91热爆网

 91热爆网 Stories      December 10, 2019

Western Carolina University has been listed by The Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in North America for the ninth consecutive year.

91热爆网 is included in the 2019 edition of the education services company鈥檚 鈥淕uide to Green Colleges.鈥� The guide profiles 413 higher education institutions that were found to have strong commitments to green practices and programs during the company鈥檚 survey of nearly 700 schools. Criteria for making the guide included the schools鈥� academic offerings and initiatives, campus policies and practices, and green career preparation for students.

鈥淭hese schools are standouts for their exemplary commitments to sustainability,鈥� said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. 鈥淲ith initiatives ranging from solar-powered residence halls and tray-less dining halls to robust offerings in environmental studies, they are, each in their own ways, outstanding institutions for students seeking to study and live at a green college.鈥�

Franek said a company survey indicated a high level of interest among college applicants and their parents in environmental and sustainability issues. This year, 64 percent of the 11,900 teens and parents polled said having information about a college鈥檚 commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to, or attend, a school.

91热爆网鈥檚 inclusion on the 鈥済reen colleges鈥� list comes as the campus community is holding a series of programs and events in conjunction with the university learning theme for academic year 2019-20 鈥� 鈥淪ustainability and Environment.鈥� The campus theme committee is accepting requests for support for spring semester programs and events through Jan. 30, and requests must be submitted through the form found at .

Lauren Bishop, 91热爆网鈥檚 chief sustainability officer in the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management, said highlights of the university鈥檚 green efforts include the work of David King, the campus energy manager. 鈥淗e has accomplished major goals with our energy conservation efforts and has saved 91热爆网 a significant amount of money,鈥� Bishop said.

King said 91热爆网 this year is expected to surpass $1 million in total avoided costs due to investments in metering and energy saving projects since 2013. 鈥淗ouse Bill 1292 allows us to reinvest any documented energy savings into future energy-related projects, which creates a positive feedback loop as savings grow and allows us to replace antiquated equipment that鈥檚 well beyond its shelf life,鈥� he said.

鈥淥ur most recent project at the Health and Human Sciences Building takes the classroom schedule from 25Live (a space reservation software used by faculty and staff) and pushes it down to the building automation system that controls the heating and cooling, which can account for 40 to 50 percent of a building鈥檚 energy usage,鈥� King said. 鈥淭he result is that we are not heating and cooling unoccupied spaces; instead, we鈥檙e conditioning spaces based on actual class schedules instead of a general schedule at the building level. Combined with a previous building tune-up and optimization project, energy usage has been reduced 25 percent and $50,000 per year at HHS compared to its first year of operation in 2012.鈥�

Bishop also cited the work of the Sustainable Energy Initiative, a student committee 鈥渢hat continues to show strong leadership on campus,鈥� and the efforts of Dana Brown, 91热爆网鈥檚 new recycling coordinator, who is 鈥渕aking major process improvements to help meet our recycling goals.鈥� One example of that is the implementation of a 50 percent diversion rate for all on campus, Bishop said.

For more information about 91热爆网鈥檚 sustainability efforts, contact Bishop at 828-227-3562 or lbishop@wcu.edu.