University of Connecticut
OP-6: Clean and Renewable Energy

All UConn purchased power from Eversource is obtained through a third party renewables contract specifying a minimum of 100% of the amount purchased is to be produced from renewable sources. Currently the third party vendors are ConEdison for the Central Utility Plant and Cogeneration Facility and Direct Energy for Storrs and Depot campus buildings not receiving electricity from the Cogeneration Facility. Electricity is only purchased when UConn cannot supply all of the necessary power from our Cogeneration Facility. On average this amounts to about 10% per year of electricity usage at the Storrs and Depot campuses.

In the fall semester of 2016, 42 solar thermal panels on top of the new Werth Residence Tower building began producing hot water. They are estimated to provide approximately 20% of the building’s hot water requirement.

UConn also has several solar photovoltaic arrays on the Storrs and Depot campuses. There is a 25 kW solar array on the roof of the Werth Residence Tower, a 3.3 kW solar array near the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) on the Depot Campus and an 8.28 kW solar PV array, which sits on top of the Reclaimed Water Facility on the Storrs Campus. Although not counted above, UConn has a 460 kW hydrogen clean energy fuel cell near C2E2 on the Depot Campus. This fuel cell generates electricity through an electro-chemical reaction rather than combustion. The fuel cell prevents the release of approximately 616 metric tons of CO2 per year versus a comparable conventional fossil-fueled generator and, because energy is produced without combustion, emits near zero other harmful air pollutants.

http://news.engr.uconn.edu/exploring-solar-energy-at-uconn.php

http://today.uconn.edu/2012/04/uconn-commissions-fuel-cell-power-plant/

The fuel cell is on University property, but is owned and maintained by an outside company. UConn purchases the power from this company through a power purchasing agreement (PPA).

Small solar thermal system on the roof of Werth Residence Hall

Other means electricity generated by UConn's 400 kW clean energy hydrogen fuel cell and occasionally, imported power, oil, and propane for emergencies.

Thermal loads from the 400kW hydrogen fuel cell on the Depot campus and solar thermal on the roof of Werth Residence Hall.

A hydrogen fuel cell, even one which extracts hydrogen from natural gas, is a clean source of electricity and thermal energy, yet it is not eligible. It would increase our percentage above considerably. We have a 400kW fuel cell on our campus, reliably generating nearly ten times the electricity generated from our solar arrays. A hydrogen fuel cell generates electricity and heat through an electro-chemical reaction, not combustion. It produces no air emissions, like HAPs, NOx or SO2. AASHE should allow this to be counted as a clean energy source.