[LINK] Green universities?

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

How green are Australian universities?

Having done no research on this at all, it's still an interesting
question. And, sure, one that to some extent depends on geography.

However, one might well argue that our universities should indeed
be in the world vanguard regarding green & sustainable operations.

Seems to me a logical reciepient of a goodly percentage of carbon
tax money should be universities, applying research to themselves.


 "Oregon Institute of Technology Runs 100% on Renewable Energy'

  http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23591

Oregon Institute of Technology already has geothermal installed and by 
adding a field of made-in-Oregon solar panels, the school will run 100% 
on renewable energy produced on site.  

Their Klamath Falls campus is currently the only university in the world 
that is completely heated by geothermal water, and it has the first 
university-based geothermal combined heat and power plant in the world. 

Oregon's Solar by Degrees program is responsible for the conversion, 
which is also adding solar at Oregan State and Eastern Oregon University. 
4.9 MW of solar are on 27 acres.

Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Western Oregon 
University and Southern Oregon University plan to follow. 

All the solar panels are Oregon-made by SolarWorld, which has its US 
headquarters in Hillsboro, and the inverters are made by PV Powered, base 
in Bend. Oregon Electric of Portland will be the installation contractor. 

Renewable Energy Development, based in Utah, is getting $13.5 million in 
state energy tax credits, plus federal credits, to build the systems, 
which cost about $27 million. 

"Higher education has a distinctive role to play in helping the state 
transition to more sustainable energy sources, while using this as a 
vehicle for advancing energy research, engaging and training students in 
new technologies, and overall being a change agent and model for 
sustainable practices," says Bob Simonton, assistant vice chancellor for 
Oregon University System capital programs. 

"All of our campuses have been involved in reducing our carbon footprint 
for many years, including our commitment to green building, purchase of 
clean energy credits, major campus-wide recycling, and support for mass 
transit usage for our students and community."

And ..

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23484

'Recently, Ball State University in Indiana announced it's converting 
from coal to geothermal - the the largest closed geothermal heat pump 
system in the US ..' 

--

Cheers,
Stephen
 


Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server