Sustainability

The Sierra Club named Elon University one of the nation’s top “Coolest Schools” in the environmental group’s fourth annual rankings of America’s greenest campuses. It is the second consecutive year that Elon made the list, which rates schools in categories that include academics, waste management and energy efficiency.

What’s an earth-friendly way to cool down a residence hall? Take energy from warm indoor air and drop it hundreds of feet underground. Elon University started work this summer on a geothermal field that will heat and cool the Colonnades residence halls near the Koury Business Center, including three buildings scheduled to open in July 2011.

Elon's project to use geothermal technology to heat and cool the new Colonnades residence halls was featured in reports on News 14 Carolina, Time-Warner Cable's statewide news network, and the Triad's Fox 8 news.

Elon University has partnered with a San Francisco-based company to launch a private network for carpooling. That company, Zimride, created a Facebook-integrated platform to help its users share commutes or one-time rides while reducing campus traffic and parking congestion.

Elon University is featured in a case study on Lucid Design Group’s website, which details the university’s use of the Building Dashboard system for real-time electricity monitoring.

Elon University has finalized a blueprint for shrinking its carbon footprint and promoting conservation in the coming decades by addressing energy use, transportation, solid waste and other sources of emissions on campus. The Climate Action Plan includes recommendations for incorporating sustainability and climate change into education, research and community outreach.

Jay Reno ’10, a business administration major who graduated with honors last month, has been selected as a Green Plus Sustainability Fellow by the Green Plus Institute for Sustainable Development.

All of the 41 campus buildings taking part in the 2010 POWERless Energy Competition showed a reduction in energy use during the sixth week week of the contest. The top building of the week in Division I was Oaks B, showing a 52.2 percent reduction. In Division II, the distinction went to Loy Center A, B and C, which recorded a 66.3 percent reduction.

Students and faculty are invited to take part this Saturday in the Triad Commute Challenge Commuter Dash, a walk/run at a regional park that kicks off a three-month campaign to raise awareness of air quality issues while encouraging people to try alternative transportation, like carpooling or biking, rather than driving alone.

An environmental activist best known for her film documentary “The Story of Stuff” visited campus on April 22 for Earth Day, and her message was simple: People are happier not when they buy “stuff” but when they form quality relationships and work toward common goals.