Editing University of Washington (section)

== Sustainable energy initiatives ==

=== History of energy at UW ===
The first UW power plant was built simultaneously with some of the first campus buildings back in 1895, and was located to the east of campus along the existing shoreline of [[Lake Washington]]. The plant, which burned coal to produce steam to help heat and electrify the campus, was quickly replaced in 1901 as the campus’ energy needs began to grow.

This second power plant was located where the modern day Allen Library stands. It too used a coal and steam system, and was in use for 7 years before it was put to rest and a third plant was built.

This third power plant, which originally consisted of two 250 horsepower coal powered boilers, remains the current site for the University of Washington's central power plant.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Facilities |first=UW Sustainability & UW |date=2023-05-22 |title=History of UW's Power Plant |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f6943d7bcbcb4764b7cbe6da6dc59c5c |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=ArcGIS StoryMaps |language=en}}</ref> It is located opposite Montlake Boulevard from the Intramural Activities Building (IMA).<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=Decarbonizing the UW |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/energy-transformation |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref> The university started their switch from coal to natural gas in 1956 and finished in 1988, motivated by growing global environmental concerns and awareness.<ref name=":02" />

An additional power plant, the West Campus Utility Plant (WCUP), was added to campus in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miller Hull — West Campus Utility Plant |url=https://millerhull.com/project/west-campus-utility-plant/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=millerhull.com |language=en}}</ref> This plant serves as a backup power supply to research buildings on Southwest campus, and generates and stores chilled water for cooling purposes.<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |title=West Campus Utility Plant |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/campus/west-campus-utility-plant |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref> The current capacity of this plant is 6 megawatts of emergency power and 4,500 tons of chilled water, but is expandable to double the size of both reserves with no necessary building modifications.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Washington West Campus Utility Plant |url=https://www.mortenson.com/projects/university-of-washington---west-campus-utility-plant#:~:text=The%20plant%20provides%204,500%20tons,without%20modification%20to%20the%20building. |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Mortenson |language=en}}</ref> The WCUP was awarded the Envision Gold Award from the [[Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure]] for its sustainability focused building design and purposes.<ref name=":03" />  [[File:Alberg pano - restitch.jpg|center|thumb|888x888px|UW Power Plant Shown in Panoramic View of East Campus]]

=== Current energy mix ===
[[Fossil fuel|Fossil fuels]] are still tightly embedded in energy systems across the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nowotny |first1=Janusz |last2=Dodson |first2=John |last3=Fiechter |first3=Sebastian |last4=Gür |first4=Turgut M. |last5=Kennedy |first5=Brendan |last6=Macyk |first6=Wojciech |last7=Bak |first7=Tadeusz |last8=Sigmund |first8=Wolfgang |last9=Yamawaki |first9=Michio |last10=Rahman |first10=Kazi A. |date=2018-01-01 |title=Towards global sustainability: Education on environmentally clean energy technologies |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364032117309929 |journal=Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews |volume=81 |pages=2541–2551 |doi=10.1016/j.rser.2017.06.060 |bibcode=2018RSERv..81.2541N |issn=1364-0321}}</ref> This is reflected in the University's energy production, as they still rely on [[natural gas]] to heat most of its buildings, despite their clean energy goals and commitments.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=Decarbonizing the UW |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/energy-transformation |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Although natural gas produces less particulate matter than coal and oil during combustion and is considered one of the cleaner fossil fuels, natural gas is criticized for other environmental impacts. Harvested using potentially environmentally degrading techniques, such as [[hydraulic fracturing]], natural gas has the potential to leak into nearby water sources, as well as the atmosphere, and emits greenhouse gasses during both harvesting and combustion processes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Qiang |last2=Chen |first2=Xi |last3=Jha |first3=Awadhesh N. |last4=Rogers |first4=Howard |date=2014-02-01 |title=Natural gas from shale formation – The evolution, evidences and challenges of shale gas revolution in United States |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1364032113006059 |journal=Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews |volume=30 |pages=1–28 |doi=10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.065 |bibcode=2014RSERv..30....1W |issn=1364-0321}}</ref>

It was found that as of 2024, 93% of the University's direct greenhouse gas emissions originated from the natural gas combustion system within the UW's central power plant.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Decarbonizing the UW |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/energy-transformation |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref> The heat produced using natural gas is transported through 8 miles of underground utility tunnels that connect to campus buildings, alongside side electrical lines, communication lines, and internet cables.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Facilities |first=UW Sustainability & UW |date=2023-05-22 |title=History of UW's Power Plant |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f6943d7bcbcb4764b7cbe6da6dc59c5c |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=ArcGIS StoryMaps |language=en}}</ref> Although electric chillers are already in place, which cool water down as a form of AC to then be pumped into buildings through the utility tunnels,<ref name=":1" /> the University hopes to switch the heating processes from natural gas to electric heat pumps in order to meet their clean energy goals.<ref name=":0" />

In contrast from the current heating systems, most of the UW's electric power is supplied by [[Seattle City Light]], who generates the majority of their electricity through [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] systems.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=Energy |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/campus/energy#:~:text=Seattle%20City%20Light,%20which%20serves,gas%20in%20its%20generation%20mix |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref> Other sources of energy include the previously mentioned WCUP for building cooling and emergency backup electricity, as well as a number of solar installations across campus. Buildings with [[Solar power|solar]] installations include Mercer Court Alder Hall, Elm Hall, the Intramural Activities Building, Maple Hall, and the Life Sciences Building.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UW Solar |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/blog/tags/uw-solar |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=In Our Nature |language=en}}</ref>

=== Energy goals ===
Although the majority of the University’s electricity supply is carbon-free, the University hopes to completely phase out natural gas from their heating systems and to be fossil fuel free by 2035 in regard to their direct emissions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greenhouse gases |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/campus/greenhouse-gas |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref> 

Research shows that there are many aspects that contribute to universities energy consumption, such as student activity, technology use, building types, systems efficiency, and more.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Leal Filho |first1=Walter |last2=Salvia |first2=Amanda Lange |last3=Paço |first3=Arminda do |last4=Anholon |first4=Rosley |last5=Gonçalves Quelhas |first5=Osvaldo Luiz |last6=Rampasso |first6=Izabela Simon |last7=Ng |first7=Artie |last8=Balogun |first8=Abdul-Lateef |last9=Kondev |first9=Bozhil |last10=Brandli |first10=Luciana Londero |date=2019-11-10 |title=A comparative study of approaches towards energy efficiency and renewable energy use at higher education institutions |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959652619325880 |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |volume=237 |pages=117728 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117728 |bibcode=2019JCPro.23717728L |issn=0959-6526}}</ref> The University of Washington has addressed these aspects within their future energy goals. From late 2023 into the end of 2024, the University of Washington created an actionable energy systems decarbonization plan with the help from an outside energy consultant team who assisted in assessing the campuses energy needs, existing systems, and energy goals.<ref name=":1" /> Some of the University's main energy related goals include:

* Installing additional meters
* Upgrading building control systems
* Expanding data analytics
* Replacing old building chillers
* Add cold water storage
* Moving from a high temperature steam system to a lower temperature hot water system
* Installing heat pumps<ref name=":1" />
* Increase solar capacity (such as installing solar parking lots)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Energy |url=https://sustainability.uw.edu/campus/energy#:~:text=Seattle%20City%20Light,%20which%20serves,gas%20in%20its%20generation%20mix |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=sustainability.uw.edu |language=en}}</ref>