Santa Clara's University Buys 11,256 Megawatt-Hours of Clean Energy
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.25.08
Over 1/3 of the University's Electricity Use
ideally, higher education establishments should show the way and be at the forefront of societal changes. These days, one way to do that is by going green (or at least greener). The #1 among universities for wind power usage is still the University of Pennsylvania, but Santa Clara's University is doing its part: It just announced the purchase of 11,256 megawatt hours of renewable energy, "equal to the annual output of three and a half large-scale wind turbines", or over 1/3 of the University's electricity use.
Read on for more details.
Green Power
The green power was bought from Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara's municipal electric utility.
"This purchase is just one of many actions the University is taking to develop a culture of sustainability for our students, faculty, and staff," says Lindsey Cromwell, Sustainability Coordinator for Santa Clara University. "The Santa Clara Green Power program provides an opportunity to support renewable energy, a major initiative as we strive to reduce the University's environmental impact."
The carbon dioxide reduction for the purchase is equivalent to planting 6,003 acres of trees or taking 1,560 cars off the road every year.
Via Santa Clara University
Green Education
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Great! I hope they are publicizing the efforts on campus. Might inspire a few people to get green power once they're out and making good salaries.
In response to the anonymous comment above, a lot of colleges actively publicize to students the things they are doing to improve their greenness. And I'd bet they're advertising it to prospective students, too. And trust me, it rubs off on at least a few of us.
I thank the author for his careful and correct use of physical units in this article. Thanks! It's easy to read!
As a recent graduate of SCU, I'm conflicted about this post. As a huge supporter of sustainability on and off campus, it it nice to see that they're purchasing clean energy - in the city of Santa Clara the cost of purchasing clean energy is not much more than regular energy, and many students living near campus do the same. Unfortunately, that's where my admiration ends. As a school bound in red tape, many of the detailed and sustainably beneficial proposals put forth by the student-run Green Club are met with opposition and shrugged shoulders. This is a school that puts forth great efforts and finances to attain a desired image in the public's eye, but much of the effort ends with that ficade.
This school's mechanical engineering program has taken a dive academically in recent years, largely due to an apathetic and unmotivated department chair. Numerous classes have been canceled without notice or ended up being taught by unqualified temp workers. The department not only refuses to support senior projects not relating to sustainability, but it actually makes concerted efforts to nudge such projects towards failure to avoid repeated attempts in subsequent years. Anyone looking for a good education at an institution that cares about its students more than its public image would be advised to look elsewhere.
As former President of the SCU Green Club, I have to say that I disagree with the above post by Pedantic Grouch. Any departmental issues aside, the school, particularly the facilities department, has been extremely receptive to any advocacy efforts either clubs like Green or the Sustainability@SCU office has made. But more importantly, they have made many many self-motivated decisions to go 'green' over they years, with staff like Joe Sugg at the forefront.
Their comprehensive energy plan, in particular, is aimed at doing everything Facilities can to increase efficiencies and increase their energy sustainability and security in the coming years. The above poster is wrong in that clean energy for businesses and clean energy for residents are very different programs, and the former does come at a premium. The school has direct stake in several wind farms, for example, again very different than the 'green power' residents can purchase.
On the whole, I applaud the school for its efforts in sustainability, particularly in this area.
As former President of the SCU Green Club, I have to say that I disagree with the above post by Pedantic Grouch. Any departmental issues aside, the school, particularly the facilities department, has been extremely receptive to any advocacy efforts either clubs like Green or the Sustainability@SCU office has made. But more importantly, they have made many many self-motivated decisions to go 'green' over they years, with staff like Joe Sugg at the forefront.
Their comprehensive energy plan, in particular, is aimed at doing everything Facilities can to increase efficiencies and increase their energy sustainability and security in the coming years. The above poster is wrong in that clean energy for businesses and clean energy for residents are very different programs, and the former does come at a premium. The school has direct stake in several wind farms, for example, again very different than the 'green power' residents can purchase.
On the whole, I applaud the school for its efforts in sustainability, particularly in this area.