The Humboldt Energy Independence Fund committee recently awarded $68,000 for three student-designed projects.

The proposals, all authored by Humboldt State University students, consist of retrofits to the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system (HVAC) in Science Complex’s buildings D and E, two solar thermal panels for the rooftop of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) and a two-year student energy internship position.

Full Story: Students Strive for Energy Independence

Green Campus Interns were featured prominently at the California State University Facilities Management Conference, with the four recognized campuses presenting to the full conference during Thursday evening’s Awards Dinner.

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Green Campus efficiency projects at Humboldt State University are really starting to pay off – literally.  Savings projects initiated by Green Campus Interns qualify HSU to receive $131,828 in rebate funding from the University of California/California State University/Investor Owned Utility Energy Efficiency Partnership.

These “bundled projects” combine energy savings from student-led network-based power management projects and monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) of the Wildlife Science Building. More »

Humboldt State University’s new hydrogen fueling facility is the first rural station on California’s ‘Hydrogen Highway,’ and a crucial link between renewable energy and transportation fuel that started with a handful of engineering students. The highway is an expanding network of stations statewide and nationwide—27 in California, 70 across the country—and Humboldt State’s outpost powers a hydrogen-fueled Toyota Prius. Eventually, the network will allow hydrogen-powered vehicles to travel throughout the state as demand intensifies for alternative sources of fuel. Under the guidance of the Schatz Energy Research Center, it was the creative spark of students Juliette Bohn, David Carter, Anand Gopal, Stephen Kullmann, Avram Pearlman and Doug Saucedo that enabled Humboldt State to win an international design contest and paved the way for the station’s grand opening September 4.

Full Story: Students Realize ‘Hydrogen Dream’

An advisory to install free purified water systems on the Chico State campus that would replace the sale of water bottles passed with a landslide April 24.  The advisory, entitled Take Back The Tap, was passed in the Associated Students 2008 general elections alongside an advisory for a Social and Environmental Purchasing Policy.

In order to make Chico State more sustainable, The Environmental Thought and Action class wrote, campaigned for, and independently passed the two measures.  Take Back The Tap passed with 85 percent approval and S.E.P.P passed with 87 percent.  In the last three months, GEOG 440 students met at least twice a week to discuss the advisories and campaign strategies.  With guidance from Dr. Mark Stemen, students were divided into groups to address different campaign issues.  During the process, students gained an invaluable sense of productive advocacy and politics.

Full Story:  Students Put an End to Water Bottle Trafficking