OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Looking to advance sustainability in your department? An offset is an optional added fee to the cost of traveling (air or ground transportation) to fund a separate project that reduces carbon emissions elsewhere, such as a wind farm or forestry project. In some cases, offsets can make the net carbon footprint of travel effectively zero. These offsets are affordable - 1 metric ton of CO2 emissions can cost as little as $10 to offset! If all OSU-funded travel were offset, total emissions would drop by 14%!
The OSU Sustainability Office, Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, and Oregon Clean Power Cooperative invite faculty, staff, and community members to invest in the latest Solarize Corvallis projects – rooftop solar on three OSU buildings: Beth Ray Center, Milam Hall, and Richardson Hall. The minimum investment is $1,000, with investment rate choices between 1% and 4%. A portion of the funding for these projects will come from community investors – to take advantage of this win-win opportunity, please email info@oregoncleanpower.coop! The first project at Beth Ray Center is now fully funded but we need more investors for Richardson!
OSU has been recognized as a Top Performer in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index, ranking fifth for Coordination and Planning, with a score of 100%. OSU was also recognized for having one of the highest STARS data accuracy rates during the recent reporting period, with a score of 97.56%. A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). View the report here!
Facilities Services and the Sustainability Office have been working together to optimize building heating and cooling systems to reduce wasted energy. Since the effort began in the summer of 2022, OSU has saved an estimated $215,000 in energy costs and moved closer to the goal of carbon neutral by 2025. The process is called recommissioning, which includes analyzing and improving the existing mechanical and building control systems to better meet occupant needs and increase energy efficiency. Two recent projects have included the Linus Pauling Science Center and Nash Hall. Linus Pauling Science Center reduced its energy usage by $100,000 in the first year since recommissioning and Nash Hall is estimated to save $75,000 per year.