ABA GREEN NEWS

SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS PAY OFF

AMERICAN RIVER COURTYARD WINS PUBLIC AWARD

American River Courtyard

The American River Courtyard, Sac State's new housing complex which opened in August, won the 2009 New Public Project Award sponsored by the Sacramento Business Journal. The nomination, submitted by the project's builders Brown Construction, was among 40 entries for best local real estate projects in five separate categories. The award to ARC recognizes energy efficiency and the involvement of students in the project design. The University was also awarded $74,331 through SMUD's Savings by Design program for the efficient design of the complex, which exceeds state energy standards by 34.8 percent. The award will be deposited to a trust fund for future residence hall conservation projects. Read more in the Sac State News.

BREATHE CALIFORNIA AWARDS HORNET EXPRESS

Nancy Fox, Nick Ardelean, Ryan Artis, Abbi
Stone and Gavril Sarcadi with100% CNG
28-passenger shuttle bus purchased in fall 2009

Kudos to UTAPS for helping the campus win the 2010 Breathe California Clean Air Award. The award, which recognizes the Hornet Express Shuttle Program, will be presented at the May 26 Annual Clean Air Awards Luncheon on campus. The Hornet Express won out over ten other nominees in the government category for design and implementation of clean air programs. The fleet just recently completed its conversion to 100% compressed natural gas (CNG). The CSU's only fully owned fleet operated entirely by student drivers is cost free to ride. Connecting the campus to the Sacramento Regional Transit 65th Street Light Rail station since last fall, routes also service the campus perimeter and Folsom Hall. Last fiscal year, the shuttle made over 110,000 trips, providing that many clean air alternatives to faculty, staff and students.

SMART GRID FUNDS WILL BOOST CAMPUS ENERGY EFFICIENCY

 

ABA's Facilities Services Department deserves a big round of applause for their work on the development of Sacramento's Smart Grid project grant proposal. As a result, Sac State has received an $8.6 million award through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department of Energy will provide $4.3 million, matched by a campus contribution of the same amount. The award will help improve the management of energy on campus, as HVAC systems in 45 to 50 campus buildings are upgraded. The project will provide:  1) a new energy management system to control HVAC systems; 2) automatic electronic metering, 3) electric switches that allow rerouting of power during planned outages, and 4) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) charging stations. Sac State is home to the Smart Grid, a joint venture between the campus, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the California Department of General Services, and the Los Rios Community College District.