Much has been written lately about the steep rise in RPI’s energy costs. This is certainly something to be concerned about, as extra money will need to come from somewhere to pay these costs. Students may see subtle, but negative effects from these diverted funds. As Mr. Otlowski and The Poly’s editors note, there are many simple habits that students, faculty, and staff can adopt to cut our energy costs and allow our limited finances to be spent more effectively. As Mr. Otlowski also mentions, RPI has worked over the years to trim its energy usage and in doing so has saved us all millions of dollars each year in utility usage.

Students too have done their part in this effort. The Energy Conservation Coordinator was a student position that EcoLogic began in the 1990s to help RPI conserve energy. Through the hard work of a long line of student Conservation Coordinators and the tremendous effort of Campus Planning and Facilities Design staff, RPI now features lighting motion sensors, vending machine power savers, and a demonstration wind turbine supplying a small but steady stream of power to the campus grid. A new Conservation Coordinator is about to continue this work.

Much could still be done, however, to cut our energy costs. A new report, “New Energy for Campuses: Energy-Saving Policies for Colleges and Universities,” lists numerous universities around the country that are investing in renewable energy. A copy is available at http://ecologic.union.rpi.edu/new_energy.pdf. RPI does not make an appearance.

This is a shame, as we have a photovoltaic array, a wind turbine, and a biodiesel project in the works; however, it is also understandable, since our efforts in renewable energy to date have been largely demonstrational. Dozens of homes in the Capital District get all their power from solar cells, yet RPI’s can only power a fraction of the VCC. Our wind turbine is good for education, but puts hardly a dent in our energy footprint. The Biotech Center was designed with energy conservation in mind, but it and EMPAC will still add many megawatts, and many dollars, to our costs.

RPI is working hard to become a leader in energy research, but we have yet to significantly apply advancements in renewable energy technology to our own campus. Where are the new solar panels, the pilot fuel cell projects, and the leveraging of our buying power to cut renewable energy deals with electricity generators? RPI should, and can, lead the way in energy research and application. Our finances and our status as an example-setting university demand nothing less.

Kyle Gracey

STSS ’06