Sustainability Success: University Attains 100 Percent Renewable Electricity Use
June 21, 2016
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the first university in the state to have 100 percent of its electricity come from renewable sources. The sustainability milestone places the university in rare air, as only about 30 colleges and universities in the country are at this point, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green River Partnership.
Stevens Point achieved the mark through energy conservation, reduced consumption, and purchasing renewable energy credits through Renewable Choice Energy. The credits represent the environmental benefits associated with generating renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biogas.
“By purchasing renewable energy credits, we are taking responsibility for the environmental impact of our electricity use and promoting the development of clean energy resources,” says Shelly Janowski, sustainability program and policy analyst at Stevens Point, in a press release.
Electricity costs for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, are projected at about $2 million for the campus. The university will pay about $136,400 for the environmental attributes of green electricity.
System upgrades to lighting, mechanical, steam trap and building envelope will result in a additional $607,000 in anticipated annual energy cost savings.
The university’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2050.
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This quick read was submitted by Dave Lubach, associate editor for Facility Maintenance Decisions. Reach him at dave.lubach@tradepress.com.
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