July 2021
Greetings, Green Reps! Did you know that July 10 is Global Energy Independence Day? This month we're talking about energy and the initiatives that have been taken across campus to ensure that the University is being sustainable in energy use.
Campus Energy Updates
(Photo by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)
REV Campus Challenge
The University is an official member of the REV Campus Challenge. The challenge provides support, resources, and recognition to colleges in New York that are implementing clean energy projects and principles on campus, in classrooms, and in the community. This year, the University was promoted from REV Campus Participant to REV Campus Leader. The focus will be on promoting sustainability for an environmentally healthy community. Make sure you also check out the spotlight article about the great work being done by Central Utilities and Energy Management!
StoryMap
Solar Array
Another aspect of the University's sustainability plan is the 336 kilowatt system solar array that covers the roof of the Goergen Gym. Installed at the end of 2019, it produces 390 megawatt hours annually which gives us enough clean energy production to offset about 78 tons of CO2. That translates to 15.3 passenger vehicles driving annually and 175,584 miles being driven by passenger vehicles. Batteries store surplus energy produced by the solar panels when the sun is out, which allows campus buildings to utilize that energy when there is otherwise no energy available from solar power.
Energy Management Information System
A further example of Utilities and Energy Management's commitment to responsible energy use at the University is the newly launched energy management information system (EMIS). The EMIS tracks, coordinates, and analyzes energy usage data. It also helps evaluate and record energy conservation measures, facilities communication to stakeholders, and identifies energy intensive times and locations.
Specific services that the EMIS provides include:
- Meter data consolidated from buildings and utilities
- Analytics to identify where and how energy is consumed
- A community dashboard to communicate energy consumption and carbon emissions with students, faculty, and staff
- Measurement and verification to evaluate and quantify energy conservation measures
- Real-time plant operational data to provide support to building managers
Other Milestone Projects
Green Reads from Around the Web
|
Events & Announcements
(Photo by Jefvern Deane)
11th Annual Shred Fest
Friday, July 23, 6:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
University employees and students are invited to drop off up to fives bags or boxes of unwanted personal documents in the Zone 3 South parking lot to be securely shredded and recycled with the help of information management company Iron Mountain. Additional health and safety measures will be established as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with University requirements.
Download a directive map of the event location and see the poster for details. You can also learn more about the event on the Green Dandelion blog.
Move-out Cleanout Results
After taking last year off due to the pandemic, students were once again able to donate their unwanted items for reuse at the end of the academic year. These donations helped redirect waste that would typically end up in landfills. This year, the University collected approximately 12,000 pounds of clothing to donate to Planet Aid. In addition, the Food Pantry collected approximately 9,300 pounds of food and 100 pounds of toiletries. Thanks to everyone who donated unwanted items to give our landfills a much needed break! |
Sustainability Superstar 🌟
Tim Vann, Energy Engineer, Utilities and Energy Management
(Photo Provided by Tim Vann)
Tim is a proud member of the Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) team who cares about taking concrete actions to make the world a better place. Recently, the UEM team completed a number of projects, studies, and initiatives that are setting the groundwork for great changes in the upcoming years. Currently, they are working on increasing visibility into energy use across campus, providing tools managers can use to identify and eliminate unnecessary energy consumption in building HVAC systems, and planning how the University can eventually leverage more renewable energy. The UEM team is collaborating with students and faculty to both provide experience to students and get their help solving some operational issues. With the help of others, Tim's team hopes to continue to make significant strides in energy efficiency and sustainability. Tim explains, "It is my hope that one day the University of Rochester will be carbon neutral."
Tim graduated from UR with a BS in mechanical engineering in 1989. He worked in private industry until 2007 when he joined RIT, working on their energy management system as design engineer. At RIT, he was not specifically charged with improving sustainability but strived to integrate energy efficiency in his projects. Tim liked his job at RIT, but three years ago when the opportunity came up to work for UR as an energy engineer with the primary goal of reducing UR's energy consumption, he thought this was his chance to do something powerful to nudge the world closer to sustainability. Of course, energy efficiency is only one component of sustainability, but it is a pretty big part. When you increase energy efficiency you nearly always improve sustainability. At the University, he feels privileged to be in the right place to take advantage of his education and experience to affect sustainability beyond the personal level as part of a team that cares to make a difference.
UEM generates about 85% of UR's carbon emissions in the process of providing heating, cooling, and power to local campus buildings. According to Tim, to become sustainable from an energy perspective, we need to generate and deliver our energy as efficiently as possible, reduce consumption in our buildings, and finally look at ways to transition to renewable energy sources.
There have been many improvements to our utilities and buildings over the years. In fact, because of the work done by Tim's predecessors, the University's CO2 intensity (CO2 emissions per square foot) due to energy consumption is down 43% since 1990. The University is now trying to build upon that success to reduce CO2 emissions further and hopefully will one day eliminate them altogether.
|
Your Green Reps Challenge for July
(Photo credit: J Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)
Try to implement at least one of these action items in your area this month:
- Do you have confidential documents at home that need to be disposed of in an eco-friendly manner? Don't forget to come to Shred Fest on July 23! Share the poster with your department.
- What tips do you have to conserve energy in the office and at home? Email us your sustainability tips. Check out our Green Office Checklist for more ideas!
- As you grill this summer, why not try a plant-based meat substitute?
|
