• Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Meet Us
  • The WaterHub®
    • Why Reuse Water?
    • The WaterHub®
    • The WaterHub® at Emory
    • WaterHub® Awards
  • Services
    • Services
    • Project Finance
  • Technology
    • Wastewater Mining and Primary Treatment Solutions
    • Biological Treatment Reactors
    • Ecological Treatment Reactors
    • Polishing and Disinfection Systems
  • Resources
    • Brochure
    • Case Studies
    • Publications
    • FAQ
  • Newsletter
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Upcoming Events
Sustainable Water

Extending The Life Cycle Of Water

FacebookTwitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube

Reassessing Higher-Ed Sustainability Goals in the Age of COVID-19

As the Coronavirus Pandemic continues to force U.S. colleges and universities to operate remotely, many of these campuses have been using the closures to analyze their sustainability goals and long-term energy needs. With far less foot traffic around campus and utility demands lower than a typical year, the past few months have allowed campuses to gain traction on new sustainability projects.

“It takes time to get momentum, and once you get it, you need to keep going,”[1] Paul Kempf, assistant vice president of utilities and maintenance at the University of Notre Dame said.

Schools like Loyola Marymount University (LMU) are exploring new sustainability options such as the feed-in tariff program from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). This program would let LMU lease its solar roofs out to the LADWP to provide green power to the entire grid, according to LMU’s campus sustainability officer, Ian McKeown.

During the Covid-19 shutdowns, some universities, like Notre Dame, undertook conservation and energy efficiency efforts. Others, including LMU, have been doing a deep dive on energy use and sustainability. “When people aren’t onsite, there is an opportunity to do retrofits and audits and to come up with strategies and recommendations around what happens during a campus closure,” McKeown said.

Numerous U.S. colleges and universities have adopted ambitious renewable energy commitments as part of decarbonization strategies. Last year, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) reported that more than 40 colleges and universities now obtain 100% or more of their electricity from renewable resources. As COVID-19 delays campus openings, long-term plans and strategies continue to be refined and developed at campuses across the country to push sustainability to new heights.


[1] Haggerty, Jean. “Colleges Reassessing Energy Needs, Sustainability Goals in the Face of Covid-Related Shutdowns.” PV Magazine, 26, June 2020, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/06/26/colleges-reassessing-energy-needs-sustainability-goals-in-the-face-of-covid-related-shutdowns/

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Comments

comments

in Business & Economics
Tags: College, COVID-19, Sustainability, University

Related posts

Aging Infrastructure Grabs the Spotlight in Houston

Comments: 0

New SW Team Member, Seth Lanciani

Comments: 0

D.C. Water Turns Sewage into Valuable Compost

Comments: 0

Water Futures Join Wall Street

Comments: 0

Categories

  • Business & Economics (87)
  • Education (3)
  • Environment (57)
  • Feature Story (15)
  • Latest at Sustainable Water (29)
  • Policy & Politics (72)
  • Reuse in the News (38)
  • Technology (25)

Sign up for Sustainable Water Newsletter

* = required field

© Sustainable Water 2018 | About | WaterHub | Services | Technology | Contact