Sustainability

CU Boulder announces groundbreaking of solar array on East Campus

Megan Maneval — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:46:44 +0000

CU Boulder announces groundbreaking of solar array on East Campus Megan Maneval Tue, 04/22/2025 - 08:46

CU Boulder has begun construction on a 1.1 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar array on East Campus, following approval by the Board of Regents in June 2024. The project, which is part of CU Boulder’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, broke ground on April 18.

The solar array will generate approximately 1.4 million kilowatt hours (kWhs) annually and will offset 1.3% of CU Boulder’s total annual electricity usage, saving the university $122,000 per year in energy costs. The project will cost $7.8 million and will be operational by January 2026, at which point a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held.

Chancellor Justin Schwartz shared his enthusiasm for the project at the groundbreaking ceremony that was attended by Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock, leaders from within Infrastructure and Resilience and project managers from McKinstry, the general contractor overseeing construction of the solar array.

"We are committed to reducing our environmental impact, reducing costs and creating a more resilient campus,” Schwartz said. “The construction of this solar array is an important step toward achieving our Climate Action Plan goals, and we are proud to promote clean energy and sustainability on our campus."

CU Boulder currently has approximately 2.4 megawatts of solar power-generating capacity on campus that supplies roughly 2% of electricity usage. This is the second ground-mounted array, complementing 10 other arrays atop campus buildings.

CU Boulder has announced the construction of a 1.1 megawatt ground-mounted solar array on East Campus, which will offset 1.3% of the university's total annual electricity use. Completion of the project is expected by January 2026.

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5 ways CU Boulder is advancing sustainability now

Daniel William Strain — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:46:37 +0000

5 ways CU Boulder is advancing sustainability now Daniel William… Mon, 04/21/2025 - 12:46

Andrew Mayock

Andrew Mayock joined CU Boulder in March 2025 as the university's first vice chancellor for sustainability. (Credit: Casey Cass/CU Boulder)

From dozens of new startup companies to a new curriculum empowering our students to installing solar arrays and more, CU Boulder is walking the talk when it comes to sustainability. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to integrate sustainability into every aspect of university life, creating a model for others to follow.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: 32nd annual Campus Sustainability Summit
When: Wednesday, April 22–Thursday, April 23
Where: University Memorial Center (UMC)

For these reasons, I was honored to take on the role of vice chancellor for sustainability this spring. During my time as U.S. government chief sustainability officer for the Biden administration, I worked closely with public, private and nonprofit sector leaders to facilitate the purchase of 88,000 zero-emission vehicles, electrification of over 1,000 federal buildings, procurement of $4 billion in clean construction materials, and establishment of a 60-country greening government coalition. These experiences helped prepare me to lead CU Boulder's sustainability efforts and drive meaningful change through strong collaboration across research, education and operations.

With the university positioned to play an even more significant role in the community, state, nation and world, we must act quickly to address our pressing environmental challenges. My vision encompasses amplifying our current capabilities, catalyzing more collaboration across the campus and propelling the university forward with innovative new projects.

Here's a glimpse of what we're currently doing to achieve that:

Driving innovation through partnerships

Last week, CU Boulder and Deloitte announced $1 million in awards to fund four novel research projects as part of the Climate Innovation Collaboratory. This collaboration enables valuable research, technology and market development, such as addressing energy storage optimization for AI data centers.

Catalyzing sustainability-focused companies

CU Boulder research has inspired at least 44 sustainability-focused spin-outs, with products ranging from more sustainable building materials to longer-lasting batteries and new devices to detect methane from oil and gas operations.

Empowering students through new curricula

In January 2025, the CU Boulder Engineering Management Program launched a Circular Economy Graduate Certificate. This 9-credit, fully online program is a collaboration between CU Boulder's Engineering Management Program and Siemens Digital Industries Software. It focuses on sustainable product design and circular economy principles, preparing students for emerging roles in sustainability.

Exploring new campus clean energy solutions

Studies are underway to explore geothermal resources—heat drawn from deep within the earth—as a potential way to regulate building temperature and provide power at Williams Village and elsewhere around campus. If successful, geothermal would decrease CU Boulder’s dependence on fossil fuels for heating and cooling, offering a more sustainable alternative that aligns with the university Climate Action Plan's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Generating onsite clean energy

Last week, we broke ground on a new 1.1 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar array on our East Campus. This project will offset 1.3% of CU Boulder’s total annual electricity usage, saving $122,000 per year in energy costs.

By creating an even more cohesive, robust sustainability ecosystem, we can achieve a sustainable future that benefits everyone and sets a standard for others to follow. If you are on campus, join me this week at our 32nd annual Campus Sustainability Summit, where I’ll be on a Wednesday panel with Chancellor Justin Schwartz and executive director of the Sustainability Research Initiative, Jane Zelikova, to discuss our shared visions and map out the path forward for campus climate action.

Vice Chancellor Andrew Mayock touches on how CU Boulder is integrating sustainability into every aspect of university life. Feeling inspired? Don't miss the Campus Sustainability Summit April 22—23.

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6 tips for coping with climate anxiety

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 21:15:37 +0000

6 tips for coping with climate anxiety Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/18/2025 - 15:15

If you're feeling distressed or anxious about the impacts of climate change, here are a few coping strategies that may help.

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Sustainability Leadership Team discusses new campus sustainability leaders, project progress

Megan Maneval — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 20:01:49 +0000

Sustainability Leadership Team discusses new campus sustainability leaders, project progress Megan Maneval Tue, 04/15/2025 - 14:01

The Campus Sustainability Leadership Team convened Wednesday, April 2, to discuss the following topics:

Introducing Jane Zelikova

Jane Zelikova is the new executive director of the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI), embedded within the Research Innovation Office (RIO). Over the next few months, she will learn about the Sustainability Leadership Team's activities.

Prior to starting at CU, she was the director of the Soil Carbon Center at Colorado State University.

Attend the Campus Sustainability Summit April 22–23

Onboarding Andrew Maycock

The new vice chancellor for sustainability started on March 17 and is balancing near-term external and philanthropy-related opportunities with internal trust-building efforts on campus. Key early milestones include:

A speaking role at Colorado Climate Week, which focused on collaboration between Colorado’s academic and government leaders
Immersing himself in Climate Action Plan materials
Familiarizing himself with the campus’s sustainability landscape
Connecting with near-term initiatives

He is confirmed to speak with the chancellor and Jane Zelikova in a panel at the Campus Sustainability Summit.

Sustainability landscape map

Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications Jon Leslie presented a draft of the landscape map, which outlines the internal and external resources, programs, research, operations, achievements and relationships CU Boulder has related to sustainability across campus and beyond. The team discussed that many sustainability-related organizations have not yet provided input, so gathering additional feedback will be a helpful next step despite the document being well-populated.

Next steps: The SLT will show the landscape map to the Environmental Board and will share it at the Campus Sustainability Summit for further feedback. There will be an annual revision period. The map will serve as an engagement tool for advancement discussions, recruitment and engaging students and others in the campus’s sustainability-related activities.

Operational updates

Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Chris Ewing provided an update on operational sustainability projects:

Geothermal studies: These have begun and should be complete by the end of 2025 or early spring 2026.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Policy: This is working its way through the approval process and will include guidelines and standards and an impact review.
Decarbonization RFQ: This was released in March, with a pre-proposal meeting attended by multiple consultant teams with approximately 70 individuals in attendance. Proposals are due mid-May and CU will select a firm by mid-summer.

Upcoming sustainability events

The Sustainability Leadership Team discussed the following upcoming events:

April 22–23: Campus Sustainability Summit
May 9: Student move-out
June 5: Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit plenary session as part of the University of Oxford-hosted event

This is part of a series that will cover CU Boulder Sustainability Leadership Team (formerly known as the Sustainability Executive Council) meeting agendas, discussions and decisions. The Sustainability Leadership Team brings together decision-makers and leaders from across campus to drive action and accountability to achieve carbon neutrality, goals outlined in the Chancellor’s Call to Climate Action and the implementation of the campus Climate Action Plan.

At its April meeting, the Campus Sustainability Leadership Team welcomed Jane Zelikova and discussed Andrew Mayock’s onboarding, the sustainability landscape map, operational updates and upcoming events.

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Building careers in sustainability: Highlights from a first-time fair

Megan Maneval — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:11:29 +0000

Building careers in sustainability: Highlights from a first-time fair Megan Maneval Tue, 04/08/2025 - 10:11

The Department of Environmental Studies held its first Career in the Environment Fair for attendees to explore careers in environmental science, sustainability and conservation. The event featured the State of the Field Panel, and students had the chance to network with 18 organizations.

In March, the Department of Environmental Studies held its first Career in the Environment Fair for attendees to explore careers in environmental science, sustainability and conservation. The event featured the State of the Field Panel, and students had the chance to network with 18 organizations.

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Sustainability council plans listening session, discusses progress at March meeting

Megan Maneval — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 12:56:51 +0000

Sustainability council plans listening session, discusses progress at March meeting Megan Maneval Mon, 04/07/2025 - 06:56

The Campus Sustainability Council convened on March 14 to discuss the following topics:

Sustainability project updates

The council received updates on the following projects:

Single-use plastic in vending machines: Discussions with vendors are ongoing, with July 1 as a negotiating point. CU Boulder would like to select a vendor that follows sustainability protocols beyond just single-use plastics, including initiatives such as water conservation and electricity usage in plants.
Sustainability curriculum: Katherine Eggert is organizing faculty fellows and concentrating efforts on the undergraduate curriculum for the upcoming year.
Green Chemistry Commitment pledge: The commitment will be sent to the chancellor for his review and signature, following a vote and recommendation from council members.
NREL grant: A $220,000 grant has been awarded to retrofit a window system on the ENVD building, increasing its thermal capacity. The project is funded by Wells Fargo, and installation is scheduled for June/July with subsequent data measurement over the course of a year.
Geothermal grants: Studies are being conducted on geoexchange and deep geothermal systems, with a timeline of nine to 12 months for results of the study.
CAP Scope 1 and 2 updates: Building efficiency projects are being planned for the next 20 buildings, with potential rollouts of further window retrofitting dependent upon the success of the ENVD window project.
CAP Scope 3 updates: Working groups are tracking categories in Scope 3, and procurement data is being analyzed for better emissions tracking and reporting.
Zero waste: The zero waste board of directors agreed on the need for a campuswide waste audit to address food waste. A proposal and timeline for a third-party vendor to conduct the audit will be discussed before the end of the semester.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) grant: Because the CDOT grant may no longer be an option, alternative funding options are being explored both internally and externally to fund the proposed TDM work, which includes infrastructure, transit, vanpool and micromobility and pedestrian projects. An upcoming transportation charrette with the Transportation Working Group will help solidify a timeframe, priorities and an action plan.

Attend the Campus Sustainability Summit

Join the April 11 listening session

Upcoming listening session

The Sustainability Council will host a campuswide listening session on April 11 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the ice overlook large meeting room at the Rec Center. The event has been marketed across campus through various channels. Three Leaf Catering will provide vegan snacks for attendees.

Council members Austin Hudmon and Alex Chamberlin are compiling a comprehensive document with themes from the last listening session. This document will showcase the current initiatives on campus, celebrate ongoing achievements and outline future goals.

Monthly meeting summaries

In alignment with the Sustainability Leadership Team, the council agreed to publish monthly meeting summaries through CU Boulder Today, effective immediately.

The Campus Sustainability Council recently discussed preparations for its campuswide listening session on April 11 and got sustainability project updates.

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The spring Coloradan magazine is online

Megan Maneval — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:32:56 +0000

The spring Coloradan magazine is online Megan Maneval Thu, 04/03/2025 - 13:32

Sustainability Buffs are building with bricks made of algae, 3D-printing schools and more. Also in the latest issue of the Coloradan: the 100-year-old superfan Peggy Coppom, SpaceX astronaut Sarah Gillis, and an ode to the Dark Horse.

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CU Boulder claims zero-waste football challenge honors

Megan Maneval — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:23:18 +0000

CU Boulder claims zero-waste football challenge honors Megan Maneval Mon, 03/31/2025 - 12:23

Ralphie’s Green Stampede volunteers

CU Boulder continues to be sustainability stalwarts, earning 2024 GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge honors from the National Wildlife Federation for CU's tremendous efforts to reduce and recycle waste generated during football games at Folsom Field. CU was the top university in the Per Capita Recycling category by achieving the highest generation of recyclables per capita, while finishing second in waste diversion percentage by capita.

During the 2024 football season, the CU Environmental Center’s dedicated student staff and volunteers hand-sorted 99,499 lbs of material that was diverted from landfills—the equivalent of 125 Ralphies—including 17,442 lbs of food waste and compostable service items, which were subsequently sent to the compost facility.

After the Buffs’ Family Weekend game against Cincinnati on Oct. 26, 14,725 lbs of bottles, cans and cardboard was separated and sent to recycling centers. Over the six home football games, students and volunteers worked a total of 1,827 hours to complete the painstaking work of sorting waste generated on game day by hand.

“This honor is hard-earned and illustrates the commitment of the University of Colorado Boulder to sustainability,” said CU Athletics Senior Deputy Athletic Director Jason DePaepe. “My thanks to all of our incredibly dedicated students and volunteers who worked tirelessly, mostly overnight, to sort thousands of pounds of waste that otherwise would’ve ended up in area landfills.”

“The success of the Ralphie’s Green Stampede program is rooted in our partnership with all campus departments that contribute to game day sustainability efforts, including our vendors, Levy Restaurants, Eco-Products and A1 Organics,” said Angie Gilbert, zero waste program manager at CU’s Environmental Center. “We are truly proud of our ability to send clean, hand-sorted organics along with CMA-certified compostable products over the past two seasons. This pilot is to observe the potential to replicate this type of operation at future events.”

Sustainable Buffs

CU Boulder is no stranger to earning GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge accolades. Last year, Colorado also earned the prize for Recycling Per Capita while finishing third in organics per capita. In 2022, CU won the Pac-12 Zero Waste Football Challenge for the third time (also winning in 2018 and 2019), and in 2021, Colorado earned the Innovation Award for the Pac-12 Zero Waste Football Challenge.

The GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge is a nationwide competition among colleges and universities to reduce and recycle the waste generated at home football games. As part of the Campus Race to Zero Waste program, GameDay Football challenges campuses nationwide to reduce the waste footprint of their home games and tailgating events through efforts including reduction of single-use plastics use, food waste recovery, use of reusable products, recycling, and more.

Colorado Athletics has long been a leader in game day sustainability efforts with the creation of Ralphie’s Green Stampede in 2008, the NCAA’s first Division 1 sustainability program, which is entering into its 18th year.

CU Athletics and the Environmental Center have received this year's GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge award in recognition of efforts to reduce and recycle waste generated during football games at Folsom Field.

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Sustainability Leadership Team discusses onboarding new vice chancellor, upcoming projects

Megan Maneval — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:43:56 +0000

Sustainability Leadership Team discusses onboarding new vice chancellor, upcoming projects Megan Maneval Tue, 03/11/2025 - 10:43

The campus Sustainability Leadership Team (SLT) convened Wednesday, Feb. 26, to discuss the following topics:

3-month sprint

Discussion: A “three-month sprint” spreadsheet comprises the projects discussed in January’s meeting that can be accomplished in the next three months.

Next steps: Once finalized, this spreadsheet will be shared with the SLT, its working groups and other sustainability-focused groups, and then will be publicly available on the sustainability website.

Onboarding new vice chancellor for sustainability

Discussion: Massimo Ruzzene and Jon Leslie have been asked by the chancellor to spearhead onboarding Andrew Mayock. Leslie presented a list of goals to achieve during the onboarding process. Heidi VanGenderen is supporting the drafting of an onboarding approach for Mayock.

Get ready for the Campus Sustainability Summit

Attend a listening session April 11

Sustainability landscape map

Discussion: Following the chancellor’s request for a sustainability landscape map, Leslie drafted a prototype graphic, which he presented to the SLT. The landscape map is intended to help understand the sustainability ecosystem across campus, and it will later be used publicly in digital formats, while engaging campus and external sustainability constituents as a living document.

At its February meeting, the campus Sustainability Leadership Team discussed planning for Vice Chancellor Andrew Mayock’s first three months at CU Boulder, upcoming sustainability projects and an opportunity with the Carnegie Foundation.

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Advice from Sustainable Buffs on being a conscious consumer

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 21:11:42 +0000

Advice from Sustainable Buffs on being a conscious consumer Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/06/2025 - 14:11

Sustainability starts with making the most of what you already have. When you do need to buy something, there are ways to make choices that are better for the planet.

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Sustainability

CU Boulder announces groundbreaking of solar array on East Campus

Related Articles

5 ways CU Boulder is advancing sustainability now

Driving innovation through partnerships

Catalyzing sustainability-focused companies

Empowering students through new curricula

Exploring new campus clean energy solutions

Generating onsite clean energy

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6 tips for coping with climate anxiety

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Sustainability Leadership Team discusses new campus sustainability leaders, project progress

Introducing Jane Zelikova

Onboarding Andrew Maycock

Sustainability landscape map

Operational updates

Upcoming sustainability events

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Building careers in sustainability: Highlights from a first-time fair

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Sustainability council plans listening session, discusses progress at March meeting

Sustainability project updates

Upcoming listening session

Monthly meeting summaries

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The spring Coloradan magazine is online

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CU Boulder claims zero-waste football challenge honors

Sustainable Buffs

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Sustainability Leadership Team discusses onboarding new vice chancellor, upcoming projects

3-month sprint

Onboarding new vice chancellor for sustainability

Sustainability landscape map

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Advice from Sustainable Buffs on being a conscious consumer

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