Energy
Wellcast: FutureVU and a Healthier You!
May. 18, 2018—Eric Kopstain, Vice Chancellor for Administration at Vanderbilt University, discusses FutureVU, the visionary land use planning initiative at Vanderbilt. He explains the goals of FutureVU and describes the many ways it is enhancing the health and wellness of faculty, staff, and students. Listen here.
BlueSky visioning session lays foundation for carbon footprint reduction
Apr. 4, 2018— Nearly 50 people attended Vanderbilt’s first BlueSky visioning session to generate bold and creative approaches for reducing the university’s carbon footprint. FutureVU launched the BlueSky Vision Energy Study in January to identify effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions on campus. Components of the study include, but are not limited to, local and off-site energy generation, utility...
Redesigned sustainability report expands focus to include holistic environmental efforts
Mar. 15, 2018—Vanderbilt displays a new emissions baseline in a redesigned version of its annual sustainability report that outlines the university’s environmental impact in 2016. The university’s GHG emissions come from three evenly split sources. Natural gas for the on-campus power plant and individual buildings represents 31 percent; 33 percent is power purchased from Nashville Electric Service;...
New recyclable resin makes wind turbines much more sustainable
Feb. 16, 2018—by Liz Entman | Feb. 15, 2018, 10:58 AM It generally requires a great deal of time and energy to cure the type of resin that makes the 150-foot-wide fiberglass turbines strong and durable. When they finally wear out after 20 or 25 years, very little of the material can be recycled.Doug Adams, Distinguished Professor of...
Don’t forget to power down before leaving for the holidays
Dec. 18, 2017—Please remember to power down before you leave the office or your home for an extended period over the holidays. Your reductions in energy use can have a large impact when aggregated across the entire university. Here are some things you can do to help conserve energy while you are away. Turn off lights in...
Holiday Greening Tips
Dec. 8, 2017—Want to reduce your impact this holiday season? Here are a few tips from SustainVU’s Holiday Greening Guide to make your holiday a little greener this year. Office/Residence Hall/Home Energy Use Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff who are going to be away from their residence halls, offices, classrooms or homes over the holidays should remember...
Slay Energy Vampires this Halloween
Oct. 30, 2017—As little ghosts and ghouls prepare to come out in search of Halloween treats, be sure you don’t have any silent menaces lurking around your office or home tricking you into using extra energy! Energy vampires are electronic devices that slowly suck energy when they are turned off but still plugged in. They provide no...
Rand Roof Gets Green Update
Oct. 12, 2017—The Rand Hall roof recently got a green update for the 2017 school year! A green roof was installed this summer through a student-initiated Vanderbilt Green Fund project. The roof on the third floor of Rand outside the wall of windows and across from the Anchor has been covered in trays containing sedum, a plant material....
Don’t forget to power down before Fall Break!
Oct. 9, 2017—Vanderbilt community members who are going to be away from their dorm, office, or home for an extended period of time over fall break should remember to power down before they leave. Doing so is a great way to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. Here are some simple steps to help conserve energy while...
Ultrathin device harvests electricity from human motion
Jul. 25, 2017—Imagine slipping into a jacket, shirt or skirt that powers your cell phone, fitness tracker and other personal electronic devices as you walk, wave and even when you are sitting down. A new, ultrathin energy harvesting system developed at Vanderbilt University’s Nanomaterials and Energy Devices Laboratory has the potential to do just that. Based on battery technology...