Clean Energy Projects
Purchase College commits to increasing clean power technologies and reducing overall energy consumption.
Energy Projects
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Energy Storage
The College has partnered with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Brenmiller Energy Ltd. to install a Combined Heat and Power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, energy storage system in the Physical Education building at no cost to the college. This project will efficiently utilize heat by-product through capturing and storing exhaust heat to provide all the heating and hot water and generate about 50% of the electricity to the building. The project is expected to increase energy savings and reduce emissions for the college.
Lighting Retrofits
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been installed to new areas of campus since the college has invested in improving lighting in buildings and roadways. Many large-scale lighting projects have been completed in the Library, The Performing Arts Center, academic buildings, housing areas, and along roads surrounding the campus. LED lighting fixtures produce light approximately 90% more efficiently than incandescent lightbulbs and have a much longer lifetime, reducing energy use and waste.
Smart Buildings: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
LEED buildings focus significantly on energy efficiency, read more information on our LEED-certified buildings and policy on campus. The residence hall Wayback, achieved LEED Silver certification with various features to promote sustainable energy use, including but not limited to, solar panels (PVCs) on the roof, energy-efficient technologies, and an interactive energy dashboard. The dashboard will be important to engage with the building’s constituents to acknowledge the energy use of the building and how to be more conservative.
Renewable Energy Curriculum
To educate students further on energy efficiency, new curricula has been developed in the Environmental Studies department, including the creation of an “Introduction to Renewable Energy” course. The college’s energy manager will periodically lecture to the class. The “Environmental Policy” course creates awareness and engagement of on-campus operations and has real-world examples of topics discussed in class.