Energy
WATCH: 5 sustainability efforts you may not know about at Vanderbilt (Part Two)
Mar. 28, 2024—Did you know that Vanderbilt is carbon neutral? There are sustainability programs going on all over campus that contribute to continually lowering the university’s carbon footprint. Watch chemical engineering major Sarah Siman, Class of 2025, highlight five sustainability efforts at our university that you might not know about. Want to learn about five more? Watch Part...
Vanderbilt to participate in Earth Hour to raise awareness of climate change
Mar. 22, 2024—Things to Know: Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when more than 2.2 million people turned off their lights for one hour. In 2023, Earth Hour saw over 410,000 hours pledged to the Hour Bank. Vanderbilt University, and many Nashville businesses and organizations, participate annually in Earth Hour to raise awareness about climate change. Anyone can participate by...
Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions drop 11 percent since last year and 35 percent since 2016, sustainability report shows
Jan. 31, 2024—What you need to know: Vanderbilt University’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 11 percent overall since fiscal year 2022. Emissions have dropped 35 percent since 2016 (the first year Vanderbilt reported emissions separately from VUMC). Commuting emissions decreased 64 percent between FY22 and FY23 due to increases in telecommuting and greater insights into commuting behaviors. ...
New study in ‘Nature Water’ demonstrates a vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
Jun. 22, 2023—Vanderbilt researchers are part of a team that has developed a cutting-edge method that seeks to make the removal of salt from hypersaline industrial wastewater far more energy-efficient and cost-effective. While desalination through reverse osmosis has made tremendous strides—allowing for salt removal from seawater for less than a penny per gallon—it still falls short in...
Sustainability, mobility and transportation efforts highlighted in FutureVU FY2022 Progress Report
May. 5, 2023—Vanderbilt University made significant progress toward its FutureVU goals in fiscal year 2022, as outlined in the annual progress report. FutureVU is a high-level, holistic framework for the development of campus’s built and exterior environments. That framework gives direction to campus projects and considers core themes such as community enhancement, connectivity, inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. Highlights from...
Vanderbilt to further offset carbon footprint by investing in solar energy projects through Clearloop
Apr. 19, 2023—Vanderbilt University will further offset its carbon footprint by investing in the development of solar energy projects that will expand access to clean energy in the Southeast. A new, multiyear collaboration with Clearloop, a Silicon Ranch company, builds on Vanderbilt’s commitment to powering its campus entirely through renewable energy and maintaining carbon neutrality. Vanderbilt’s investment...
Vanderbilt University joins Silicon Ranch, NES and TVA to ‘flip the switch’ on Vanderbilt I Solar Farm
Apr. 14, 2023—Vanderbilt University joined Silicon Ranch Corp., Nashville Electric Service and Tennessee Valley Authority on April 11 to “flip the switch” on the Vanderbilt I Solar Farm, a 35-megawatt solar facility in Bedford County, Tennessee. The solar facility is a significant step by Vanderbilt toward the ambitious goal it announced in 2019 to power its campus entirely through...
Join Vanderbilt in raising awareness of climate change during Earth Hour on March 25
Mar. 21, 2023—Vanderbilt University will participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 25, to raise awareness about climate change by turning off the exterior lights at West End Tower from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Earth Hour was started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund and partners, and it has become a global event with more than 190...
Vanderbilt to begin utility and infrastructure upgrades for campus growth
Jan. 27, 2023—Vanderbilt University is making extensive upgrades to its utilities and other infrastructure as it prepares for campus growth. The Central Utilities Initiative, scheduled to begin in February 2023, will provide enhancements to support various Vandy United projects, the Highland Quad Residential Colleges that will be built along 25th Avenue South, and other future projects. “The Central Utilities Initiative...
Former EPA Administrator Carol Browner to deliver inaugural Distinguished Lecture on Climate Change Governance Sept. 19
Sep. 7, 2022—Carol M. Browner, who served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1993 to 2001, will deliver the Energy, Environment and Land Use Program’s inaugural Distinguished Lecture on Climate Change Governance in Flynn Auditorium at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 19. Carol Browner Browner’s lecture is made possible by the Sally Shallenberger Brown EELU Program...