| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.34 |
| Liaison | Sally DeLeon |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2022 |
University of Maryland, College Park
OP-6: Clean and Renewable Energy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.85 / 4.00 |
Emily
Hightower Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Safety, Sustainability, and Risk |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Total energy consumption (electric and non-electric)
2,737,111.70
MMBtu
Clean and renewable energy sources
Clean and renewable electricity
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity from certified/verified clean and renewable sources (i.e., bundled green power purchases) | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, clean and renewable sources (rights retained/retired) | 26,159,000 Kilowatt-hours | 89,254.51 MMBtu |
A brief description of the certified/verified sources of clean and renewable electricity:
On-campus Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs):
In 2010, the University System of Maryland (USM) and the Department of General Services executed three (3), twenty year Power Purchase Agreements for renewable energy. The projects are:
• 16 megawatt solar project at Mount St. Mary's University
• 10 megawatt wind project in western Maryland
• 55 megawatt wind project in West Virginia
USM receives 1/3 of the output from each project. This equates to the University of Maryland receiving 15 percent of its purchased electricity from renewable sources. The Roth Rock Wind Farm (western Maryland), became operational in 2011, the Pinnacle Project-- also wind-- (West Virginia)
and the solar project at Mount St. Mary’s University (Maryland) became operational in 2012. Additional renewable energy is provided through unbundled National Green-E REC purchases, Tier 1 and Tier 2 RPS portfolio purchases, and on-site generation.
In 2010, the University System of Maryland (USM) and the Department of General Services executed three (3), twenty year Power Purchase Agreements for renewable energy. The projects are:
• 16 megawatt solar project at Mount St. Mary's University
• 10 megawatt wind project in western Maryland
• 55 megawatt wind project in West Virginia
USM receives 1/3 of the output from each project. This equates to the University of Maryland receiving 15 percent of its purchased electricity from renewable sources. The Roth Rock Wind Farm (western Maryland), became operational in 2011, the Pinnacle Project-- also wind-- (West Virginia)
and the solar project at Mount St. Mary’s University (Maryland) became operational in 2012. Additional renewable energy is provided through unbundled National Green-E REC purchases, Tier 1 and Tier 2 RPS portfolio purchases, and on-site generation.
A brief description of the on-site renewable electricity generating facilities/devices:
Severn & Canopies
A 5.25 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on the roof of the Cole Student Activities Building in 2009. A 6.97 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on campus as part of Leaf House -- UMD’s 2nd-ranked 2007 entry in the DOE Solar Decathlon -- in 2009. A 1.25 kW PV solar tracker was installed in front of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center in 2013. UMD retains the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from all three of these installations.
A 631 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on the roof of the Severn Building in 2011. UMD was selected as a Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Initiative Partner and awarded a grant aimed at promoting the installation of renewable energy systems on public buildings in Maryland and the Severn Array was the result. WGL Energy (then WGES) financed the remainder of the Severn project cost and UMD purchased the electricity generated by the solar panels under a 20-year agreement with WGL Energy. Beginning in 2016 UMD began to retain the RECs from this project and the production included here reflects RECs that were retired from this PPA. On occasion, RECs from this installation were exchanged for National Green-e RECs.
Four new large solar arrays were installed on campus parking areas in 2017 and the RECs generated by each of these annually are reported as on site production since the university is receiving National Green-e certified RECs from these projects starting in year one and retiring them to reach its goal of 100% renewable purchased electricity (which does not include electricity generated at the university's on-site combined heat and power plant). In 2022, the University will begin to receive Tier I Solar RECs for these projects in place of National Green-e RECs.
A 5.25 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on the roof of the Cole Student Activities Building in 2009. A 6.97 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on campus as part of Leaf House -- UMD’s 2nd-ranked 2007 entry in the DOE Solar Decathlon -- in 2009. A 1.25 kW PV solar tracker was installed in front of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center in 2013. UMD retains the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from all three of these installations.
A 631 kW photovoltaic solar array was installed on the roof of the Severn Building in 2011. UMD was selected as a Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Initiative Partner and awarded a grant aimed at promoting the installation of renewable energy systems on public buildings in Maryland and the Severn Array was the result. WGL Energy (then WGES) financed the remainder of the Severn project cost and UMD purchased the electricity generated by the solar panels under a 20-year agreement with WGL Energy. Beginning in 2016 UMD began to retain the RECs from this project and the production included here reflects RECs that were retired from this PPA. On occasion, RECs from this installation were exchanged for National Green-e RECs.
Four new large solar arrays were installed on campus parking areas in 2017 and the RECs generated by each of these annually are reported as on site production since the university is receiving National Green-e certified RECs from these projects starting in year one and retiring them to reach its goal of 100% renewable purchased electricity (which does not include electricity generated at the university's on-site combined heat and power plant). In 2022, the University will begin to receive Tier I Solar RECs for these projects in place of National Green-e RECs.
Clean and renewable thermal energy
| MMBtu | |
| Clean and renewable stationary fuels used on-site to generate thermal energy | 0 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water from certified/verified clean and renewable sources | 0 MMBtu |
A brief description of the clean and renewable stationary fuels:
Geothermal systems are utilized in the President’s House (2013), Shuttle-UM facilities, and two sorority houses. It is important to note that the systems are not used as -- or considered -- a fuel source, but rather an efficiency measure to reduce consumption/fuel use from electricity meters. More specifically, the University utilizes geothermal energy to keep liquids at a constant temperature, equating to a chilled water system, thus minimizing the use of electricity and reducing fuel use for heating demands. Additionally, our all-glass buildings use passive solar heating in their designs, as a part of building design standards.
A brief description of the certified/verified sources of clean and renewable thermal energy:
---
Unbundled renewable energy products
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Purchased RECs, GOs, I-RECs or equivalent unbundled renewable energy products certified by a third party | 145,107,000 Kilowatt-hours | 495,105.08 MMBtu |
A brief description of the unbundled renewable energy products:
All third-party certified RECs are CleanSteps WINDPOWER sourced from WGL Energy with Green-e Certification, Tier II Maryland-Eligible Renewable Energy Credits sourced from WGL Energy, and Tier I Maryland-Eligible Renewable Energy Credits sourced from Ingenco. For more information on Maryland-Eligible RECs see the Maryland Public Service Commission's web page of Frequently Asked Questions about the Maryland Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Program at https://www.psc.state.md.us/electricity/maryland-renewable-energy-portfolio-standard-program-frequently-asked-questions/
Metrics used in scoring
584,359.59
MMBtu
Percentage of total energy consumption from clean and renewable sources:
21.35
Optional Fields
Sierra magazine requests the following information from U.S. institutions that wish to share data with that organization:
| Percentage of total electricity use (0-100) | |
| Biomass | 0 |
| Coal | 0 |
| Geothermal | 0 |
| Hydro | 0.84 |
| Natural gas | 31.72 |
| Nuclear | 0 |
| Solar photovoltaic | 3.94 |
| Wind | 62.82 |
| Other (please specify and explain below) | --- |
A brief description of other sources of electricity not specified above:
---
Energy used for heating buildings, by source::
| Percentage of total energy used to heat buildings (0-100) | |
| Biomass | --- |
| Coal | --- |
| Electricity | --- |
| Fuel oil | --- |
| Geothermal | 0.20 |
| Natural gas | 99.80 |
| Other (please specify and explain below) | --- |
A brief description of other sources of building heating not specified above:
---
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Learn more about UMD's energy systems at https://sustainability.umd.edu/energy
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.