{"id":18793,"date":"2017-04-11T11:14:02","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T15:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=18793"},"modified":"2022-03-16T12:49:36","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T16:49:36","slug":"sustainable-energy-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/sustainable-energy-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"Universities Make Sustainable Energy a Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Universities across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States are making sustainable energy a priority on their campuses. These environmental initiatives are reducing energy costs, countering carbon emissions, and making a visible commitment to sustainability evident to all students. Students are also actively involved in efforts to provide sustainable energy. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[divider]<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><b>University of Essex, UK<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essex.ac.uk\/ebs\/about\/facilities\/default.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essex Business School<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the University of Essex in Colchester, UK has opened the first zero-carbon school building in the UK. The focus of the building is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a winter garden with an \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eden-like dome\u201d that gives the building its own micro-climate. The building has a rainwater pond that recycles water for use in plumbing. The building is so energy-efficient that it saves more than one tonne of carbon every day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dean of Essex Business School <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.essex.ac.uk\/ebs\/staff\/profile.aspx?ID=4504\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professor Geoff Wood<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spoke to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/charteredabs.org\/essex-opens-first-zero-carbon-business-school-building-in-uk\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chartered Association of Business Schools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about the use of the new space. &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our new home creates a collaborative environment where students, staff and business partners can work together to solve global business challenges. The fantastic learning spaces we now have will also help our students develop the knowledge, skills and integrity to flourish in a global marketplace,&#8221; he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The school\u2019s website offers a virtual tour and advertises the following features of the facility: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bloomberg Financial Market Lab, which provides access to Bloomberg business data, information and analytics used by accountants, managers and marketers across the globe;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dedicated Student Services Team and inquiry desk;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study pods and innovation booths for group-working;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bonds caf\u00e9 with adjacent sun terrace;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a postgraduate study area, providing IT access and quiet space for research students to work; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a dedicated MBA study area.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from the positive environmental impact, there is also a strong message behind the university\u2019s decision to build this space. Wood told the Chartered Association of Business Schools that the new building proves the university\u2019s commitment to sustainability. He said, \u201cthe fact this new building is zero carbon shows how we don\u2019t just talk sustainability and ethical business, we live it. The design reflects our commitment to responsible business practice in both our teaching and research.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[divider]<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><b>Okanagan College, Canada<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Canada, Okanagan College has the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/okanaganlife.com\/solar-panels-power-up-colleges-kelowna-campus\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">second largest solar panel system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in British Columbia. As a result, Okanagan College has been able to reduce its energy consumption per square meter by 32.2 per cent from 2007 to 2013. The college has set a goal of being energy net zero by 2025. Adding solar panels is a concrete symbol of the university\u2019s commitment to this goal, and inspires the university\u2019s students to prioritize sustainability and the environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[divider]<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><b>University of Wisconsin-Stout, U.S.<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the University of Wisconsin-Stout, the Stout Student Association\u2019s Sustainability Council <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/chippewa.com\/dunnconnect\/news\/local\/student-power-solar-panels-to-provide-energy-for-first-time\/article_e1ffb94c-033b-5185-ace2-7b29667d9164.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pioneered a solar energy project<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on their campus. The project will be installed in fall 2017, with thirty-six solar panels yielding 10.8 kilowatts. The project also includes the possibility for expansion up to 690 panels producing 207 kilowatts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sustainability Council decided to start with thirty-six solar panels after a research study conducted by Next Step Energy LLC, whose mission was to determine the building that would be most feasible and effective for a solar panel project. The $5,000 study cost was funded by 2015-16 Green Fee funds, an annual fee for all students. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The total cost for these thirty-six panels is estimated at $66,280, which will be funded by the Green Fee Funds. The Sustainability Council also collaborated with the Seize the Grid campaign, \u201ca national movement leveraging institutional power that prioritizes local, equitable energy for the well-being of the planet and society\u201d and urges campuses to strive for 100% renewable energy by 2030. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The panels are just the technology for sustainable energy, fueled by student ideas. Simply, this project would not have been possible without the students\u2019 passion for it. The project is more than installing some panels on a roof; it\u2019s also a reminder of the goals UW Stout wants to achieve and promote. The project is \u201ca historical mark that benefits both campus and community members,\u201d said Kennedy Crever, one of the students involved in making this project possible, in The Dunn County News.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As students walk by the solar panels, they will always have a visible reminder of the possible change students can create on their campuses. The project proves that students are capable of questioning and reimagining what is often taken for granted, such as where the campus\u2019 energy comes from, highlighting the power of a committed group to change the world around them. Crever told The Dunn County News that the group \u201cwanted to provoke thinking like: \u2018I can see how this is benefiting the campus; what things in my daily life could help benefit the environment as well?\u201d Although the project focuses on sustainable energy and the environment, Crever\u2019s statement extends beyond environmental issues &#8211; <strong>students have the capacity and capability to innovate positive change on their campuses and in their daily lives. \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Universities across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States are making sustainable energy a priority on their campuses. These environmental initiatives are reducing energy costs, countering carbon emissions, and making a visible commitment to sustainability evident to all students. Students are also actively involved in efforts to provide sustainable energy. \u00a0 [divider] University of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":18797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[637,646,643,565],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alternative-energy","category-making-a-difference","category-university-action","category-university-of-wisconsin-stout"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg",830,553,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus-216x144.jpg",216,144,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg",830,553,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg",830,553,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg",830,553,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg",830,553,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Kate Korte","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/author\/kate-elizabeth\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Universities across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States are making sustainable energy a priority on their campuses. These environmental initiatives are reducing energy costs, countering carbon emissions, and making a visible commitment to sustainability evident to all students. Students are also actively involved in efforts to provide sustainable energy. \u00a0 [divider] University of&hellip;","featured_media_src_url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/clean-campus.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18793\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}