On Earth Day, Chancellor Johnson Announces SUNY is On Target to Meet Governor Cuomo’s Statewide 2020 Energy Use Goals
Apr 22, 2019
Despite Square Footage Increases of 50%, Campuses Have Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Nearly 25% and Energy Usage by 18%. Reductions Due to Innovative Sustainability Efforts Across 64 Campuses, Saving Millions in Energy Costs
ALBANY, NY – In celebration of Earth Day, Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson today announced that The
State University of New York is on target to meet Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s statewide
energy use goals of reducing average energy use intensity by 20 percent by 2020. SUNY
has lowered its energy usage by 18 percent since 2011. Energy use intensity is a measure
of total energy used per square foot. In Executive Order 88, which was drafted in
2012, the Governor required all state-owned buildings to reduce their average energy
usage 20 percent by 2020.
Since 1990, SUNY has also reduced its carbon footprint from 1.02 million metric tons
in 1990 to 770,000 metric tons in 2017, decreasing its greenhouse emission by nearly
25 percent. In the last decade, SUNY has saved $19 million in energy costs. The reductions
in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions comes in spite of a 50 percent increase
in the system’s total square footage.
“We celebrate Earth Day by utilizing the latest technology to increase sustainability and energy efficiency while decreasing our carbon footprint and energy usage across our 64 campuses,” SUNY Chancellor Johnson said. “As the nation’s largest university system, SUNY will lead by example by working with our talented faculty and visionary students to continue to research and develop the next generation of energy efficiency technology to combat the damaging effects of climate change every day of the year.”
SUNY operates 40 percent of New York’s state-owned buildings. All 64 campuses are
actively engaged in Chancellor Johnson’s vision of making SUNY a more environmentally
sustainable system. Projects have included everything from the installation of fuel
cells, solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations to the construction of
a net zero facility that uses geothermal heating. Renovation projects across the system
have incorporated numerous energy saving technologies, ranging from insulated roofs
to micro-turbines.
Among the campus projects that have started to produce measurable results include:
- Fuel Cell Technology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn – A partnership with Bloom Energy and Con Edison led to the installation of a 1.8 megawatt fuel cell system that produces clean energy for electricity. Between May and December 2018, the fuel cells have saved Downstate more than $331,000 and avoided 8.7 million pounds of carbon, the equivalent of removing 829 cars from the road for one year.
- Solar Power at SUNY New Paltz – Working with the New York Power Authority, the New York Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA), and the Electric Power Research Institute,SUNY New Paltz built
a $1.37 million solar energy and battery storage system that supports a battery storage
system and delivers continuous solar photovoltaic power. The stored solar power is
available during emergencies and times of peak energy demand, for both the college
and the community. Together with lighting upgrades, thermal blanket insulation project
in mechanical rooms, and steam trap repairs, the 217-kilowatt project has saved the
campus almost $250,000.
- New Net Zero Carbon Building at SUNY University at Albany – The Albany Campus is building the Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Complex
(ETEC) as part of its NY SUNY2020 Plan, an initiative to enhance educational programs
and spur economic growth. The project aligns with SUNY’s plans to design all new buildings
to achieve zero net carbon emissions. The $180 million project will feature several
energy efficiency measures that are expected to reduce energy costs by about 70 percent,
a savings of about $200,000 a year. ETEC will also have a geothermal well field and
heat pumps that will help heat and cool the building. New solar panels on the podium
roof of the neighboring Uptown Campus will offset the electric use of the non-lab
portions of the building.
- Net Zero Carbon Retrofit at SUNY Oneonta – SUNY is also about to embark on its first deep energy retrofit project at SUNY Oneonta as part of the Retrofit NY program. The college is partnering with NYSERDA and the state Dormitory Authority to retrofit the 213-bed dorm. Ford Hall is the first building in the system to undergo a deep energy retrofit, with construction slated to begin May 2020. Ford Hall will serve as a prototype for the entire SUNY system and for other higher education institutions.
In addition to individual campus efforts, SUNY system and 16 campuses have teamed
up with private universities across the state to form a coalition called the New York
Higher Education Large Scale Renewable (NY HE LSRE) project. NY HE LSRE is in the
process of hiring a consultant to develop an RFP that will solicit bids for the procurement
of 100 percent renewable energy for its members and ultimately, all SUNY campuses.
The purchase of renewable electricity will significantly reduce SUNY’s carbon footprint
and enable SUNY to meet the Governor’s goals to have 100 percent carbon-free electricity
by 2040.
The Chancellor’s vision for sustainability also includes growing the clean energy
workforce. Last fall, Governor Cuomo invested $15 million in SUNY’s clean energy workforce
development and training programs.
In addition, SUNY continues to do research in clean energy. Last year, SUNY received $24.75 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund
clean energy research by Binghamton University Distinguished Professor M. Stanley
Whittingham, and Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor Esther S. Takeuchi
and Professor John B. Parise. As the lead researchers for three of the nation's 42
Energy Frontier Research Centers, they are working to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs
needed to expand clean energy research, such as batteries and energy storage.
SUNY is also working to change the culture on its campuses to embrace more energy
efficient behaviors. Morrisville State College for example, is growing its own produce
for its dining halls and promoting car sharing.
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY) is the most extensive comprehensive system
of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses
located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of fall
2018, nearly 425,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus.
In total, SUNY served 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs,
continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2017-18 academic year. SUNY oversees
nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Its students and faculty make significant
contributions to research and discovery, contributing to a $1.6 billion research portfolio.
There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college
degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.
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About SUNY Downstate Medical Center
SUNY Downstate Medical Center is the borough’s only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care, and is a 376-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of Brooklyn’s 2.6 million residents. University Hospital is Downstate’s teaching hospital, backed by the expertise of an outstanding medical school and the research facilities of a world-class academic center. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.
A regional center for cardiac care, neonatal and high-risk infant services, pediatric dialysis, and transplantation, Downstate also houses a major learning center for children with physical ailments or neurological disorders. In addition to University Hospital, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Health-Related Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu