Energy, Climate and Transportation

Goal: Strive for carbon neutrality at Tri-C by increasing energy efficiency, exploring renewable energy options, and reducing the College’s transportation footprint.

Progress to date:

• Tri-C provides a free RTA U-Pass to registered and paid credit students to encourage the use of mass transit. The results of student commuting surveys conducted before and after the RTA U-Pass program began show a significant increase in student transit use as a result of the U-Pass.
• Tri-C's Metro Campus now has a bike share station near the Student Services building as part of the UHBikes system in Cleveland, and a discounted student rate is available to members who sign up using their Tri-C email address. Bikes in the UHBikes system can be ridden between the Metro Campus station and other stations in the UHBikes system - visit the UHBikes system map for more information on station and bike locations.
• Tri-C encourages employees to bike because it can benefit health and wellness, and to commute by bike if possible to reduce pollution. Most of Tri-C’s campuses have bike racks – select the campus link of your choice to see a map which includes bike rack locations: Metro, Western, Eastern, Westshore, Corporate College West, and the District Office.
  

Significant energy efficiency improvements have allowed total energy use to decrease while Tri-C’s total square footage of buildings has increased over 25% and student population has increased over 60%.

• 29% energy use reduction in existing buildings since 2000 (per square foot and adjusted for student population and weather). Energy efficiency projects completed to date include:
  • LED and high-efficiency fluorescent lighting retrofits
  • Boiler and chiller replacements
  • Building air conditioning system optimizations
  • Swimming pool cover installations

• Tri-C’s greenhouse gas inventory helps assess the impacts of operations and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Former Tri-C President Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in November 2010 - a commitment to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions and to promote educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.