Anyone strolling around Bloomsburg University’s campus may have noticed a new kiosk resembling a bus shelter past the northeast side of Ben Franklin Hall. Behind it sits two light poles topped with solar panels.
The kiosk is designed to educate the BU community about solar energy and the university’s energy consumption using Lucid Design Group’s Building Dashboard software. The project ultimately aims to develop energy-saving strategies for the university.
The Building Dashboard touchscreen software will also allow users to take an in-depth look at energy use in five campus buildings: Hartline Science Center, Student Recreation Center, Nelson Field House, Columbia Residence Hall and Elwell Residence Hall. These buildings were chosen because they are popular with students or large consumers of energy.
Bloomsburg University has teamed up with the Bloomsburg Recycling Center to change the way BU recycles. Since July 1, BU has used a dual-stream recyclable collection program that has increased the volume of recycled materials and made collection simpler and more convenient. Vince DiLoretto, BU’s custodial services director, and Charles Fritz, Bloomsburg Recycling Center’s environmental services administrator, were two key contributors in the new program.
“Our overall objective was to improve our recycling,” says DiLoretto, “taking what we do have and making it better with dual-stream.”
In September of 2012, for example, the university collected 15,650 pounds of recycled materials. During September of this year, the university collected 39,720 pounds — a 254 percent increase.
Energy and financial savings are the goal of campus upgrades completed as part of Bloomsburg University’s facilities management department’s energy reduction plan. The plan aims to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent.
One ECM now underway is the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting in the lower parking area and stairwells of the tri-level garage next to Elwell Residence Hall. BU facilities staff will install LED lighting fixtures purchased through a sustainability account initially funded by energy rebates from PP&L Electric. This project will pay for itself in 18 months. The same type of LED lighting was installed by BU facilities staff in areas within Redman Stadium.
BU can access real-time data on its solar array, located behind Ben Franklin Hall, thanks to Jeff Brunskill, professor of environmental, geographical and geological Sciences, and Nathaniel Greene, professor physics and engineering technology, who recently launched a website that features live data from power production to lifetime energy readings.
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Starting in 2008, a student-faculty collaboration transformed cooking oil into biodiesel fuel for a campus shuttle bus. When that pilot project wound down in 2010, excess vegetable oil was donated to the Town of Bloomsburg’s Recycling Center for use as a heating fuel. Bloomsburg University helped the Town to engineer and install a dual-fuel heating system for the Recycling Center’s main processing building.
Waste vegetable oil and waste motor oil, dropped off at the facility by residents and businesses, are burned in a 350,000 BTU/hr furnace, alleviating costly heating bills. Used motor oil from the university’s vehicle maintenance garage is donated regularly.
Local fruits, vegetables, breads and meats are available each Friday in September and April at the BU Farmers Market. The market, set up between Navy Hall and Bakeless Center, helps benefit the student environmental group Helping Our Planet Earth (HOPE).
Sponsored by BU’s Green Campus Initiative and the Center for Leadership & Engagement, the farmers market is an outgrowth of the Earth Day tours in 2009 of Forks Farm, Orangeville, and Dancing Hen Farm, Stillwater.