| Transforming an energy-guzzling, carbon-spewing university into a clean and green institution shouldn't be complicated. Cart off the old boiler, re-shingle the buildings with solar panels and erect a grove of wind turbines.
Of course it's not that simple. In fact, going from grimy to green is a long involved process that involves motion detectors, windows, vending machine thermostats and a hundred other mundane modifications to reduce the amount of carbon that the institution produces.
Southern Connecticut State University, a 168-acre campus with more than 12,000 students and 48 buildings, has embarked on the path from profligate energy use to efficiency and sustainability.
Eventually, the university hopes to become carbon neutral, meaning that incoming fossil fuel is balanced with conservation, new technology and greater use of alternative sources of fuel.
SCSU President Cheryl J. Norton recently joined the ranks of about 300 college leaders who have signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment.
"Signing formalized what we've been doing. Will we be at zero emissions next year? No. Maybe we'll get there in 10 or 20 years," Norton said.
"We also need to educate students about the environmental costs of their actions," she said.
While a state group called The Environmental Futurists take a measure of credit for pressuring the university into signing, Norton and other administrators said that significant advances were made before the environmental group raised the issue.
Connecticut College is the only other Connecticut signatory, although many universities are cleaning themselves up.
Yale University has a Sustainability Director and an Office of Sustainability, but has not signed the pledge.
Colleges that sign the Climate Commitment promise to develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create inventories of all greenhouse gas emissions, and set target dates for taking action.
The Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University provided SCSU with an energy consumption analysis.
Robert G. Sheeley, associate vice president for capital budgeting and facilities operation at Southern, found the report eye opening. Energy was leaking out of unlikely breaches and fossil fuel gushing in to replace it.
"We found that more than 400 computers were being left on all night, including monitors. We put sleeper devices on the 2,600 computers here. That saves us $300,000 to $400,000 annually," Sheeley said.
Soda vending machine refrigerators were running constantly. That wasn't necessary to keep cola cold. The university installed "energy misers" on the vending machines, which turned the refrigeration compressors on only when necessary.
"That saves us $40,000 annually," Sheeley said. That's $40,000 that otherwise would have gone to generating electricity with coal, oil or natural gas.
"The most significant thing we've done is install 3,000 motion detectors for the lights in the buildings. I drove through the campus at night. It would be lit up like a Christmas tree," he said.
Now the motion detectors turn lights on for custodians and darken the rooms when the work is done. Older light fixtures were replaced by more efficient models. Together, those two changes shaved 35 to 40 percent — about $1.5 million — off of the electricity bill annually, Sheeley said.
The power plant was replaced in 2004. Instead of generating steam, the new hot water boiler has fewer moving parts and is more efficient. The equipment can also run on either gas or oil. On gas, the new power unit saves $576,000 annually. If burning oil, the savings would be about 1,000 gallons a day, or $120,000 a year.
Sheeley also installed digital control units in all of the buildings and tied them to a computerized energy management system. "We can control lighting, heating, and air conditioning in all of the buildings," he said.
During Christmas vacation, heating is reduced and empty buildings are maintained at 56 degrees.
"It's all controlled by a computer. We can see if there's a problem in a building and fix it. That helps control maintenance costs, which also saves energy," he said.
The digital system saves about 400,000 gallons of fuel a year for a savings of more than $800,000, university documents show.
All told, the various measures save about $3.9 million in electricity and fuel costs annually.
What does that mean in greenhouse gas terms?
Eastern Connecticut State University estimated that SCSU reduced carbon dioxide production by about 20 percent in 2003-2004, the latest data available. The 1.7 million-square-foot campus dropped from 10.40 kilograms of carbon dioxide per square foot in 2003 to 8.33 kilograms per square foot in 2004.
"There are a lot of opportunities to be explored on how to save carbon dioxide. We could put in more efficient pipes. We can plant trees to absorb carbon dioxide. This is not cheap," Sheeley said.
Installing the digital equipment, for example, cost about $240,000. Since the annual savings are about that much, the work will pay for itself in about one year.
All told, the $701,000 net cost of carrying out all of the projects should pay for itself in about six years, SCSU estimates.
Other expenses, such as $100,000 a year for recycling of all batteries, waste paper, and fluorescent tubes, has no pay back period.
More could be done in the future. Geothermal energy, solar cells, and wind power may all have their places, Norton and Sheeley said.
Southern gained a "green building certification" last year from the U.S. Green Building Council for its new West Campus Residence Complex.
Meanwhile, SCSU is among a small number of universities with sustainability as part of its strategic plans, said Ronald D. Herron, vice president for student and university affairs.
William Leahy, director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy ay Eastern Connecticut State University, said improving the thermal efficiency of buildings is "easy carbon."
Wringing emissions from transportation is more difficult, he said. "That's a big one." Part of a university's carbon footprint is the gasoline burned by students driving to and from campus.
Biodiesel, other biofuels, hybrids and greater use of bicycles could all help, he said.
"One hundred percent carbon free is a very ambitious goal. At some point you need renewable energy and a way to sequester carbon. It's certainly possible to cut carbon dioxide in half," Leahy said.
"The carbon footprint of most universities is 50 percent the responsibility of the university and 50 percent the students and staff. You need student involvement," Leahy said.
Colin Bennett, outreach coordinator for The Environmental Futurists, said that SCSU's work so far is a step in the right direction. "They still have a long way to go," he said.
Student responsibility is a two-sided coin, Bennett said. "A lot of it is up to students. They can carpool. The university can help, by making the campus more bicycle friendly," he said.
"More does have to be done to educate everyone. In a lot of ways students are ahead of the curve," he said. For most college students recycling is second nature, he said.
Bennett characterized the savings at SCSU so far as "the low-hanging fruit," or carbon that's easy to eliminate.
"There is a whole litany of things we can be doing. We don't have a choice but to move in this direction. Most of us believe we're in an environmental crisis. Earth and the systems on it, are in peril. We need a smaller footprint on Earth," Bennett said. |
