Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 85.29
Liaison Tonie Miyamoto
Submission Date March 23, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Colorado State University
OP-9: Clean and Renewable Energy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.04 / 4.00 Carol Dollard
Energy Engineer
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total energy consumption (all sources, transportation fuels excluded), performance year:
1,624,664 MMBtu

Clean and renewable energy from the following sources::
Performance Year
Option 1: Clean and renewable electricity generated on-site during the performance year and for which the institution retains or has retired the associated environmental attributes 1,188 MMBtu
Option 2: Non-electric renewable energy generated on-site 1,939 MMBtu
Option 3: Clean and renewable electricity generated by off-site projects that the institution catalyzed and for which the institution retains or has retired the associated environmental attributes 0 MMBtu
Option 4: Purchased third-party certified RECs and similar renewable energy products (including renewable electricity purchased through a certified green power purchasing option) 14,298 MMBtu

A brief description of on-site renewable electricity generating devices :

Colorado State University is home to 8 major photovoltaic arrays on campus. CSU retains the environmental attributes on 6 of those which are rated at a total of 237 KW. An additional 5 systems will be installed on campus before the end of FY15.


A brief description of on-site renewable non-electric energy devices:

A biomass boiler on CSU campus generates hot water and displaces natural gas use. This plant has a rating of 46 bhp.


A brief description of off-site, institution-catalyzed, renewable electricity generating devices:

A meterological tower was installed as the first phase to investigate the viability of installing wind turbines on a 3000 acre university owned site, 100 miles east of the main campus.


A brief description of the RECs and/or similar renewable energy products:

One year of REC s were purchased to off-set the electric use in common spaces at the residence halls and two years of electricity were purchased to off-set the use of two new LEED certified buildings on campus.

CSU also purchases wind power from the local utility for some accounts.

Additionally, Fort Collins Utilities recently awarded solar incentives for a total of 1,200 kW (1.2 MW) of solar projects on the CSU Campus. These projects are in design & construction will start in September 2014. When completed in 2015, there will be solar panels on the roofs of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the University Center for the Arts, the Students Recreation Center & three residence halls.


The website URL where information about the institution's renewable energy sources is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

CSU is the site host for 5,300kW (8.5M kWh/yr) solar plant on the foothills campus - one of the largest in the country and one of the largest associated with a college/university campus. The RECs were sold to the local utility in order to finance the plant. CSU will be able to claim the REC's in 2030.


CSU is the site host for 5,300kW (8.5M kWh/yr) solar plant on the foothills campus - one of the largest in the country and one of the largest associated with a college/university campus. The RECs were sold to the local utility in order to finance the plant. CSU will be able to claim the REC's in 2030.

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