The UC San Diego university, California, is embarking on a sustainable energy project that it is predicted, would make the university the 'greenest' in the U.S.

When the project is completed, UC San Diego hopes to boast facilities for biofuel, solar and wind power.

The first stage in the program is the building of photovoltaic panels, which is under way now. After completion the panels will have a maximum power capacity of 2MW.

It is in a partnership between students and researchers that UC San Diego will develop its biofuel facilities. The initiative will look to to sustainable the fuel from wood debris and algae.

The university - in addition to their research into biofuels, and the 2MW photovoltaic panels - will also look to produce 2.4MW of energy from renewable methane. This will be transported from the Point Loma sewage point, where the left over gas has previously been expelled into the atmosphere.

In the final section of the project, the university will cut back its use of fossil fuels and purchase electricity from Californian wind farms instead.

Whilst the university's carbon emission output will not be zero, then, the wind power will look to offset it, and is expected to produce 3MW of energy.

The university's aim is to have these sustainable energy projects producing a combined total of 29 million KWh per year. This is expected to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere by an equivalent of 10,500 tons; roughly the same as removing 1500 cars from the roads.

It will also cover the electricity needs of 4500 homes each year.

The program marks a step towards a fertile connection between universities and their communities; with the budgets and researchers for such initiatives, universities are some of the best places to serve the growing demand for sustainable energy.

Indeed, the project at UC San Diego gives the university an example of its direct and practical involvement with the Californian state.

Across the Atlantic, the ability for universities to provide environmentally friendly facilities has been under scrutiny, too.

The website People & Planet, which each year publishes a university league table of the 'greenest' universities, published their report for 2008 this month.

It reported that 71% of universities in the UK had cut their carbon emissions since last year, and that 25% of universities have taken on more full-time environmental staff since the 2007 report.

The Universities of Gloucestershire, Plymouth, and the University of West England ranked in the top three this year.

At the lower end of the table were some of the countries most celebrated academic institutions; King's College, London, ranked 80th, and the Royal Academy of Music faired no better, ranked 113th.

That said, there was a general improvement in the importance of environmental issues in UK universities since last year.

David Norman, the WWF Director of Campaigns, had this to say:

"The dramatic improvements in the league after only one year should be celebrated. With many UK universities leading the research on the environmental threats facing our planet, it's common sense that they also lead in environmental performance. These advances are a welcome response to the urgency of tackling the threats to people and nature".

Next year, People & Planet will be looking to publish more improvements.

Posted under Articles, Environmental News, Renewable Energy