Sustainability

Utility company provides incentive for University’s conservation efforts

A new system to monitor the University’s energy use will help to identify ways to save both energy and money, says the Facility Services engineer responsible for the project.

“Each building has meters to measure its consumption of electricity, natural gas and cooling water, and now we have a central system to gather all of that information on one desktop,” says Dan Castellan. “We can analyze each building independently and set performance standards.”

Audit turns up additional opportunities for recycling

Sorting through the University’s garbage can be a little disheartening, says Taylor Purdy.

A master’s student of environmental engineering, she combed through a pile of trash Friday outside the maintenance compound on Union Avenue, conducting an audit of the waste produced on campus.

“At least half of this could have been recycled,” Purdy said. “It’s especially sad because this pile comes from the Centre for Engineering Innovation, a LEED-certified building where we are not recycling like we could be.”

Survey to weigh commuter routes to campus

An online survey of the ways UWindsor faculty, students and staff get to campus will help researchers to measure the University’s overall environmental impact.

The questionnaire asks participants about their trips to campus to study or work, and whether they travel by car, bus, bicycle or on foot. Participants may enter a draw to win one of five prizes worth $100 as UWinCARD credit or a University Bookstore gift certificate.

Campus improvements among engineering student capstone designs

If the closure of Sunset Avenue between Fanchette and Wyandotte streets results in a smoother traffic flow around campus and beautiful green spaces replacing parking lots, you may have a group of civil engineering students to thank.

Fourth-year students Jingda He, Ahmad Merheb, Zaid Najjar and Mahmoud Shahwan presented preliminary plans for redesigning the Sunset corridor during a poster display Friday in the Centre for Engineering Innovation, showing the progress of capstone design projects for seniors in civil and environmental engineering.