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

Energy Engineering for Non-Engineers

  • GreenerU (MA)

Much of the change we need to make in order to address climate change and sustainability challenges relates to engineering, but that doesn't mean everyone needs an engineering degree ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Using Campus Solar Deployment Roadmaps to Guide University Investment

  • Second Nature (MA)
  • Intentional Endowments Network (MA)
  • Midwest Renewable Energy Association (WI)

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) has been working to develop approaches and define opportunities for on- and ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Ganging Up to Go Big: Campus Collaborations to Achieve Scale with Renewables

  • University at Buffalo (NY)
  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
  • Edison Energy (CA)

Electricity is the single largest source of emissions for most campuses, and renewable energy is the only way to eliminate those emissions. But renewable energy is still unfamiliar territory for ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Getting it Done - Building a Team and Value Proposition for Large Scale Renewables - Part 2

  • American University (DC)
  • George Washington University (DC)
  • Second Nature (MA)
  • Coho Climate Advisors (MD)

This two part working session will help participants overcome two hurdles that have held back a wider adoption of large-scale renewable projects in the higher education: (1) establishing a team ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Getting it Done - Building a Team and Value Proposition for Large Scale Renewables - Part 1

  • American University (DC)
  • George Washington University (DC)
  • Second Nature (MA)
  • Coho Climate Advisors (MD)

This two part working session will help participants overcome two hurdles that have held back a wider adoption of large-scale renewable projects in the higher education: (1) establishing a team ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Assessing the Campus Sector's Renewable Energy Performance

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

While colleges and universities across the U.S. have invested significant effort and resources towards using renewables for their operations, much is unknown about the campus sector's overall performance ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

University of California's Presidential Initiative for Carbon Neutrality: A Multi-Institutional, Multi-Dimensional Perspective

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)
  • University of California, Riverside (CA)
  • University of California, San Diego (CA)
  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
  • University of California, Merced (CA)

The 2014 UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative builds on pioneering work on climate research to make all ten campuses carbon neutral in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025. All UC ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Embolden Facilities and Finance Office Collaborations for Sustainability

  • APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities (VA)
  • National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)

Two major national association organizations - representing facilities and business offices - will highlight collaborations, programs, and developments regarding sustainability that cross boundaries for success. Collaboration with these units, within a campus ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Financing Sustainability and How to REALLY Talk to the Business Office

  • Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (PA)
  • Slippery Rock University (PA)
  • National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)

Two experienced vice presidents of finance will briefly discuss some of their accomplishments in sustainability and their partners at the campus that have helped or hindered. They have changed laws ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Open Sesame: Low-Cost Sub-Meter Data Visualization

  • Macalester College (MN)

Learn how Macalester, as the next step of the College's sub-metering initiative, has leveraged no-cost and open-source solutions through HTML and XML, Google Apps, and Tableau to display utilities ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Engaging Laboratories in Sustainability

  • Harvard University (MA)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • My Green Lab (CA)

Laboratories contribute significantly to a university's environmental footprint. At research institutions they can account for more than half of the campus energy consumption, consume hundreds of thousands of gallons ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Building Sustainable Communities: an International Collaboration Between Island Communities and Academia

  • College of the Atlantic (ME)

Through community engagement and a plan for economic rejuvenation Samsø¸ Island, Denmark became one of the first carbon negative communities in the world. In 2014, an international partnership between Samsø ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Student Activism for Community Energy Efficiency: Harnessing ENERGY STAR Activities and Resources for the Public Good

  • American University (DC)

As part of an annual elective course in Sustainable Design, American University (AU) graduate students in the Global Environmental Politics program in the School of International Service undertake a real-world ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Paving the Way for Increased Solar Utilization in Higher Education

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
  • Center for Resource Solutions | Green-e (CA)
  • Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (VA)

Colleges and universities are increasingly interested in deploying solar technologies to power and green up their campuses. However, financing, legal, administrative, and policy barriers can often get in the way ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Integrating Solar PV in Building Overhauls

  • Chesapeake College (MD)
  • United States Department of Energy (DC)

The Health Professions and Athletics Center at Chesapeake College received a complete overhaul before its re-opening in August, 2015. Aiming for LEED Platinum certification, a 1.7 MW solar project ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Energize Colleges: Energy Education and Internships for the Campus and Community

  • Skyline College (CA)
  • Strategic Energy Innovations (CA)

Energize Colleges is an innovative program bringing energy education and project-based internships to 12 California community colleges and universities. Launched earlier this year, the program employs clean energy as the ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

A Zero Net Energy Teaching Laboratory

  • Sasaki Associates, Inc. (MA)
  • BR+A (MA)

The ACUPCC and the 2030 Challenge set the trajectory for a carbon-neutral future in the building industry. This goal may seem out of reach for laboratory buildings with high plug-loads ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Collaborative Research to Improve Dorm Heating Performance: Improved comfort and energy efficiency

  • Boston University (MA)

A common problem observed in small dorms in winter is open windows due to overheated rooms. We present results from a study by students, facilities staff, and faculty of the ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Using the Social Cost of Carbon as an Ingredient to Minimize Life Cycle Cost and Carbon

  • Miami University (OH)

Optimizing a campus's utility master plan to minimize its twenty-five year life cycle cost is one thing, but add the social cost of carbon to the mix and the ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Energy Feedback Sculpture: Using Public Art to Motivate Sustainable Behavior

  • Iconic Energy Consulting

Public art, particularly interactive art, is uniquely positioned to communicate and engage. How might universities, institutions, and cities take advantage of public art to motivate sustainable behaviors among their constituencies ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

WattTime: Energy Management to Reduce Emissions and Support Clean Energy Future

  • WattTime (CA)

Every time any device in a building on any campus turns on, a single power plant must produces slightly more electricity to power it. But what kind of power plant ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Sustainable Energy: Research and Innovation to Commercialization at the University of Missouri

  • University of Missouri (MO)

In addition to leading research and innovation in alternative energy, University of Missouri has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable energy by taking discoveries to applications in the real world. In ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

The Green Rehab Experiment: Charting a Path to NZE for Market Rate Off-Campus University-Owned Housing Renovations

  • Washington University in St. Louis (MO)

The Green Rehab Experiment is a multi-disciplinary applied research project that aims to chart a path towards net-zero energy performance for the renovation of 100-year old, off-campus, multi-family apartment buildings ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Sustainable Buildings: Utilizing BOMA BEST (Green Globes EB in Canada) to Enhance the Sustainable Operations of Your Campus

  • University of Alberta (AB)

As part of The University of Alberta´s institutional Sustainability Plan we build all our new buildings to LEED or Green Globes standards. But as we operate and manage ± 200 ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Zero Net Energy Campus Master Planning

  • BR+A (MA)

Colleges and Universities are targeting carbon neutrality in the coming decades; some are on track to achieve these goals ahead of schedule. We have gathered data on over 100 campuses ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Assessing the Carbon Footprint of Higher Education: Factors Influencing the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • North Carolina A&T State University (NC)

Thanks to the leadership of AASHE and Second Nature almost 20% of all higher education institutions have committed to making significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, and many have made substantial ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Small Scale Biogas for Energy Sustainability and Education

  • Dickinson College (PA)

This presentation will describe the science and practical logistics of running a small scale biogas system on campus. Biogas (also known as biomethane) is a climate-friendly, renewable alternative to natural ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Capitalizing on Local Renewable Resources for Campus Energy Needs: The Williams Lake Campus Bio-Mass System

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Campuses across North America are increasingly looking to renewable energy sources to help reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and provide reliable and consistent energy costs. Each university has different ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Sustainable and Comprehensive Utilities and Energy Management

  • Texas A&M University (TX)

Texas A&M University embarked on a comprehensive program, in 2002, to better understand and improve operational efficiency and effectiveness of campus facilities. The result has been a decrease in campus ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Greening Laboratories: US Freezer Challenge

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (GA)

In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted its first Freezer Challenge, a two-month agency-wide competition addressing cold storage practices in laboratories. CDC reduced energy use by 320 ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Powering a New South: Sustainabilty through Student Engagement in the University Press and Beyond

  • Coastal Carolina University (SC)

Through an examination of the processes, experiences, and outcomes of a yearlong, multi-disciplinary, experiential university press project, instructors and press advisors will examine energy through the lens of our local ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

A Unique Partnership With Our Utility Company

  • University of San Diego (CA)

In 2009, the University of San Diego (USD) applied to become part of the Local Governments Partnerships in San Diego through San Diego Gas and Electric. The request was approved ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Helping Students Lead on Solar: Collaborations to Advance Renewable Energy on Campus

  • University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)

Despite having some of the lowest-priced electricity in the nation, our students forged ahead to identify opportunities for solar energy and the ways it will fit into the energy future ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

A Low-Cost Remote Monitoring System Using Arduino and ModBus TCP

  • Appalachian State University (NC)

Performance validation of renewable energy generating systems is crucial to maintain up-time, inform decision making, provide data for academic integration, and to validate green credits. If these systems are not ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Developing Campus Resiliency Through a Climate Action Plan

  • Dickinson College (PA)

In 2008, Dickinson College developed a Climate Action Plan to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions and set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2020. The Stone House Group was brought ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Energy Maddness - A Residence Hall Energy Competition

  • Saint Louis University (MO)

On a diverse campus flush with deep thinkers, how can the message of sustainability be successfully broadcasted? Our University chose to use competition as an engagement tool. This presentation will ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Local Farmers, Season Extension, and Technology transfer: Experiences from the "Nexus" Greenhouse project at Appalachian State

  • Appalachian State University (NC)

The Nexus project looks to reinvent the heated greenhouse by using on-farm biomass resources and solar energy to create season extension inside a conventional hoop house with minimal fossil energy ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Furman University's Energy Efficiency Eco-philanthropy Project

  • Furman University (SC)

During the 2015 - 2016 academic year, The Environmental Community of Students, a first year engaged living program at Furman University, received an $80,000 donation from a local donor to ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Prioritizing Infrastructure Upgrades: Highlighting Shippensburg University's Success

  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (PA)
  • Gordian (SC)

Nationwide trends indicate that capital funding at public institutions has stagnated for the past 7 years, at rates significantly below private institutions' funding levels. In response to shortfalls, public institutions ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Energy Education that Makes K-12 'Energy Wise'

  • North Carolina A&T State University (NC)

Educating our youngest generation about energy efficiency is more important than ever. This session will introduce a successful approach to a university energy education outreach program targeting the local K-12 ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Beyond the Campus: Community Engagement in Sustainability and Resilience

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)

In this session we will show how we engaged community partners in climate change resilience efforts and promoted energy and water conservation in the community. In 2015-16 the Institute for ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Campus-Scale Water Reuse Solutions to Enhance Water Sustainability in Higher Ed

  • NextEra Distributed Water, Inc. (VA)

Water reclamation and reuse is vital for bulk-water consumers, like college campuses, to meet water supply challenges. Campus-scale reclaimed water projects, like the WaterHub® at Emory University, are becoming increasingly ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

UMN Energy Club: Preparing Leaders in Energy and Climate through Connecting and Empowering Students

  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)

Because energy underpins every aspect of society, it requires a diverse range of perspectives to truly understand its comprehensive role in the world. Energy influences many fields, including technology, policy ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Colloquium on Research Innovation in Food, Energy, Water Systems Nexus (INFEWS) AASHE 4TH Annual Workshop Research in Sustainability

  • University of Arkansas (AR)

This colloquium focuses on the direct interdependencies and connections that exist related to the production, extraction, generation and use, between food, energy, and water and the impacts at the nexus ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

The Economics of Sustainability: Using Microeconomic Principles to Teach Sustainability

  • Aquinas College (MI)

As a means to support a sustainable business program at Aquinas College, principles of microeconomics courses take on a unique sustainability focus. Here the concepts of consumption and production are ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Go Beyond Offsetting by Onsetting Carbon Consciousness

  • Living Routes, Inc. (MA)

This poster will describe the pros and cons of Carbon Onsetting and explain onsetting as an alternative system that allows greater student engagement and can support meaningful sustainability projects. It ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Leveraging Portfolio Manager and ENERGY STAR on Campus

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)

Portfolio Manager and ENERGY STAR remain largely untapped resources in the higher education sector. Come to this session to learn about how some leading edge schools are capitalizing on our ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Edinboro University Green Initiatives

  • Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (PA)

In the past decade Edinboro University has made sustainability a hallmark of its facilities management. This poster summarizes EU's projects including a solar array, use of passive solar architecture ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Solar Best Practices: Onsite vs. Offsite and Leveraging Energy Information Software and Energy Storage for Optimal Savings

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

Universities and colleges are often limited in their ability to implement large-scale solar projects due to space constraints on campus. To solve this challenge, some academic institutions are turning to ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

Setting the World Aflame: Town-Gown Collaboration through Solar Spring Break

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

UC Berkeley partners with GRID Alternatives' Solar Spring Break to engage students during spring break in the installation of solar panels for underrepresented communities. This partnership provides communities with access ...

  • Posted Nov. 18, 2016
  • Conference Presentations
  • View more

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.

Energy Partners