Appalachian State University - Sustainability

Sustainability

Appalachian State University leads in creating a world where environmental, societal, and economic qualities exist in balance to meet the resource needs of today and of future generations.

Appalachian has made many sustainable strides in recent years such as:

• A 100KW wind turbine was installed at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in 2008. The wind turbine has become the iconic symbol of Appalachian's commitment to renewable energy. Situated at the highest point on campus and standing more than 153 feet tall, it was selected specifically to depict an industry-scale wind turbine, thus educating the entire region. As of May of 2012, the turbine had produced over 311,000 kWh, enough energy to sustain 336 homes for one month.
• Both Frank Residence Hall, renovated in 2009, and The Mountaineer Residence Hall erected in 2011 have LEED® Gold Certifications. and received a total of 68 points based on its energy saving and sustainability features. Sixty-five points are needed to receive gold certification. Mountaineer Residence Hall houses a 40-panel solar thermal system to provide hot water needs. Besides Frank and Mountaineer Halls, many of the buildings on ASU's campus also utilize solar energy. Some of these buildings include the Varsity Gym, Plemmons Student Union, Raley Hall, and Kerr Scott Hall. Kerr Scott Hall also has the first green roof on campus. The green roof works to conserve energy by providing shade and removing heat from the air through evapotranspiration.
• Appalachian Food Services advocates the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle in all campus food services operations. Appalachian Food Services seeks to create a local and sustainable food system.Pre- and post-consumer food waste goes to a composting facility turning the rubbish into compost that is used by Appalachian's Landscape Services as fertilizers.
• The University Bookstore is locally owned and operated. It offers shoppers a wide variety of sustainable products such as: reusable water bottles, environmentally friendly color pencils, art supplies made with 100% windpower, recycled notebooks, recycled office paper, environmentally friendly binders, recycled notecards, environmentally friendly computer bags and "sustain Appalachian" T-shirts made of 50% recycled plastic bottles and 50% organic cotton.
• The AppalCART is a free transportation service that serves the campus and surrounding community members and offers a more sustainable alternative to single passenger cars. The AppalCART and university's diesel fleet of vans and cars run on a mixture known as B20 for most of the year. B20 is a blend of petro- and biodiesel. Biofuels reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
• Four BigBelly Solar Compactors were installed around Sanford mall in 2010. The BigBelly Solar Compactor is a patented compacting trash receptacle that is completely self-powered. Instead of requiring a grid connection, BigBelly uses solar power for 100% of its energy needs. The BigBelly unit takes up only as much space as the footprint of an ordinary trash receptacle, but its capacity is five times greater which saves money on labor costs.
• Outside of the Living Learning Center sits The Edible Schoolyard which is a community space where students, faculty and staff can maintain a garden plot to learn proper gardening practices. At this garden space, healthy farming and gardening principles are shared resulting in an understanding of the need for productive maintenance of agricultural ecosystems in a long-term pursuit of self-sufficiency and permaculture.
• The Environment-Economy-Ecology, or the E3, house sits outside of the JET Building on Campus. The E3 house was built by students in the building science and appropriate technology programs at Appalachian State University. The ASU Renewable Energy Initiative allocated $30,000 towards the photovoltaic (PV) rooftop array. The 500-square-foot house is used to test innovative technologies in building practices. Unlike most compact and transportable shelters, the structure is designed to be self-sufficient and adaptable to a variety of environmental and cultural situations. The design incorporates a blend of structural insulated panels for assembly speed and strength, combined with local construction techniques to create an energy-efficient envelope. It can accommodate up to five occupants. The building's energy-efficient features include use of structural insulated panels (SIPs) for the building's exterior walls and roof. The panels have an insulation R-value of 30, compared to R-19 in typical home construction. The building also has solar panels, which generate energy needs for the occupants, a system to collect rainwater from the roof, and low-flow plumbing fixtures. The PV array uses 16 panels to produce an estimated 3,745 kWh per year.