Clean Energy Bond Resources Available Online

WASHINGTON, DC — A number of nonprofit campuses are using clean energy bonds as a method to provide deep energy efficiency or renewable energy installations, as well as reducing deferred maintenance. An informational brief from the Council of Development Finance Agencies explains the purpose of the bonds, terms of use and how bonds can be implemented. 

Bonds are often used in development of projects for the public good, but recently these bonds have been pooled together for multiple purposes: to improve energy efficiency, update water infrastructure, create renewable energy options and update/modernize campus buildings. For eligible nonprofits, this funding source is being used for multiple campus improvement projects.

In addition to the brief, presentation slides from a free webinar also are available to download. The presentation highlights three higher education institutions that have undergone multiple capital projects to improve energy and deferred maintenance, along with addressing the changing needs of the campus. They include:

  • Illinois College (Jacksonville, IL) used Lease Revenue Bonds for its Parker Science Building and Garner Residence Hall. The college had existing $12.97 million in current bonds and took an additional $3.9 million to: upgrade mechanical/electrical systems for a residence hall built in 1954; upgrade chilled water piping in a science building; consolidate utility meters; and install energy efficient lighting and building automation systems campus-wide.
  • Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL) is using $25 million for Leadership in Energy and Environment Designed-gold 170-room student housing and “green” surface parking lot featuring permeable paving and national landscaping along with general campus-wide renovations and improvements to increase energy efficiency.
  • Loyola University (Chicago) utilized $92 million to finance significant construction of three student housing projects and campus-wide renovation to improve energy efficiency.

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.