The Manila Times

Innovations in campus sustainability and green technologies

THE field of sustainability has seen rapid innovation in recent years, with new technologies and practices emerging to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and waste reduction. Campuses have been at the forefront of these innovations, as they seek to reduce their environmental footprint while providing a high-quality educational experience for their students. Some of the most promising innovations in campus sustainability and green technologies include the following:

Renewable energy. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal have become increasingly popular on college and university campuses. Many institutions have installed solar panels on their roofs, generating clean electricity to power their buildings and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Quezon City Mayor Josephine Belmonte, during the media launch of Earth Hour 2023, shared that by the end of her second term, all campuses of public educational institutions in the city will be 100 percent solarized.

Solar power systems. A few colleges and universities have also turned to the power of renewable energy. First, Manuel L. Quezon University, known as Manila’s first solar-powered university, installed a 96-kilowatt-peak solar panel system on the roof of its buildings, covering a total area of 621 square meters. The solar panels are capable of providing around 28 percent of the school’s daily energy needs.

In the Visayas, the Holy Name University (HNU) in Bohol was the first to have a fully integrated solar power energy system in its operation in April 2016. HNU installed a solar power plant composed of 1,100 solar thin film panels. Considered the largest thin film solar installation in the country, the HNU plant would save the school roughly 20 to 25 percent of its monthly energy cost.

In Mindanao, Ateneo de Davao University kept the lead for renewable energy use. It currently houses 842 solar panels that can generate 285.37 kilowatt of power or 520 megawatt-hour of energy each year.

Energy efficiency. Campuses have also made significant progress in improving the energy efficiency of their buildings and operations. This includes installing energyefficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, and building envelopes, as well as implementing energy management systems to optimize energy use. Some institutions have also implemented demand response programs which allow them to reduce energy consumption during peak periods of demand.

Green building design. The green building design has become a standard practice in the construction and renovation of campus buildings. This includes incorporating sustainable materials such as recycled steel and reclaimed wood into building designs and optimizing the orientation and layout of buildings to maximize energy efficiency. Some campuses have also implemented green roofs and living walls, which provide insulation and absorb rainwater, reducing the heat effect and mitigating stormwater runoff.

The Philippines has a National Voluntary Green Building Rating System called the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (Berde). It is recognized by the Philippine government, through the Department of Energy’s Philippine Energy Efficiency Project-Efficient Building Initiative. It is a tool to measure the resource efficiency and environmental performance of building projects. Berde measures how a building performs above and beyond existing national and local building, and environmental laws, regulations and mandatory standards.

Travel and waste reduction

Smart transportation. Transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions on college and university campuses. To address this, many institutions have implemented smart transportation solutions such as bike-sharing programs, electric vehicle charging stations and shuttle buses powered by alternative fuels. Some campuses have also implemented remote work policies and virtual meetings, reducing the need for travel altogether.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and the Department of Science and Technology launched the “Intelligent Electric Transportation Network” (IntElect). It is a fleet of electric tricycles aimed at providing ecofriendly transportation systems to the state university’s sprawling campus. The project’s monitoring system tracks, monitors and provides data on these e-vehicles (EVs).

A major part of the IntElect project is a ride-sharing and guidance system that will compute the optimal locations of charging stations in the area. One of the key developments is the improvement in the EV-charging time which is now significantly shorter.

A mobile app for ride-hailing was also developed. The e-trikes are initially expected to service UP personnel, but can be expanded to serve more passengers in the near future.

Waste reduction. Waste reduction and recycling programs have become standard practice on college and university campuses, with many institutions implementing composting programs and banning single-use plastics. Some campuses have also implemented closed-loop systems, which capture and reuse waste materials within the campus ecosystem, reducing the need for disposal.

The author is the executive director of the Young Environmental Forum, and a nonresident fellow of Stratbase ADR Institute. He completed his climate change and development course at the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom) and an executive program on sustainability leadership at Yale University (USA). Email him at ludwig.federigan@gmail.com.

Green Industries

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2023-04-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-04-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/281951727080636

The Manila Times