ASU among nation's most sustainable colleges

Arizona State University has been named one of the nation’s most sustainable colleges for the sixth year in a row by The Princeton Review's "Guide to 353 Green Colleges."

The annual guidebook identifies and measures colleges with exemplary commitments to sustainability.

In this year’s green rating, ASU was noted for its:

• use of renewable energy

• number of buildings it has that are LEED certified

• available transportation alternatives

According to the Princeton Review, “Colleges train the next generation of leaders who will ultimately be responsible for putting green ideas into practice. By infusing sustainability principles into every aspect of higher education, there is a new priority for a whole generation of leaders, educated and trained to make a greener world now.”

The Guide to Green Colleges is a comprehensive resource identifying colleges with exemplary commitments to sustainability. Schools represented in the 2015 edition are based on their 2014 Green Rating scores (of 60 to 99) that Princeton Review tallied and reported in their college guides and website school profiles last August.

ASU was cited for numerous reasons, including its extensive use of solar energy. Solar installations adorn campus buildings and parking structures, and cover walkways on all four of ASU’s campuses. In total, the installations have a solar photovoltaic and thermal production equivalent capacity of 24.1 MWdc, which on a given day is equal to nearly 50 percent of the university’s electrical daytime peak load. These installations produced more than 35,000 MWhr of energy in 2014, which is equivalent to approximately 14 percent of ASU’s annual electric load.

In 2014, ASU received five LEED building certifications for building energy and resource efficiency from the U.S. Green Building Council. ASU currently has 42 LEED certified buildings across its four campuses.

ASU also subsidizes the U-Pass, which offers unlimited rides on area buses and light rail. And for those wary of public transport, ASU sponsors a bicycle co-op. Interested students get maintenance and repair to their bicycles and purchase parts and accessories at a discount.

The Princeton Review first published this guide in 2010. It remains the only free, annually updated downloadable guide to green colleges. The 218-page guide can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.