Energy Systems Sustainability Management

Honey Produced by Campus Honeybees Available Soon

In spring 2020, South Campus became home to six honeybee hives, which house over 300,000 honeybees. In their first year on campus, the bees harvested enough nectar from campus plants and trees to create over 300 pounds of honey. The honey is harvested twice a year and has been bottled for sale on campus. A small initial offering of campus honey in early 2021 proved immensely popular, with the honey quickly selling out across campus.

In the next few weeks, University community members will be able to purchase the honey in the Campus Store in the Schine Student Center, as well as in campus convenience stores.

New Electric Equipment Reduces Noise, Increases Carbon Neutrality on Campus

It’s one of the sounds of summer: a gas-powered lawnmower. The noise is quite common in neighborhoods as people work to keep their lawns looking good. It’s no different on the Syracuse University campus. With 800 acres of grounds, cutting the grass comes with the territory. But the noise and pollution created by gas-burning engines is soon becoming a thing of the past on campus, as grounds crews transition from gas-powered equipment to electric. Included in this grouping is the use of a zero-turn commercial grade mower with a 60-inch cutting deck, powered not by gas, but rather, four large batteries.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Celebrating Earth Day and Earth Month in April

Around the world, April is a month of celebrating and increasing awareness about climate change and the environment. The Sustainably Management team’s goal this year is to inspire the campus community to learn how they can participate in helping protect our campus and the Earth’s environment.

Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22. Sustainability Management is collaborating with the Student Association Sustainability and Community Engagement Committees; the Department of Earth and Environment Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences; the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education (NYCSHE); the SUNY Student Assembly; and Bard College to bring an assortment of events to the campus community.

See the full list of activities at Syracuse University News.

Help Win ‘Campus Race to Zero Waste’ Collegiate Recycling Competition!

Syracuse University is competing in Campus Race to Zero Waste—formerly RecycleMania—the national recycling and waste reduction competition where colleges across North America are ranked on their recycling, trash and food organics reduction efforts. The competition runs Jan. 31-March 27. Last year, the University competed against more than 300 colleges and universities.

Help us win this fierce competition by recycling right across campus! Follow along with campus recycling efforts and join the fun utilizing #recycleright on social media, and look for recycling how-to’s across campus screens.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

The Importance of Sustainability in The 315

Whether it’s a Presidential debate, from the lips of a local reporter, or the national news, conversations about the future of our planet are constantly taking place. And no matter where you land on the politics surrounding climate change, there is no denying the need for education on the matter.

This week on The 315, Joe Lee and Kevin Kloss sit down with Meg Lowe, Sustainability Coordinator in the Energy Systems and Sustainability Management Department at Syracuse University.  The three of them chat about sustainability at Syracuse University, opportunities for education, and some upcoming events.

Listen to the podcast at waer.org.

Newly Installed Solar Panels on Schine Student Center Roof to Begin Producing Clean Energy

Campus sustainability encompasses a broad range of actions and choices—some of which are subtle, while others are eye-catching. The renovation of the Schine Student Center has meant the addition of another attention-grabbing clean energy element: new solar panels on the building’s roof, the latest demonstration of the University’s commitment to sustainability.

The photovoltaic (PV) panels, installed this past summer, will begin generating clean energy for the campus community on Oct. 15. The new panels were installed in support of the renewable energy credit for LEED certification at the National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

University Completes Steam Station Review, Enters Partnership with Enwave Energy

Syracuse University today announced a long-term alliance with Enwave Energy to operate the University Steam Station. The partnership will support ongoing campus growth with reliable and sustainable energy.

The University first announced the review of its steam operations in 2018, as part of the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services’ (BFAS) strategic planning process, which sought to align University resources and assets with its vision and mission. After a comprehensive evaluation, the University decided to transfer operation of the Steam Station.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

October Is Campus Sustainability Month

As­­­ autumn rolls in and temperatures begin to cool off, Sustainability Management has several events and activities planned throughout Campus Sustainability Month, some of which are already underway.

On Oct. 1, Sustainability Coordinator Meg Lowe, teamed up with Director of Engagement Programs Syeisha Byrd to offer a virtual cooking class, which used ingredients from the food pantry and Pete’s Giving Garden to create a simple, yet delicious Taco Bowl. The pair is hosting two more virtual Pantry Cookin’ classes on Oct. 22 and on Nov. 12. Sign up on Pete’s Giving Garden website to claim a spot today.

Additionally, the honey from the honeybee hives on South Campus was harvested on Oct. 3 by Associate Professor of Public Health Lisa Olson-Gugerty, a Campus as a Lab for Sustainability grant recipient. She harvested 15 gallons of honey, all of which will be jarred, but will be missing a label as Sustainability Management is hosting a competition for students to design the label for the honey jars. Members of the Syracuse University Bee Campus USA Committee will pick the top five, and then the campus community will vote for the winning design. Learn more about the honey label competition by visiting the Bee Campus USA website on the Sustainability page. Once the winning design is decided, the honey jars will be labeled and placed in the bookstore and café stores on campus for sale.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

2020 South Campus Composting Program Update

Sustainability Management is bringing back the South Campus Composting Program for the 2020-21 academic year, with a few changes from the past years.

Due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19, Sustainability Management is implementing a more hands-on experience for participants. Students will be provided a compost bin but will be required to bring their food scraps to a receptacle outside of 161 Farm Acre (where Sustainability Management is located). Participants will also be responsible for cleaning their bins each week. The food scraps schedule is Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m.; and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.

Fresh Produce from Pete’s Giving Garden Now Available in Campus Food Pantries

The summer’s beautiful weather has resulted in a bountiful harvest of produce from Pete’s Giving Garden on Syracuse University’s South Campus. That produce is now available for University and SUNY-ESF students in the Hendricks Chapel and South Campus food pantries.

Staff from Hendricks Chapel and the Office of Sustainability Management, and faculty from nutrition and food studies in the Falk College worked together to care for the garden over the summer. At the end of April, they worked with Facilities Services to build a second raised bed and added a shed to store tools. In the beginning of May, staff members weeded, turned and added compost to the beds to prepare them for the seeds and seedlings. They also dug out the earth around the perimeter of the fence to provide more growing room for cherry tomatoes, herbs and future pollinator plants to support the honey bees on campus, says Syeisha Byrd, director of Hendricks Chapel’s Office of Engagement Programs.

Read the full story at Syracuse University News.