The University of Houston System has entered into a multi-year partnership with TXU Energy to provide electricity across the entire system, including its university campuses and instructional sites as well as its athletic facilities. The agreement includes investments in UH scholarships as well as energy-efficiency projects.
The Burlingame School District in Burlingame, Calif., recently announced the upcoming launch of its Energy Infrastructure and Sustainability Program Phase II, according to a news release. Construction on HVAC modernizations and solar structures will begin early this year and is scheduled for completion before the beginning of the 2024–25 school year.
Architecture firm DLR Group recently partnered with the Riverside Community College District (RCCD) in Riverside, Calif., to offer a suite of sustainability services, according to a news release. RCCD is composed of three colleges (Moreno Valley College, Norco College, and Riverside City College), each of which will gain a new Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP), a Total Cost of Ownership dashboard (TCO), and Integrated Energy Master Plans (IMEP).
Auburn University’s School of Industrial & Graphic Design recently partnered with ABM Industries for a series of student senior projects involving the design of new and innovating EV charging stations, according to a news release.
The Electric Vehicle (EV) revolution is upon us. A recent analysis by EY found that EV sales will outpace all other engines three years sooner than expected. This demand will be further driven by the Inflation Reduction Act with new incentives to encourage domestic EV production and ownership. Campuses need to be ready with convenient access to fast and reliable charging stations to support students, staff, guests, and electrified fleets.
At Catawba College, home of the first certified net-zero campus in the Southeast and only the seventh in the United States, the Center for the Environment (CENV) features the Environmental Studies Department’s hands-on research laboratory. Built more than 25 years ago, the building needed major systems and aesthetics revitalization.
Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, recently gained a new 1,375-MW solar farm on its campus through a partnership with Alliant Energy, according to a news release. Alliant installed 3,300 solar panels on campus that will generate energy and provide opportunities for education, agriculture research, and more.
Today’s K–12 leaders are tasked with everything from adhering to rigorous academic standards to implementing operational procedures to building healthy school communities, and for many, sustainability unintentionally falls to the bottom of the priority list. Further, the cost of taking on green initiatives is on the rise, making it even more of a challenge for financially strapped school districts to meet sustainability expectations and commitments.
This episode’s guest is Lori Ferriss, architect with the Boston firm Goody Clancy and Chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. We’ll discuss how colleges and universities can’t just build their way to net zero in the quest for carbon neutrality—it’s impossible to achieve carbon neutrality without reducing the operational emissions of existing buildings.
A 5.67 MW Solar Portfolio by DSD Renewables that is currently in use by the San Bernardino City Unified School District in California recently won the Top Project of the Year Award in the 2023 Environment + Energy Leader Awards program, according to a news release.
Achieving net zero is not an easy feat. The current state of educational institutions is more aptly described as approaching net zero.
Local news reports that a renewable energy powerline in New Mexico recently received federal approval. The wind farm has already signed contracts with its first two customers—including the University of California, according to the Carlsbad Current Argus.
Construction on the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (I3R) on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., recently reached a significant milestone, according to university news.
Architecture firm Perkins Eastman recently participated in a topping out ceremony for the new facility for Alexandria City High School at its Minnie Howard Campus in Alexandria, Va., according to a news release.
San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) in San Rafael, Calif., recently celebrated the grand opening of a new competition-sized gymnasium at Terra Linda High School, according to a news release.
Constructed in 1922 to house the School of Law, January Hall is a three-story granite and limestone building that helped shape the identity of the Danforth Campus at Washington University in St. Louis. While iconic, it was inefficient and did not meet the university’s accessibility or sustainability standards.
Engineering, construction, and project management company Bechtel recently announced that it will begin designing and building a series of electric school bus charging stations, according to a news release.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a total campus replacement project for an elementary school in San Pablo, Calif.
California State University, Chico (commonly known as Chico State University) in Chico, Calif., recently began construction on a new building for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, according to a news release.
HMFH Architects, based in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced a series of promotions for staff members Gary Brock, Suni Dillard, and Holly Miller, according to a news release.
Building envelope solutions provider Kingston Light + Air and daylighting company Solatube International recently announced plans to form an Architectural Solutions Team, according to a news release.
Facility solutions provider ABM recently announced that it will be partnering with the Dooly County School System in Vienna, Ga., to form an Energy Performance Contracting program. The program will save the school district about $3.7 million in energy and operating cost savings over the next 20 years, according to a press release.
This episode's guest is Dr. Neall Digert, Vice President of Solatube International, Inc., who’s here to tell us about the benefits of daylight in education spaces.
The University of Pittsburgh recently began construction on a 20-megawatt solar farm that, once complete, will provide 100 percent of its electricity to the campus for the next twenty years, according to a university news release.
Studies show that retrofitting existing school buildings is both cheaper and greener, but what happens when a school district runs out of space for a growing student body?
The lessons learned from designing spaces for special education schools provide valuable insights for every school looking to improve equity and inclusivity on campus.
Tubular Daylighting Device (TDD) manufacturer Solatube International, Inc. recently introduced the newest addition to its SolaMaster product line. The Round Ceiling Fixture features a minimal ceiling intrusion that is almost flush with the ceiling itself, offering a clean, modern way to add daylighting into installation spaces.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools in Fredericksburg, Va., recently partnered with facility solutions provider ABM on the creation of an Energy Performance Contracting program. The solution will save the district an estimated $3.1 million in energy and operating costs over the next fifteen years, according to a news release.
Nonprofit organization NC GreenPower recently announced the recipients of its 2022 Solar+ Schools grant program. The program provides K–12 schools across North Carolina with the funds to establish a 5-kW solar energy system on campus, according to a news release.
Video lighting systems solutions provider Brightline recently announced the debut of a retrofit package that lets users upgrade Brightline S1.2 or S1.4 fluorescent studio fixtures to LED fixtures.