North Carolina, which is known for being “First in Flight,” continues its tradition of being a leader in technology and innovation, and N.C. State is among the piloting forces of a new era.
Months after N.C. State was awarded for its sustainability, Solarbuzz, a market research and analysis group, ranked North Carolina second in the nation in new solar construction. Although the state was significantly behind California, who led the nation in the category, N.C. State appears to be among the driving forces of a movement to continue to make North Carolina more energy efficient.
According to Tracy Dixon, the sustainability director at N.C. State, the University currently has 53 solar thermal panels, 112 solar pool heating collectors producing hot water, and 550 solar photovoltaic panels. This is enough to power about 23 homes for one year.
“N.C. State has been working toward becoming more sustainable for many years,” Dixon said. “Receiving the Raleigh Environmental Stewardship Award, the City of Raleigh’s highest honor for sustainability, is great recognition for the university and the many people on campus working to make the N.C. State leaner, smarter and stronger through sustainable projects and programs.”
One example of innovation at N.C. State is The Solar Pavilion — a charging station powered by solar panels on campus. The pavilion is a product of the Think Outside the Brick competition, which awards students up to $1,000 to complete a sustainable project on N.C. State’s campus.
Other competitions have also helped push students to get involved with N.C. State sustainability.
Jack Colby, the co-sustainability officer and assistant vice chancellor for facilities operations at the University, said water reduction competitions between residence halls, and between N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill, helped save water.
“We tracked the water consumption to see who reduced consumption the most,” Colby said. “I think everybody had a good time with it and [it] also raised awareness about the fact that our water resources are finite.”
Colby said that the efforts cut water consumption on campus by 40 percent during that period.
“Our students, in many cases, are where our innovation comes from, and so we want them thinking about the future — not what has happened in the past,” Colby said. “With that competition, we raise the level of innovation that’s being applied here on campus.”
Dixon said recent efforts have made a difference. Campus energy usage is down 21 percent from 10 years ago, and water usage is down 49 percent.
“That’s significant cost savings and good management of natural resources,” Dixon said.
Dixon said the University adheres to a standard set by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a subgroup of the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED rates buildings based on environmental friendliness.
“N.C. State has also committed that all new buildings or renovations over 20,000 square feet achieve at least LEED Silver [the third highest rating] certification for energy and environmental leadership,” Dixon said.
Colby said the University recently spent about $40 million on a co-generation plant, which uses two large gas turbines to help reduce carbon footprint by 8 percent, saving $4 million a year.
“At a time when [the] University is faced with the extreme pressure on the financial side, keeping the cost of operations low is very important and it really makes sense,” Colby said.
Colby said some sustainable solutions don’t involve technology at all. Students can help out by practicing good recycling habits, which Colby said he has noticed already.
“Even on game days at Carter Finley, now we have a major recycling effort,” Colby said.
Colby said future innovations could help sustainability become a part of everyday life.
“If we can imagine classrooms that are interactive and buildings that are smart buildings sensing where we are, increasing and decreasing light levels where they’re needed, moving temperatures up and down based on which spaces are occupied and really beginning to apply technology to our everyday environment,” Colby said.
