campus Energy Success: Constructing a Comprehensive Renewable Energy Strategy

  • University of Richmond (VA)
  • Edison Energy (CA)

Energy is one of the largest non-payroll operating costs for most colleges and universities. Campus budgets are exposed to volatile energy price fluctuations, rising over time. Electricity and natural gas ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Submetering: Identify, Integrate, Fix-and Cruise

  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • Smith College (MA)
  • GreenerU (MA)

Submetering is amazing! Submetering is frustrating!' It's a roller coaster to deal with submetering technology sometimes. You finally have granular data to help you identify energy hogs on campus ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Diverse Paths to Success: Three High-Impact Infrastructure Projects that Reduced Energy Consumption and Emissions

  • Bowling Green State University (OH)
  • Rider University (NJ)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)
  • Gordian (SC)

Despite lower utility costs and longer payback periods, sustainability outcomes across Higher Education continue to improve through investment in utility & systems upgrades. According to data from the joint 2016 ...

  • Posted Dec. 1, 2017
  • Conference Presentations
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Guide to Making Claims About Your Solar Power Use

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

This guide describes best practices for appropriately explaining and characterizing solar power activities and the fundamental importance of renewable energy certificates (RECs) for solar power use claims. This guidance is ...

  • Posted Nov. 16, 2017
  • Publications
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3.3 MW Wind Purchase from Roth Rock Wind Farm

  • University System of Maryland Office (MD)

The University of Maryland System and the Maryland Department of General Services are jointly purchasing 20% of the output of the 50 MW Roth Rock Wind Farm via a 20 ...

  • Posted Nov. 13, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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18 MW Wind Purchase from Pinnacle Wind Farm

  • University System of Maryland Office (MD)

The University of Maryland System is purchasing 33% of the output of the 55 MW Pinnacle Wind Farm via a 20 year power purchase agreement. The Maryland Department of General ...

  • Posted Nov. 13, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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1.4 MW Solar Array on Pecos Campus

  • Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ)
  • SolarCity

Chandler-Gilbert Community College partnered with SolarCity to install a 1.38 MW solar power system at its Pecos Campus. It was constructed on land leased from CGCC. The college purchases ...

  • Posted Nov. 13, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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52 MW Capital Partners Solar Project

  • American University (DC)
  • George Washington University (DC)
  • Duke Energy (NC)
  • Coho Climate Advisors (MD)

The Capital Partners Solar Project (CPSP) is a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) under which Duke Energy Renewables (DER) installed 52-megawatts (AC) of ground-mount solar across three sites in North ...

  • Posted Nov. 13, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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Ten Tools for Moving Your Campus to 100% Clean Energy

Environment America designed a series of 10 fact sheets as a resource for students, faculty and administrators interested in moving their campus toward sustainability. The fact sheets have been crafted ...


New Drivers for Campus Microgrids: Resiliency, Community, Research, Jobs & Cost Savings

Colleges and universities were among the first to adopt microgrid technology in North America. Initially they did so to ensure electric reliability on a grid that had yet to fully ...

  • Posted Oct. 25, 2017
  • Publications
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Bates College Students Install Solar

  • Bates College (ME)

Working with local solar installer Revision Energy, Bates College students work on the roof of our Shortridge Research Facility to install enough solar panels to cover 100% of the building ...


Bates College Students Install Solar Panels on Research Faciltiy

  • Bates College (ME)

Working with local solar installer Revision Energy, Bates College students work on the roof of our Shortridge Research Facility to install enough solar panels to cover 100% of the building ...


Bates College's New Wood-based, Liquid Fuel Boiler

  • Bates College (ME)

In January of 2017, Bates College began using a fuel which no other college or university in the United States has used before. Known as Renewable Fuel Oil, it is ...


Skidmore College Geothermal Node

  • Skidmore College (NY)

Skidmore College's first geothermal energy node distributes geothermal energy from the Arts Quad bore field to Zankel Music Center, Filene Hall, and Saisselin Art Building.


Solar Trackers on Sterling College Campus, Craftsbury Common, VT

  • Sterling College (VT) (VT)

Sterling College has been a leader in seeking alternative sources of energy and even investments to fuel our endeavors. Sterling produces about 80 percent of its energy through solar power ...


4.5 MW of Rooftop Solar Installations

  • Stanford University (CA)
  • SunPower Corp (CA)

In February 2017, Stanford completed the installation of 4.5 MW of solar spread across the roofs of 15 campus buildings: Braun Music Center; Automotive Innovation Facility; 340 Bonair Siding ...

  • Posted Oct. 14, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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44MW Solar Purchase from Summit Farms

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
  • Coho Climate Advisors (MD)

In the fall of 2016, MIT joined with two local partners (Boston Medical Center and Post Office Square Redevelopment Corporation) in a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Dominion Resources ...

  • Posted Oct. 14, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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67 MW Stanford Solar Generating Station

  • Stanford University (CA)
  • SunPower Corp (CA)

Covering approximately 200 acres in a western valley of the Mojave Desert, the 67 MW (DC) Stanford Solar Generating Station produces the equivalent of about half of the electricity used ...

  • Posted Oct. 11, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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60 MW Wind Energy Purchase: Cowboy Wind Farm

  • Oklahoma State University (OK)

On January 1, 2013, Oklahoma State began purchasing 110 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind energy annually under a 20 year power purchase agreement with Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. This ...

  • Posted Oct. 11, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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Cornell University Ithaca Campus: Energy Direct Billing

  • Cornell University (NY)

A new Energy Direct Billing budget model went into effect at Cornell University in 2014, making each college/unit on campus responsible for its own utility bill. This model provides ...


50 MW Wind Energy Purchase from Blue Creek Wind Farm

  • The Ohio State University (OH)

In October 2012, Ohio State University signed a power purchase agreement with Iberdrola Renewables to purchase 50 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity from the Blue Creek Wind Farm, a ...

  • Posted Oct. 10, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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2 MW Horn Point Solar Project

  • University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (MD)
  • Standard Solar

UMCES partnered with Standard Solar, Inc. to install a 2MW solar field on approximately 10 acres of its Horn Point Laboratory campus. It is expected to generate approximately 50% of ...

  • Posted Oct. 9, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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4.5 MW Solar Farm

  • California Polytechnic State University (CA)
  • REC Solar (CA)

Cal Poly has a 4.5 MW solar farm on 18.5-acres on the western edge of its campus. It was financed, designed, constructed and is maintained by REC Solar ...

  • Posted Oct. 9, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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32.5 MW Off-Site Solar Farm: MD Solar 1 (in progress)

  • Georgetown University (DC)

In September 2017, Georgetown University engaged Origis Energy USA to develop a 32.5-megawatt off-site solar power system on 518 acres in Charles County, Maryland. When complete in summer of ...

  • Posted Oct. 9, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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3.8 MW Solar Installation at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

  • Tufts University (MA)
  • NRG Energy, Inc (NJ)

Two new solar installations - a 2.5 MW DC project built on eight acres and a 1.27 MW DC project on four acres - at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine ...

  • Posted Oct. 9, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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321 kW Solar Park

  • University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (AR)

The 321 kW solar park is part of a $19.3 million energy performance contract that is expected to reduce UAPB’s energy consumption by 32 percent.

  • Posted Oct. 9, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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25 kW solar array: Skokie campus

  • Oakton Community College (IL)

The 25 kW roof-mounted system consists of approximately 80 solar panels and was completed on June 20, 2017. The Skokie campus is also home to a test system that provides ...

  • Posted Oct. 6, 2017
  • Green Power Projects
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2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report

  • United States Department of Energy (DC)

The 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) finds that the Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors today employ approximately 6.4 million Americans. These sectors increased in 2016 ...

  • Posted Sept. 21, 2017
  • Publications
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Solar Training and Hiring Insights 2017

This report aims to increase understanding of U.S. solar training, hiring practices, and market trends to help the industry make better, more informed decisions. It aggregates and analyzes data ...

  • Posted Sept. 11, 2017
  • Publications
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Solar Energy Technology Licensed

  • University of California, Davis (CA)

A new licensing deal between the University of California, Davis and Q1 NanoSystems has established terms for exclusive licensing of a package of jointly-owned intellectual property stemming from inventions both ...

  • Posted Sept. 11, 2017
  • Publications
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Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2017

Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2017 presents the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year. In this fourth edition, the ...

  • Posted Sept. 11, 2017
  • Publications
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Assessing the Higher Education Sector’s Use of Renewable Energy

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)

This article explores the extent to which U.S.-based institutions of higher education have engaged in voluntary purchases and production of renewable energy. Understanding these efforts is important in ...

  • Posted Aug. 28, 2017
  • Publications
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Asian deals for UNSW solar technology

  • UNSW Sydney (NSW)

This press release describes three new technology licensing agreements between and the University of New South Wales and solar cell manufacturers in Asia. The first, a $1.7million licensing agreement ...

  • Posted Aug. 14, 2017
  • Publications
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UNL technology powers Nebraska solar panel startup

  • University of Nebraska - Lincoln (NE)

This press release describes an exclusive licensing agreement between University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Rare Earth Solar, a Nebraska solar panel manufacturer. The technology licensed by the University replaces the typical ...

  • Posted Aug. 14, 2017
  • Publications
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Clean Energy Patent Growth Index - 2015 Year in Review

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) tracks the growth of patents in the clean energy sector from 2002 to the present. Among other things, it includes a ranking of ...


Key trends in IEA public energy technology research, development and demonstration (RD&D) budgets

This analysis of public funding for energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) in member countries of the International Energy Agency shows that the share of energy RD&D budgets spent on ...


How Are Campuses Harnessing Renewable Energy? New Report Tracks Trends in Higher Ed

  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • AASHE (PA)
  • Edison Energy (CA)

As a whole, campuses are getting more energy efficient. But space growth counter-weighs these gains. Hundreds of campuses have onsite solar. But the arrays are small, and sometimes the SCRECs ...

  • Posted July 27, 2017
  • Videos & Webinars
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Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: The Effectiveness of Community-Based Social Marketing on Energy Conservation for Sustainable University Campuses

  • Emory University (GA)
  • Kansas State University (KS)

The paper presents a community-based social marketing (CBSM) study that was conducted at Kansas State University (KSU) to determine potential strategies to decrease energy consumption on college campuses. The study ...

  • Posted June 22, 2017
  • Publications
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Using indicators to profile energy consumption and to inform energy policy in a university—A case study in Ireland

  • University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork (Co. Cork)

The services sector has the least amount of energy end use data available, which poses significant challenges to companies within the sector attempting to benchmark their energy performance and inform ...

  • Posted June 22, 2017
  • Publications
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University campuses energy performance estimation in Ukraine based on measurable approach

Aim of research is an attempt to create the methodology for University campuses (UC) energy certification system for Ukraine. Therefore, taking into account national conditions, the certification variant, based on ...

  • Posted June 22, 2017
  • Publications
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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

OP 6: Clean and Renewable Energy

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

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