ABA GREEN NEWS

ABA Teams Up for Energy Conservation Awareness Day

With October being Energy Conservation Awareness Month, it was fitting that on October 23, SMUD, PG&E, Sac State Sustainability, the College of Engineering (representing the California Smart Grid Center), and Environmental Health & Safety were all present at Sac State's Energy Conservation Awareness event.

Held in the Library Quad, these groups provided information and ideas on how to reduce energy costs, and shared the latest developments in energy conservation technology.

The event was an opportunity to bring more exposure to the California Smart Grid Center here on campus, as well as Sac State sustainability. SMUD provided a Chevy Volt for display, and Sac State Sustainability received 19 interest cards from students, promising to volunteer for future sustainability-related projects on campus.

"Each year we have about 100 or more people stop by and ask questions about energy conservation and new technology, said Nathaniel Martin, administrative analyst/specialist within Facilities Services. "For some students, they are on their own for the first time in life. They have never had to pay their own utilities bills before and had no idea they could do things to reduce their utility bills. For this reason, this event is a huge success and benefit for the students as well as for staff and faculty."

Sac State Receives Chevy Volts from SMUD

On October 31, representatives from SMUD met Mike Lee, Abbi Stone, Nancy Fox, and a few UTAPS parking officers in Lot A to formally recognize the arrival of two Chevy Volts on loan to Sac State.

As part of a contract with SMUD, use of the loaned vehicles will be monitored. Communicating back to SMUD wirelessly data on energy consumption (electricity and gasoline), miles driven, time spent charging, etc.

One of the vehicles is designed for use by President Gonzalez, while the other will be used by UTAPS. To accommodate the vehicles, two charging stations have been installed as well; one in Lot A, near Sacramento Hall, and the other in Parking Structure 1.

SMUD was eager to share the Chevy Volts as a way to monitor how they operate and how they are used in an institutional setting such as a university. Drivers will be asked to respond to surveys on handling and operation of the vehicles.

This partnership with SMUD is just another example of Sac State's sustainability focus and partnerships. To learn more about Sac State sustainability programs, click here.

Sac State Named Tree Campus USA

In October, the Arbor Day Foundation named Sacramento State a Tree Campus USA.

The University achieved the designation by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five requirements: a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service-learning projects.

Sacramento State is just the sixth California university to be honored as a Tree Campus USA. The University will be formally recognized during a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 2:45 p.m. near the Library Quad. A presentation will be made by representatives of the Arbor Day Foundation and CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection).

Many of the campus' beautiful trees date back to 1953, during early construction of the campus. Some 3,000 saplings were planted, helping create the foundation for today's 3,500 plus trees that now shade the main campus, the University Arboretum, and Alumni Grove.

“The honor means a lot. We’re very proud of our trees,” says Robert Anchor, manager of University Grounds and Landscape Services. “It puts into place a higher maintenance standard and helps us stay ahead of potential problems. Trees were always an important part of this campus, and the maintenance practices will make sure they’re here for years to come.”

The University boasts more than 400 tree species. The most prevalent are coast redwoods and zelkova elms. There are more than 20 species of oak and pine scattered across 170 landscaped acres. The most diverse areas of plantings are in the University Arboretum and in the Sokiku Nakatani Tea Room and Garden, located in the University Library.

Sacramento, nicknamed “City of Trees,” has been one of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA designees for the past 35 years. So it’s fitting that Sacramento State is among 150 universities and colleges across the country to earn the title Tree Campus USA since the program’s inception in 2008.

Solar Project Powers Up

Sacramento State is taking its latest energy conservation efforts to the roof! Solar panels are being installed on the roofs of the Library and The WELL, as part of the University’s Photovoltaic (PV) Electricity Generation Project, which is estimated to generate around 700,000 annual kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar electricity for the campus.

The University will assume no cost for installation, materials or system maintenance. With no increases for inflation, significant savings are expected to accrue over the long-term.

“A key benefit is that it maximizes electricity generation at the same time of day when all of us are running our air conditioning and when the highest demand is on the electric grid,” says Linda Hafar, senior director of Sac State’s Sustainability and Plant Operations. “These systems not only provide relief to the electric grid, they do it without generating greenhouse gas emissions.” To read more about the University's Photovoltaic project, click here.