Campus Sustainability Projects Showcase
Here at St. Lawrence, we continue to make progress towards a more sustainable campus. With the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, LED lighting retrofits, and more, we take steps towards a greener tomorrow, today.
Scroll to explore some of St. Lawrence's campus sustainability projects.
To explore further, check Out this "Navigating Our Sustainable Campus" Interactive Map!
Other Sustainability Resources:
- Read up on our Campus Climate Action Corps effort!
- Stay up to date with the Office of Sustainability & local news
- Check in with the Center for Environment!
EV Charging Stations
In 2022, Class of 1964 alum Harvey Meer donated two new ChargePoint 'CT4000 Level 2' electric vehicle dual port charging stations to St. Lawrence University. Installation of these two charging stations at the Vilas Hall parking lot was managed by Bill Ritchie, SLU's Capital Projects Manager. TEL, Inc., handled the electric components of installation, with NTC excavators digging the trench needed for underground conduits. The project was completed March 29, 2023.
Each dual port charger has an electrical output of 7.2 kilowatts with an input voltage of 240 volts, and are connected to the electrical service at Vilas Hall. The chargers have an operating temperature range of -40F to 122F, with surge protection safety features. A National Grid EV Charging Station Make-Ready Program rebate was $21,600, with an additional rebate for 'future-proofing' at $3,182 (for installing a larger EMT conduit to accommodate the possibility of additional charging stations).
In 2021, just under 50% of St. Lawrence's electricity was generated by natural gas, with small percentages of coal and oil contributing as well (2%, and <1%, respectively). As New York's grid continues to transition to cleaner energy sources, the benefits of electric vehicles will increase, as less emissions will be associated with the electricity used to power cars.
− Project Manager: Bill Ritchie, Capital Projects Manager, SLU Facilities Operations.
− Additional information: Mike Iversen, Asst. Director of Sustainability & Energy Management, SLU Office of Sustainability (miversen@stlawu.edu).
The parking lot next to Vilas Hall where the two chargers were installed.
Trench for electrical wiring which connects to Vilas' electrical service panel, 150 feet away from the charging stations.
Installation of electric conduit lines.
Trenching (2 feet deep) for underground conduit: two oversized (for future-proofing) 1 ¼” pvc conduits installed by TEL, Inc. (electricians) and NTC excavators. One conduit housed the two separate electric power lines for the two charging stations while the other conduit was empty for potential use for additional charging stations, if necessary.
Electrical connection to Vilas Hall.
Trenching and installing conduit under driveway, without interfering with other existing underground utilities.
Bollard & charger platform before installation.
Installation of the charging station bollards.
TEL, Inc. project manager, Bill Ritchie / SLU, Olga Grant, Manager Office Services / SLU using her cell phone to access her EV ChargePoint account.
Olga Grant charging her electric Chevy Volt. Don't forget your cell phone on the car's hood Olga!
A breakdown of the fuel mix sources for St. Lawrence's supply electricity in 2021 from Constellation NewEnergy. These numbers change over the years, and will hopefully continue to trend towards clean energy sources.
Brewer Bookstore Lighting Retrofit Project
St. Lawrence University is undergoing a major campus-wide lighting retrofit project involving the retrofitting of 16,875 light fixtures. The objective of this project is to enhance energy efficiency, increase illumination quality, and curtail maintenance expenses. This project is being funded from part of SLU's 2023 $30M bond issuance.
Upon completion, this project will reduce SLU’s electricity usage by 3,374,808 kWh annually. It will also decrease SLU’s carbon footprint by more than 2,358 metric tons of CO2 equivalent each year. It is projected that SLU will realize a 10-year cost savings of $4,904,541 and minimized the initial cost by leveraging utility rebates and grants. This equates to a payback period of 5.44 years, or a simple ROI of 18.40%
Being completed in three phases, Phase 1 was completed in May 2024 and comprised primarily of retrofitting 6,485 existing light fixtures with high efficiency lamps, at SLU facilities located off the main campus. Phase 1 will reduce electricity usage from 157,170 kWh / year to 62,433 kwh / year, a decrease of 94,757 kWh, or 60.3%.
Brewer Bookstore is an example of a Phase 1 lighting retrofit project completed during the Fall 2024 semester. This project involved retrofitting the lamps of 116 light fixtures, comprised of primarily conventional fluorescent T8 light fixtures retrofitted with approx. 40% more energy efficient 15W T8 linear LED lamps. As per a test installation with Bookstore staff, a color temperature of 3,500K was selected as most appropriate. Based on the actual Bookstore operating hours of 3,000 hours per year, this project is projected to decrease annual electricity usage from 13,018 kWh to 4,213 kWh, a reduction of 8,805 kWh, or 67.6%. According to the US EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, this reduced usage is equal to 6.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). In addition, since the new LED lamps last 50,000 hours, much longer than the previous fluorescent lamps, there is a substantial cost savings in labor for lamp replacement.
Product Data Sheet for the new Keystone 15W T8 LED linear retrofit lamps for the existing conventional fluorescent T8 lamps.
- Project Manager: Nick Ormasen, Executive Director of Business Services, SLU Procurement.
- Energy Engineering Consultancy: Evolution Sustainability Group
- Electrical Contractor: Cad Core Energy
- In-House Electrical: Billy Davison, Skilled Trades, SLU Facilities and Operations
- Additional information: Mike Iversen, Asst. Director of Sustainability & Energy Management, SLU Office of Sustainability (miversen@stlawu.edu).
Whitman Hall Roof Retrofit
In May 2024, as part of SLU's $30M campus improvements, new insulation was installed on the roof of Whitman Hall, one of SLU's mid-century Residence Halls. The existing roof was in poor condition and beyond its life cycle. The additional 2.6 in. of new rigid roof insulation is Carlisle 'InsulBase Polyiso', composed of a closed-cell polyisocyanurate foam core, with a Long-Term Thermal Resistance R-value of 15.0. According to Carlisle, 'InsulBase Polyiso' provides the highest R-value per inch of commercially available insulation products. It also has zero ozone-depleting components and is HFC- and HCFC-free formulation.
The added new insulation increases the R-value of Whitman Hall's roof from the previous 15.0 to 30.0.
Refer to the 'InsulBase Polyiso' Product Data Sheet for additional information.
− Project Manager: Jim Kozsan, Director – Skilled Trades, Capital & Safety Compliance Coordinator, SLU Facilities Operations.
− Additional information: Mike Iversen, Asst. Director of Sustainability & Energy Management, SLU Office of Sustainability (miversen@stlawu.edu).
Additional Low-Mow Zones
This past summer of 2024, 11 acres of low-mow zones were added to the existing 80 acres designated as "Low-Mow Zones." Low-mow zones are simply those areas where the existing Kentucky bluegrass is allowed to mature and grow until a single mowing in October every year or two, so as to prevent tree growth.
While low-mow zones are dominated by Kentucky bluegrass and other non-native plants (such as Timothy grass, curly dock and common burdock), these zones support pollinators, help control stormwater, save fuel and associated emissions from mowing equipment, reduce noise pollution and enhance campus landscape aesthetics. Within these areas many birds, butterflies and other animals will find food and habitat.
In low-mow zones our grounds department uses the following sustainable landscape management practices:
- organic fertilizers and soil amendments (when needed)
- Integrated Pest Management
- composting of landscaping debris
- using campus made compost in appropriate areas
The next step is to introduce more native plant species into selected low-mow zones, that are more appropriate to the local plant culture.
