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Penn State to Reduce Pollution and Save Energy

Release Date: 9/18/2001
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113; Carol A. Febbo 215-814-2076

Contacts: Donna Heron 215-814-5113; Carol Febbo 215-814-2076

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State University today joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a major step forward to prevent pollution.

In a ceremony at PSU’s Alumni Lounge in the Old Main building today, Penn State President Dr. Graham Spanier and EPA Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh signed a memorandum of understanding formalizing the university’s commitment to energy efficiency. Penn State is the seventh and largest campus in Pennsylvania to become an Energy Star partner, dedicating 24 million square feet of building space to energy efficient upgrades.

“Penn State’s support of one of EPA’s premier partnership programs shows how much the University cares about protecting our environment. We welcome Penn State as our newest Energy Star Buildings partner,” said Welsh.

As a partner in this voluntary federal program, the University has agreed to measure, track, and benchmark its energy performance as well as develop and implement plans for improvement. The program complements Penn State’s many existing energy conservation initiatives, such as using a central-control system to track energy usage and to remotely monitor and control the heating and cooling of buildings. Some of the university’s other successful energy initiatives include:

• Continuously evaluating and improving building efficiency
• Heat recovery project at the Visitor Center
• Reducing building temperatures during winter break
• Retrofitting with more efficient lights
• Installing motion sensors
• Retrofitting exit signs with L.E.D. lighting fixtures

Penn State’s improvements will preventing approximately 90 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 300 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 100 tons of nitrogen oxides from being emitted into the atmosphere. This pollution reduction is the equivalent of removing 20,000 cars from area roads and planting 50,000 acres of trees. These advances will lead to major reductions in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog, acid rain, and global warming.

The Energy Star Buildings Partnership, a voluntary program developed by the EPA, aims to reduce pollution by promoting energy efficient building upgrades. The program stresses partnership with corporations, utilities, non-profit organizations, and state and local governments. Participants promote conversion to energy-efficient technology as a way to reduce electrical usage. The results are financial savings for the partners and less pollution for the planet.

Today’s signing ceremony coincided with Pennsylvania’s first statewide pollution prevention roundtable for business and industry, being held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel September 18th and 19th as part of Pollution Prevention Week in Pennsylvania.

For more information on the Energy Star Buildings Partnership and how to prevent pollution through energy efficiency, call 215-814-2074 or visit EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov/buildings.