University of Hawai’i is going green as it looks to be the first campus in the country with 100% renewable energy generated on-site.
This March, the University of Hawai’i announced that its Maui College campus will be the first in the nation to generate all of its energy from on-site photovoltaic (PV) systems paired with battery storage. In collaboration with Johnson Controls and Pacific Current, this project will also allow four UH community college campuses on the island of O’ahu to cut down their fossil fuel consumption considerably. Read on to learn more about how the University of Hawai’i is going green.
Once UH’s PV system is operational in 2019, it will eliminate the campus’s reliance on fossil fuel-based energy use. On O’ahu, the combination of solar shade canopies, distributed energy storage, and energy efficient measures, will allow Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapi’olani Community College, and Windward Community College to reduce their fossil fuel use by 98%, 97%, 74%, and 70% respectively.
In 2015, Hawai’i became the first state in the country to commit to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045. As part of this effort, UH and Hawai’i’s Legislature established a goal for the university system to be “net-zero” by January 1, 2035. This means that the system would generate enough renewable energy to completely meet its campuses’ energy needs.
Rod Rushing, president, Building Solutions North America, Johnson Controls said, “Hawai’i’s leaders set the national example of sustainability and renewable energy standards with the net-zero mandate by 2035 for UH, and we’re proud to partner with the university to help it reach that commitment and aim for UH Maui College to become the first campus in the U.S. to generate and store 100 percent renewable energy onsite, 16 years ahead of schedule.”
As of now, energy and infrastructure improvements at all five of the UH campuses involved in the project are scheduled to be completed by 2019.
Looking for a consulting firm with experience working in higher education? Then don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at McKnight Associates, Inc. We are ready to offer you hands-on human resources consulting for colleges, universities, medical centers, and organizations of all sizes.