The College has been awarded a $1.769 million federal loan for a variety of energy conservation programs.
The funding, through the College and University Energy Assistance Program, is in the form of an interest-free loan that Union will repay over ten years out of savings realized from the energy improvements.
The College is a five-year partner in the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Lights energy conservation program and has taken a number of measures to cut energy costs. For example, it has replaced about sixty-five percent of its lighting with high-efficiency units, saving 172,000
kilowatt-hours and $15,000 per year.
Union was one of eleven colleges and universities selected for the loan program, according to David Grzybowski, director of campus operations and author of Union's proposal. Upgrades will include:
- Replacing thirty-year-old cooling systems;
- Extending energy management controls to more buildings, to tailor energy consumption to building use patterns;
- Retrofitting motors for air handling systems with high-efficiency units;
- Retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient lighting.