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Emissions generated as a result of energy consumption (including both electricity and heating/cooling) are likely to represent the majority of a campus' greenhouse gas emissions. To neutralize these emissions, institutions will have to:
- reduce energy use as much as possible, through behavior change initiatives to encourage conservation and upgrades to more efficient buildings, infrastructure, and appliances;
- generate their own energy from renewable and carbon neutral energy sources - like solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and biomass;
- work with their electricity providers to increase the percentage of renewable energy in their fuel mix;
- purchase electricity derived from renewable sources by buying Green-E certified renewable energy credits (RECs);
- offset remaining emissions.
Model Initiatives
At the State University of New York at Buffalo, students, faculty and staff have practiced energy conservation through the university's "Conserve UB" program since the late 1970's. In 2003, the "You Have the Power" campaign saved the school $10,000 in energy costs in a single day. Documented energy savings are in excess of $10 million dollars annually and $100 million since the beginning of the program.
In 2004, Carleton College used money from its endowment to build a 1.65 MW wind turbine, which produces enough electricity to supply 40% of the college's electricity use. With state financial incentives, the project's payback period is 10 years - providing 10 years of earnings on investment. Mt. Wachusett Community College converted its electric heating system to a biomass hydronic district heating system, reducing its CO2 emissions by 23% over four years and saving $300,000 in annual fuel costs. Napa Valley College installed a 1.2 MW photovoltaic solar array on its campus, saving the college $300,000 annually on its electric bills. More than 130 campuses have on-site renewable energy generation capacity, collectively producing over 50 MW of clean energy. More than 70 educational institutions are buying renewable energy, with University of California, Santa Cruz, Evergreen State College, New York University, Eastern University, Western Washington University, University of Central Oklahoma, and College of the Atlantic powered 100% renewably.
Resources
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