Sustainability

It is our mission to provide a synergistic educational facility for our university and region which offers diverse learning styles for both current and future students in the areas of renewable energy, recycling and waste reduction measures, plant biology, and other sustainable technologies. This center will provide opportunities for extensive study in sciences and technology.

 

 

View real-time energy production on campus below.

Sustainability Goals

Renewable Energy

50% off of the grid campus-wide by 2030 using renewable energy. 


Complete

  • Installed twelve water stations in the fall 2018.

  • Photovoltaic panels for financial AID.

  • Solar thermal heating systems supplement Kinesiology Building, Biology Building and Cardinal Newman Hall. 

  • Photovoltaic tracking panels supplement Physical Plant office power.


Currently

  • Final phases hybrid geothermal dorms.
  • Working in adding solar picnic tables.
  • Compost facility.
  • Sustainability Campaign "I Chose to Reuse".
  • Add water station in each hall.
  • Exploring biomass electrical generation options for campus.

Recycling   

Campus-wide 80% Recycled and 20% landfill waste by 2020.


Phase 1:  Complete

  • Reduce dumpsters on campus by 20% in 2012.

  • Baling Cardboard for resale.

  • Implemented single-stream recycling.

 

Phase 2:   Complete

  • Reduce amount of dumpsters on campus by 40%.

  • Increase recycling participation. 

 

Phase 3:   Complete

  • Reduce amount of dumpsters on campus by 20%.   

 

Sustainability Center

Working educational facility.


Phase 1:  Complete

  • Photovoltaic panel installed for research.

  • First water-reclamation pond and irrigation pumping station installed.


Phase 2:   Complete

  • Solar thermal heating for greenhouses to be completed. 

  • Interconnected water-reclamation pond to be completed.

  • Electric car charging station complete.


Phase 3:   

  • Biomass electrical generation plant to be installed by 2020.

  • Sustainable landscape installation by 2020.

Sustainability Center

Site Plan - Phase I : Construction and Landscape Installation

 

Year I

  • Reconfiguration of Facility (Clean-up and removal of unused structures) Complete

  • Water Reclamation (Design and build retention ponds) Complete

  • Fully Operational Recycling Center (Part of our plan in dumpster reduction on campus)Complete

  • All Solar applications applied (Solar hot water and photovoltaic) Complete

  • Smart Classroom installed Complete


Year II

  • Fully Operational Growing Facility (Tree Farm and Landscape plants to be used in our campus landscapes) Partially Met

  • Structure for Biomass and Biodiesel Building Complete


Year III

  • Install Biomass Plant (Used to produce electricity for the entire center, allowing us to be completely off the grid) Awaiting Funding and design by Computer Science and Technology students and professors. 

  • Design and construct Biomass trailer for mobile education purposes Complete

 

News & Events

MARCH 19, 2024

09032019_stemfest

STEM Fest Event

STEM Fest

Southeastern Sustainability earns national, state recognition