Vanderbilt the Possible
Imagining a Sustainable Campus
Energy
We have a vision for Vanderbilt to be powered 100% by renewable clean energy sources. Vanderbilt University spends $37 million per year on energy and consumes over 385,000 megawatt-hours of electricity--the same amount consumed by 25,000 homes in Nashville. We can begin this transition to clean energy with solar power.
Where We Are
Vanderbilt has one ‘Solar Dok’ on the Commons Dining Center patio. The Solar Dok is an off-grid power charging station produced by EnerFusion located in Lansing, Michigan. It consists of a picnic table with an umbrella with solar panels attached. There is a battery pack underneath the table providing a renewable power supply for recharging portable electronics such as PC’s, tablets, and phones for up to 6 devices at one time. The ten electric vehicle charging stations that are in the cluster in the parking lot between the Law School and Baker building and the The Centre building are also powered by solar. The 9 EV charging stations that are installed in various parking garages on main campus and in VUMC are not powered by solar; they are wired into the grid.
There are also thin solar panels on the power plant which have generated 5620 kWh in 2012.
For 110 years, our university produced about 20% of its power and much of its heat from an on-campus coal. As of April 19. 2013, the University has put a $29 million investment into renovating the co-generation power plant to an 100% natural gas plant. The smoke stack will come down by 2015.
Where We Are Going
We have a vision for 100% renewable energy. We have two main goals. 1. We believe solar should cover the rec center because it is the biggest roof on campus and it has no trees blocking it. 2 Vanderbilt should adopt a policy that all new buildings or re-roofing projects should include solar. This will cut down spending on electricity, make Vanderbilt greener, and allow money saved to be put toward more useful projects.
Success Stories
Brown University
In April 2012, Brown University installed 168 solar panels on the roof of their aquatics center. The solar panels provide heat and electricity for the entire building. This is the first time in Rhode Island's history that solar energy will be used to produce both heat and electricity. This project is also the largest in the nation. From this, Brown will save the money to heat its million gallon pool and the electricity to run the aquatics center. The Director of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Initiatives at Brown, Chris Powell, says "This system is a great demonstration project of how renewable energy can be utilized in a city environment and provides a living lab for students. We know that this project doesn't seem like it affects all the students, but in a way it does. It is making Brown a greener and more energy efficient campus."
How To Get Involved
Where
Student Recreation Center
Arizona State
Arizona State is one of the emerging leaders in solar energy in the United States. In Fall 2011, Arizona State University announced plans for the PowerParasol, a 5.25-acre, first-of-its-kind solar-panel project that is designed to shade 800 parking spaces. In September 2011, ASU surpassed 10 megawatts of solar energy generating capacity when the 700-panel, 168-kilowatt Verde Dickey Dome structure became active on the ASU Tempe campus.
