Cornell has taken a leadership role among colleges and universities nationwide to reduce its carbon footprint and become a model of environmental consciousness and activism.
The 30-megawatt addition is part of Cornell University’s bid to become coal-free as early as the summer of 2011. In addition to generating electricity, the CHP plant will help heat university facilities. When it becomes fully operational, the plant should help reduce the university’s carbon footprint by 30 percent. Cornell has a long-range goal to become net-zero carbon by 2050 through a combination of energy conservation, alternative energy sources and carbon offsets. Also in New York, Syracuse University is using an innovative cogeneration system to lessen its heating and cooling needs. At a new green data center at Syracuse, an on-site electrical co-generation system fueled by natural gas microturbine engines generates 100 percent of the center’s electricity while helping cool a couple of buildings. The liquid cooling system uses double-effect absorption chillers to convert exhaust heat from the microturbines into chilled water to cool the data center’s servers, with sufficient excess cooling to handle the needs of an adjacent building.
Cornell President David Skorton announced the release of the university’s Climate Action Plan, which sets a goal of reducing the institution’s net greenhouse-gas emissions to zero by 2050. Cornell plans to meet this goal by taking action in five major areas: Green Development, i.e. improved land use, more effective use of building space and higher energy standards for new construction. Energy Conservation through renovations of lighting, heating and air conditioning systems; outreach to educate campus users about conservation practices; and development of a “smart grid” that will improve the electrical load management on campus. Fuel mix and renewable energy, including the transition from coal to natural gas represented by the startup of CHPP, and the continuation of Cornell’s history of renewable energy such as its hydroelectric plant and the Lake Source Cooling Project, as well as renewable energy research and demonstration in areas such as biomass-to-energy, geothermal systems and wind power. Transportation, including the promotion of mass transportation and the reduction of single-occupancy vehicles for commuting and business travel, plus the establishment of higher fuel-efficiency standards for fleet vehicles. Carbon offsetting, by converting idle university-owned pastures to mature-growth forests and the subsequent management of forest growth to enhance carbon sequestration.
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