Sustainability at Mines
The mission of the Colorado School of Mines is education and research in engineering and science to solve the world’s challenges related to the earth, energy, and environment.
Help save the planet during spring break! Did you know that powering buildings is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in the world? You can help to reduce the campus environmental impact by unplugging all electronics in your room/office over the break, including computers, projectors, printers, chargers, etc. To learn more and sign up, click here!
March Sustainability Events:
March 21 – International Day of Forests
March 21 – World Planting Day
March 21 – World Wood Day
March 22 – World Water Day
Take the opportunity to sponsor or plant a tree!
Sustainability News
- A data center and technology campus that takes advantage of the cool, dry climate at 10,300 feet was the winning idea in the inaugural Henderson Sustainability Challenge.
- NREL and Mines launch new graduate program in advanced energy systems. More details.
- A pair of Colorado School of Mines-led teams have been awarded more than $2 million by the U.S. Department of Energy for research that could lower the cost of solar electricity.
- Mines Energy Awareness Campaign Featured on KUNC — Mines is partnering with McKinstry to increase energy awareness and savings on campus and KUNC, Northern Colorado’s public radio station, recently covered the story on air.
- Mines Solar Decathlon in Africa — Learn about how the Mines Solar Decathlon team is preparing for competition in Africa in 2019. Mines Solar Decathlon Team’s home featured in U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Sustainability Expo.
- Mines Students Compete in Clean River Design Challenge — Students at Colorado School of Mines, Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Colorado Denver are helping tackle a major problem facing urban waterways in Denver.
- Solar Disinfection System Wins CECS Design Fair — Check out how Mines students are designing a solar-powered water disinfection system for use in rural Uganda.
Utility Dashboard Goes Live!
Earn 150 points
Check out the NEW utility dashboard with energy data on 31 buildings across the Mines campus. Want to see how much we’re saving as a campus or pull utility data for a class project? Check it out to see what’s possible! Log in to your People.Power.Planet account and click on the “View All Campus Progress” button to get to the dashboard.
Sustainable Lab Opportunity – Shut the Sash!
In Colorado, a single open fume hood can consume as much energy as one home! The high energy use is due to fresh, conditioned air constantly being exhausted through them to the outdoors. An easy way to reduce the energy consumption of a fume hood is to SHUT THE SASH when not in use.
Curious About Recycling in Colorado?
Are you curious about what actually happens to your recyclables after it is whisked away by Alpine Waste? Do you wonder what is actually recyclable or whether or not that bit of peanut butter in the jar makes it unrecyclable?
If these are questions you normally find yourself asking, see here for an article by Xandra McMahon about how Colorado’s single-stream recycling infrastructure actually works.