Sustainability is on the rise on college campuses, and the U is at the head of the pack.
In a report by CNBC, the U was listed as the No. 10 “greenest college” in the nation, based on green power usage reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA reported that the U purchases more than 85 million kilowatt hours of wind power each year, falling short of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the No. 9 spot, which purchases more than 91 million kilowatt hours per year.
At the U, students pay a $2.50 fee each semester toward sustainability, which, in part, goes toward the purchase of green electricity. In 2014, student fees purchased almost 62 million kilowatt hours of green electricity, and the solar panels on campus produced another one million kilowatt hours. Green power offsets 21 percent of the U’s total power consumption, said Stephanie Dolmat-Connell, Facilities Management sustainability manager.
The U’s commitment to green initiatives receives support from the administration, said Sarah Lappé, Sustainability Office spokesperson. U President David Pershing’s strategic plans mention sustainability as one of the top goals for the U, which acts as a “capstone” for growing initiatives, Lappé said.
Campus buildings are required to meet certain green building standards. All new construction and renovations costing more than $5 million must achieve LEED — or green building leadership — silver certification, which “includes specific LEED credits that must be pursued to make the building … more energy and water efficient compared with standard buildings,” Dolmat-Connell said.
The credits include indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, as well as location, transportation and innovation.
While the U is ranked as one of the top 10 greenest universities, Lappé sees sustainability as a collaboration rather than a competition between schools. Each school works toward the same goal, she said, and the variance lies in the areas of student interest more than in the level of commitment to green initiatives.
Lappé believes the U uses its strength in sustainability to set an example for other colleges.
“I think the university is being very strong in trying to set themselves as a leader in this area,” she said.
The Office of Sustainability’s partnership with the U’s Global Change and Sustainability Center (GCSC) helps the U advance its green initiatives. The GCSC handles the research and academic side of sustainability and works to find new approaches to sustainability.
Student involvement contributes to the U’s status as a green school. Though the CNBC report focuses on green power purchasing, students on campus have demonstrated interest in water and air quality as well. A wide breadth of programs, including ones for energy efficiency or solar panels, come through the Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund, which provides grants for student-led programs.
Sustainability is “an ideal of the university,” Lappé said, “and students are going to be the fuel that is going to be informing and driving and pushing it.”
@sarahnlegg