Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Renewable Energy Initiatives Enhance Campus

  • 06/01/18
Ameresco

Roxbury Community College partnered with Ameresco to both save energy, and create a sustainable energy solution for the campus and community.

Founded in 1973, Roxbury Community College (RCC) is a multicultural, urban, student-centered, open-access community college located in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, MA. RCC offers associates degree and certificate programs, online courses, corporate and community education programs, and lifelong-learning courses.

When current President Dr. Valerie Roberson took office in 2013, she was immediately faced with millions of dollars in deferred maintenance at the 16-acre, five-building urban campus that houses classrooms, specialized science and computer laboratories, the Library and Learning Center, the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, and the Media Arts Center.

In August 2016, RCC partnered with Ameresco for a $20.1 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC), that was part a larger $72.5 million ongoing renovation project to help modernize the campus. Completed in 2017, the ESPC provides a great example of how the combination of energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy delivered a winning budget-neutral sustainable solution for the urban campus and the entire community.

The tri-level renewable energy solution for parking lot 1 is the most unique aspect of the project. It includes 115 geothermal wells, 500-feet-deep beneath parking lot 1, designed to capture energy for heating and cooling the campus. On the surface, there is parking for 320 cars, in addition to electric charging stations for up to six cars. Above the lot, there is a solar canopy with approximately 3,000 solar panels representing nearly a megawatt of power. In addition, there is efficient LED lighting under the PV canopy deck to help increase security for students.

The overall ESPC project, which encompasses a total of 23 energy conservation measures, is expected to save RCC about $860,000 annually that can go back to serving students and community.

www.ameresco.com

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management June 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • ZeroEyes, Academic Innovators Partner to Provide Safety Solutions

    ZeroEyes, which produces a multi-analytics weapons detection and threat intelligence platform, recently announced a partnership with Academic Innovators, according to a news release.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.