Energy
Energy conservation urged as temperatures plummet
Jan. 7, 2015—Read the Vanderbilt News story here. A polar vortex will bring bitterly cold weather to Nashville this week and with it an unusually increased demand for energy on campus. The demand is expected to peak between 9 a.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Friday. Plant Operations is asking the Vanderbilt community to take small steps for...
Vanderbilt Power Plant Now Coal Free
Dec. 17, 2014—Read the Vanderbilt News article here. At 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 19, the Vanderbilt co-generation power plant burned off its last lump of coal! The plant, which produces 23 percent of Vanderbilt’s electricity, 90 percent of its heat and 40 percent of its cooling, now runs exclusively on natural gas. The decommissioning of the plant’s last...
Power down before leaving for the holidays
Dec. 5, 2014—See the MyVU story here. Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff who are going to be away from their residence halls, offices, classrooms or homes for an extended period of time over the holidays should remember to shut off lights and appliances, unplug electronics, and lower thermostats before leaving. Doing so is a great way to...
The Vanderbilt Hustler issued an update on the power plant conversion
Nov. 12, 2014—Read the full “Plant Conversion ‘40% Complete'” article from the Vanderbilt Hustler here.
Vanderbilt greenhouse gas emissions down 27 percent per person
Oct. 21, 2014—Read the Vanderbilt News story here. To mark Campus Sustainability Day, October 22, Vanderbilt’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) has released an updated inventory of the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the calendar years 2005 to 2013. According to the accompanying report, GHG emissions from the campus and medical center decreased by 17...
Vanderbilt Engineering Students Prepare for 2015 Solar Decathlon
Sep. 17, 2014—Selected last spring for the 2015 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a team of Vanderbilt students is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville to build Harmony House. It’s a 1,000-square-foot, energy efficient, fully solar-powered home likely to be used as a test site for the housing nonprofit after the contest ends. “A lot of Solar...
A Long-Term Vision
Aug. 26, 2014—Vanderbilt’s sustainability programs are discussed in the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine, the premiere platform for senior executives to share ways in which they are meeting 21st Century challenges. You can read about our new College Halls, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, conversion of Vanderbilt’s power plant to 100% natural gas, and much more....
Natural gas boilers installed at power plant
Jul. 16, 2014—[Originally posted by Vanderbilt News] (Steve Green/Vanderbilt) Two massive natural gas boilers were installed at the Vanderbilt Power Plant July 12 as part of the university’s ongoing effort to convert the co-generation facility completely to natural gas. The new boilers will provide steam to more than 5.8 million square feet of building space at the...
10 Tips For Saving Energy At Vanderbilt This Summer
Jun. 26, 2014—Vanderbilt is one of the largest energy consumers in Middle Tennessee. As temperatures begin to climb into the 90s and beyond this summer, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to do their part to reduce energy consumption on campus and at the medical center. Small changes can produce big results when everyone does their part. When...
Vanderbilt Power Plant Conversion Highlighted in AASHE 2013 Higher Education Sustainability Review
May. 7, 2014—The Vanderbilt power plant’s natural gas conversion was highlighted as a high-impact energy initiative in the 2013 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)’s Higher Education Sustainability Review, released April 15, 2014. Vanderbilt was profiled by AASHE because of the announcement in spring 2013 that the University planned to convert the coal-fueled...