The Erb Memorial Union renovations are coming along. The wooden frame building is one of the sustainable construction efforts that have helped the project achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certificate. But the EMU Board of Directors is aiming for something beyond that certification.
Back in 2010, a survey conducted across the student body showed that the majority wanted to see sustainability in the new building.
The EMU Board is working towards that goal with a 16kW solar electric system on the east wing building. The aim is to receive the LEED Platinum certificate, the highest ranking of sustainable building achievements.
The PV (photovoltaic) project is estimated to save over $142,870 over 35 years and help reduce the amount of student fees going torward the building in the future, according to the project description.
“Right now we are at the line between Gold and Platinum certificate,” EMU Renovation Manager Dan Geiger said. “This project will put us solid on LEED Platinum status.”
Yet the $95 million total budget couldn’t cover the cost of the solar electric system. The project’s total cost is $83,000, but the EMU Board has less than half of the amount for the system from EMU renovation fees and funds from the Student Sustainability Coalition, Geiger said.
Still, the EMU Board of Directors are optimistic about the future of the project after being chosen as one of six finalists for the $50,000 Greenpower grant from Eugene Water & Electric Board. This is the second time the PV project was chosen.
“Now it’s the better timing,” Geiger said. “This time we really emphasize that the project is beneficial and focus on the students.”
The grant, part of the EWEB Greenpower program, is a bi-annual grant given to local non-profit projects supporting renewable energy.
“It’s the way for us to reinvest in the community,” EWEB communication specialist Kristen Langham said.“With this grant, we reduce the need to build more power plants, and because we give the grant out to projects that related to education and research, we help raise awareness in local.”
The grant is decided by 3,000 EWEB Greenpower customers, who are paying as little as $1.50 extra on their monthly bill, Langham said. EWEB will present the winners on an Earth Day event on April 18.
To increase the chance of winning the grant, the EMU Board is making efforts to encourage students to become EWEB Greenpower customers before the deadline in March 27 through tabling and advertising in local newspapers.
“Our project is a good case to make,” Geiger said. “But we didn’t do well last year, and I’m not very confident.”
UO student Dalton Fusco is sure that the EMU will receive the grant. She is the student outreach coordinator for the Student Sustainability Coalition and is involved in writing the proposal for the EWEB grant.
“I believe that we are the innovators in sustainability,” Fusco said. “(The PV system) will help Oregon prove that.”