by jbs122609c3 — December 28, 2009—The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Cornell University, with support from Labs21, have launched a Climate Neutral Research Campuses Web site to help campus-based research institutions develop clean energy and carbon-reduction strategies.
Research campuses reportedly consume more energy per square foot than most facilities. Laboratories and data centers run at all hours, using power-hungry equipment and cooling and ventilation systems to ensure high-quality scientific results and meet heath and safety regulations. But they also have greater opportunities to reduce energy consumption, implement renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notes NREL.
The Sustainable NREL Program institutionalizes sustainability at NREL’s Campus of the Future and makes NREL a global model for sustainability, including some of the world’s most energy-efficient laboratories and office buildings, notes NREL.
Drawing on NREL’s experience, as well as the best practices at other research campuses, the Web site provides campuses with a process to establish a baseline carbon inventory and develop and implement their own climate action plans.
The core of the Web site is a resource center that describes 24 specific climate action options. For each action, the Web site provides a leading example of the related technology, and reference links. It also offers guidance on selecting the right technology options for an individual campus.
The approach offers sustainability officers, lab managers and campus engineers ways to evaluate their facilities and systems by energy sector and set specific targets for improvements. The site takes an integrated, whole-campus perspective, notes NREL. It starts with tips on changing people’s behavior, then focuses on energy-efficient upgrades in new and existing buildings, then on transportation alternatives, and finally on energy sources and renewable energy.
