UD commits to reducing carbon footprint by 71%

University of Dayton will cover 100% of its electricity needs with renewable energy thanks to a new contract that will use waste heat to generate energy.

The long-term agreement between UD, AES Ohio, a regional energy provider, and Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company, will reduce the campus’ overall carbon footprint by 71% when the waste heat project comes online in late 2025. New waste treatment plant Thermal Power Plant, built in part by Kanin Energy, it will capture heat currently produced by a compressor station on the Rockies Express natural gas pipeline in Fayette County, Ohio, about an hour southeast of Dayton.

As the heat is already produced for another purpose, the electricity produced by the new project is considered low-carbon energy and a renewable energy source.

Tallgrass will build and operate the facility that will harvest the power, and AES Ohio will purchase it to meet the campus’ electricity needs. Construction will start later this year.

This project will also provide new teaching, research and hands-on learning opportunities to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for a career in the clean energy industry, similar to other renewable energy projects on campus. For example, the solar field at Curran Place serves as a testing ground for engineering graduates in the clean and renewable energy program and for biology students who want to maximize the prairie’s impact on lowering the operating temperature of panels while providing habitat for pollinators.

“Following our Marianist tradition of good stewardship of our resources, we have identified and are implementing this sustainability solution that reduces environmental impact while supporting an equitable and prosperous University of Dayton, now and in the future.”

Rick Krysiak, vice president of facilities management and planning, said his department has long been committed to finding a large-scale renewable energy solution for the campus.

“In our Marianist tradition of good stewardship of our resources, we have identified and are implementing this sustainability solution that reduces environmental impact while supporting an equitable and prosperous University of Dayton, now and in the future,” he said. “We believe this solution will help us achieve our energy goals.”

As a member of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, UD has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The waste-to-energy facility is one element of the university’s overall plan to reduce energy use on campus by implementing green standards construction in construction projects and implementing energy efficiency strategies for existing buildings.