"College and university campuses are uniquely placed to affect America’s energy future," says the Apollo Alliance and the Campus Climate Challenge in the report, ‘New Energy for Campuses.’
"If every one of the 4,000 campuses in the U.S. used 100 percent clean energy, it would nearly quadruple the current renewable electricity demand in the U.S.," the report says.
Depending on location, campuses can take advantage of solar, wind, biomass or geothermal resources, and heating water with solar or generating electricity that can be sold back to the utility under a net metering law can "help develop a market for renewable technologies, and display a visible public commitment to a sustainable energy future." University buildings spend at least 22 percent of their energy budgets on electricity and 24 percent on heating water, and the report suggests that installation of earth energy heat pumps can reduce electricity consumption by 25 percent to 50 percent.
The report states that 80 educational institutions in the U.S. are currently buying 500,000 MWh a year of green power, with five campuses powered fully by renewables.
Among the case studies examined is St. Olaf College which is constructing a 1.6 MW wind turbine at a cost of $1.9 million to generate 6 million kWh a year, which is one-third of the college’s requirements. The University of Colorado installed its first photovoltaic system in 2004, while the Oregon Institute of Technology has been tapping geothermal energy since 1964 to supply all heating for the eleven-building, 600,000 square foot campus. The University of Iowa is shifting its energy from coal to biomass, and the campus is allowed to sell emissions offsets to strengthen the system’s financial value.
"Campuses can set an example for their communities and the nation by implementing alternative energy, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability projects on campus to demonstrate their feasibility and cost effectiveness," the report states. "They are centers of intellectual power, capable of leading experiments on new technologies, and using these projects as teaching tools and research opportunities to better the education of the next generation of voters, consumers, politicians, and business leaders - people who will be making energy decisions for years to come."
The Apollo Alliance is named after former president John Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon within a decade, and its goal is to direct $300 billion in targeted investments towards achieving sustainable energy independence within a decade. Its plan includes expanding renewable energy development, promoting advanced technology and hybrid cars, encouraging high performance building, increasing the use of energy efficient appliances and improving transportation options.
