Founded in 2008, the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment supports research and teaching in sustainable energy development, energy conservation, and environmental protection and remediation related to energy. Completed in 2015, the new building features green roofs, rain gardens, advanced lighting controls, heat recovery systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, rainwater and condensate harvesting, and more. 

Learn more about the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment on the Facilities project website.

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The Arts and Transit Project construction was completed in October 2017 and features a park-like setting for the creative and performing arts. The project includes a new multi-modal transit plaza, which features covered bicycle parking and connects to mass transit options, including the bus and train station. Other sustainability features include stormwater management, sustainable material selection, daylight harvesting, geothermal heating and cooling, and green roofs.

To date Princeton has installed several ground source heat pump (geo-exchange) systems on campus, contributing to improved efficiency and a reduction in fossil fuel use. Current systems are installed at Lakeside Apartments, Lawrence Apartments, the Lewis Arts complex and Campus Club. Going forward, Princeton will construct even more extensive geoexchange systems to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuel combustion.

Learn more about the Arts and Transit Project on the Facilities project website.

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Founded in 2009, the student Princeton BEE Team looks after two hives in the Forbes Garden. The Team's mission is to teach people about beekeeping through events, classes, lectures, and hands-on work with the bees. 

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Learn more about the Princeton BEE Team and how to get involved.

Please note: Access to the BEE Team Hives are only permitted during official BEE Team events and activities.

Part of the Residential College program, the new Butler College was completed in the fall of 2009. When the old Butler dorms were demolished to make way for the new construction, 96% of the demolition waste was recycled off-site. Princeton has a goal to recycle 95% of all demolition and recycling debris for all major building projects and renovations. The new buildings are designed to use 30% less energy than what would be expected under current building codes. Sustainable features include extensive use of natural light, and high efficiency window glazing.

Over half of the roof space on Butler College is a green roof, an extensive system planted with more than a dozen varieties of succulents, which require little or no irrigation. The roof is intended to improve insulation, which reduces heating and cooling energy costs. The vegetation also reduces and filters stormwater runoff; the green roof is already demonstrating a more than 60% reduction in peak stormwater runoff compared to conventional roofs, according to a past study conducted by students and PEI researchers. Real-time performance data are monitored by faculty and students using data from sensors embedded in the soil. The roof also provides a new habitat for animal life, such as different bird species, which wouldn’t have otherwise explored the roof.

The Hydrometeorology Research Group focuses on measurement, analysis and modeling of atmospheric and land surface processes tied to the hydrologic cycle. The Hydrometeorology Lab maintains five stations around Princeton University campus. Data collected is used in on-going research of the Butler Green Roofs and Washington Stream Restoration. Areas of special interest of the group are radar rainfall estimates of extreme rainfall, flash floods especially in urban areas, atmospheric properties of the most extreme rainfall and rainfall properties of land-falling tropical storms.

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Installed in 1996, the Cogeneration plant plays a key role in reducing University emissions. It efficiently heats and cools campus, and provides about half of the University’s electricity. The plant is among the most efficient in U.S. at 60-80% efficient vs. 25–45% for a conventional plant.

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Learn more about the Cogeneration plant on the Facilities project website.

View live campus energy generation and consumption data.

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The planning for the renovation of Firestone was focused on creating a building that is well-suited to support modern library services and contemporary approaches to scholarship while also providing the proper environment for one of the world's great book and manuscript collections.

Completed in 2019, principles guiding the renovation included:

• Improving navigability and wayfinding throughout the building, especially in the open stacks.
• Improving the quality of user spaces, including graduate study rooms, carrels, quiet public reading rooms and seating in the stack areas.
• Creating more efficient shelving layouts.
• Bringing the building into compliance with current building and fire codes and accessibility standards.
• Firestone's recent renovations, which improve the navigability and comfort of the library, are completed with a sustainable future in mind. Among the most notable design elements of the project is an emphasis on allowing more natural light to flow into the building. Offices that previously ringed the perimeter of the building were moved inward, allowing for unobstructed views through energy-efficient windows. In what the architect calls "light harvesting," skylights have been strategically added to the first floor spaces.
• Additionally, a new "chilled beam" cooling system routes chilled water throughout the building and quietly cools the return air using a convection system, providing energy-efficient climate control by cooling the surrounding air. This system is also paired with new energy-efficient air handlers.
• Further increases to efficiencies and space optimization include the library's bathrooms, equipped with low-flow plumbing fixtures and relocated near the center of the building as part of a "stacked core" design. (Tip: If you're looking for a bathroom, head toward the middle.)
• One of the most prominent changes is the library's "intelligent" lighting. As patrons walk down a long row of bookshelves, the lights (a combination of energy-efficient LED and CFL lighting) brighten to illuminate just the portion of the row they're browsing, and then dim down once there is no activity present.

Read more about the Firestone Library Renovation on the Facilities project website.

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Completed in 2010, Frick Chemistry Laboratory was designed to use 30 percent less energy than building codes require. It also features 216 photovoltaic panels on the roof that provide both shade and a small portion of energy to the building, high-efficiency fume hoods, low-flow plumbing fixtures, a rainwater harvesting system, and more. 

Among the features responsible for saving significant energy compared to a typical laboratory building are the high-efficiency self-closing fume hoods. There are more than 200 of these fume hoods, making Frick one of the nation's largest academies emic installations of them. Frick also uses a rainwater storage and reuse system. The 12,000 gallon system collects rainwater that is reused to flush the toilets. Frick is also home to one of the Wattvision Kiosks (the other two are in Bogle Hall and at the GreenSpace Kiosk in Frist) in its atrium, which allows users to view real-time campus energy use as well as sustainability tips and information.

Learn more about the Frick Chemistry Laboratory on the Facilities project website.

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Next to Frick Chemistry Laboratory, there are three rain gardens that provide stormwater management. The gardens are estimated to reduce stormwater volume by about 583,000 gallons annually. Rain gardens retain and filter stormwater, providing benefits to the local watershed and stream systems by encouraging stormwater infiltration and reducing erosion. In 2010, the rain garden at the Frick Chemistry Laboratory was the first installation of its kind on campus, with others following at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Peretsman-Scully Hall, and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Additional installations are planned that blend habitat enhancement and recreation with stormwater management. 

Learn more about Princeton University's goal to Increase Area Under Enhanced Stormwater Management

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The Princeton Garden Project was founded in 2006 at Forbes College and is overseen by Forbes in partnership with the Office of Sustainability. The initiative aims to provide the Princeton Community with an accessible, welcoming educational space in which to explore organic agriculture, food politics and sustainability through hands-on learning and dialogue.  The harvest provides fresh produce for Forbes and other campus venues.

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Learn more about the Princeton Garden Project.

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Installed in 2012, the GreenSpace is a fully interactive exhibit that features sustainability research and initiatives at Princeton. The space itself is constructed of reclaimed wood from a fallen Princeton oak tree, and reused campus limestone, slate, and aluminum cabinet edging. The GreenSpace was also constructed with non-toxic, water based sealers and adhesives, and detailed with natural pigments.

Past exhibits have included energy, water, and sustainable fashion. The space also features sustainability information through interactive touch screens, digital messages and chalk art created by student artists.

Location: Frist Campus Center, Level 100

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Guyot Hall is home to the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI), founded in 1994. The High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) at Princeton University advances understanding of the Earth as a complex system influenced by human activities, and informs solutions to local and global challenges by conducting groundbreaking research across disciplines and by preparing future leaders in diverse fields to impact a world increasingly shaped by climate change. Founded in 1994 as the Princeton Environmental Institute, HMEI was renamed in 2020 in recognition of a transformative gift from the High Meadows Foundation, a philanthropic organization co-founded by Judy and Carl Ferenbach III, a member of the Class of 1964, in support of environmental research and educational initiatives through HMEI.

HMEI functions as a vibrant central resource for faculty, postdocs, students, alumni, and others with an interest in environmental topics and research. More than 120 members of the Princeton faculty, representing 30 academic disciplines, are active with HMEI and contribute to the teaching of scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of environmental issues.

Learn more about the future home for Environmental Sciences (ES) and School of Engineering and Applied Science on the Facilities project website.

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Completed in 2015 and certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as LEED Silver, Lakeside Graduate Apartments feature a geothermal heating and cooling system, energy-efficient lighting, sustainable materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures, onsite stormwater management, and more. 

To date Princeton has installed several ground source heat pump (geo-exchange) systems on campus, contributing to improved efficiency and a reduction in fossil fuel use. Current systems are installed at Lakeside Apartments, Lawrence Apartments, the Lewis Arts complex and Campus Club. Going forward, Princeton will construct even more extensive geoexchange systems to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuel combustion.

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Lawrence Apartments are heated and cooled by 150 geothermal wells, each about 400 feet deep. Utilizing the earth’s natural temperatures, the system acts as a heat sink during summer and a heat source in the winter. These off-campus apartments also feature a community garden. 

To date Princeton has installed several ground source heat pump (geo-exchange) systems on campus, contributing to improved efficiency and a reduction in fossil fuel use. Current systems are installed at Lakeside Apartments, Lawrence Apartments, the Lewis Arts complex and Campus Club. Going forward, Princeton will construct even more extensive geoexchange systems to facilitate the transition away from fossil fuel combustion.

Find the Lawrence Apartments on the map

A distinctive feature of the Lewis-Sigler Institute that facilitates indoor climate control is a row of 31 aluminum vertical louvers, 40-feet tall, that turn with the sun. A computerized timer controls the movement and adjusts for the changing seasons. Additionally, Icahn is equipped with low-flow plumbing fixtures and LED lighting.

Through the Lighting Efficiency Upgrade Program, the University converted more than 100,000 fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) technology in buildings across campus. The improvements will significantly reduce carbon emissions, promote cost savings and limit waste.

Learn more about the Lighting Improvement Project on the Facilities website.

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Established in 2006, the Office of Sustainability works collaboratively with students, faculty and staff to advance sustainability in the culture, and in academics and operations, at Princeton and beyond. 

Please note: The Office of Sustainability will continue to be fully remote in the Spring 2021 semester and our office space in the MacMillan Annex will remain closed.

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Opened in 2013, the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Peretsman-Scully Hall  is designed to be 30 percent more energy efficient than a standard, equivalent building. Featured are an energy-efficient HVAC system, automatic lighting controls, natural lighting, a stormwater reclamation system, low-flow plumbing fixtures, a high performance exterior facade, and more.

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Learn more about the Peretsman-Scully Hall and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute on the Facilities project website

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In September 2018, the Office of Sustainability launched an on-site food scraps composting demonstration project to support the sustainability goals and research and education missions of Princeton University. The demonstration project involves the Model 1000 composting system, an in-vessel aerobic digester developed by the company FOR Solutions. The S.C.R.A.P. Lab is located behind the FitzRandolph Observatory building and will convert a portion of the campus’s food waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment for campus grounds, while supporting academic research around food waste conversion. For more information, visit the S.C.R.A.P. Lab Blog.

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Princeton University is expanding its renewable energy generation on campus by installing eight new solar projects. The expansion supports the University’s ambitious goal to achieve net carbon neutrality 2046.
The solar arrays will be connected to the Princeton microgrid and will more than triple the University’s current solar photovoltaic (PV) generating capacity from about 5.5% to 19% of current electric energy use. The new solar PV arrays will be built above three large parking decks, one surface parking lot, three fields, and the roof of the High-Performance Computing Research Center (HPCRC). The field mounted solar arrays will be installed with bifacial solar modules that can collect energy on both sides of the solar cells, thereby increasing their efficiency and energy yield. 

Princeton's solar array, installed in 2012, consists of 16,500 photovoltaic panels on 27 acres. It is connected to the main campus electric power distribution system, and is expected to meet at least 5.5% of the University's annual electricity needs.

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Learn more about Princeton's Solar Collector Field on the Facilities project website.

Learn more about Princeton's future solar expansion.

View live campus energy generation and consumption data.

Find the University solar field on the map 

Please note: Visiting the Solar Field is only allowed in coordination with the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Engineering and Campus Energy.

Built in 2010, Streicker Bridge is part of a faculty research project related to testing material durability. It is outfitted with about 100 point sensors and a 122-foot cable-like sensor that takes measurements at 800 additional points. The sensors measure temperature, strain and vibration in the concrete. The data allow researchers to compare the actual performance of the bridge with computer simulations of how it is supposed to behave, in hopes of identifying structural problems in bridges before they become serious and require repairs. Ultimately, it is a study in durability.

Learn more about Streicker Bridge on the Facilities project website.

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The Washington Road Stream is a tributary (offshoot) of Lake Carnegie. In 2012, a restoration project was completed to reshape and restore 1,400 linear feet of the stream channel following years of degradation resulting in part from stormwater runoff. The restoration project has involved widening the stream and adding a flood plain to decrease the velocity of the water when flooding occurs. The slope of the stream has also been decreased to slow the everyday rate of the water and to stop erosion. The slowed stream, decelerated by turns and pools, is also expected to limit the erosion of the road and bedrock as well as limit the deposits of sediment into Lake Carnegie. This should help to improve the water quality in the lake. Along with the stream restoration, 4 acres of woodland have also been restored as part of Princeton’s 10 acre forest restoration project.

The Washington Road stream restoration project serves as a model of the University’s approach to linking sustainable operations and academic pursuits on campus. The restoration project and related outcomes are the subject of several research projects and the focus of undergraduate coursework under the direction of Dr. Eileen Zerba, a former senior lecturer in ecology and evolutionary biology. 

The Hydrometeorology Research Group focuses on measurement, analysis and modeling of atmospheric and land surface processes tied to the hydrologic cycle. The Hydrometeorology Lab maintains five stations around Princeton University campus. Data collected is used in on-going research of the Butler Green Roofs and Washington Stream Restoration. Areas of special interest of the group are radar rainfall estimates of extreme rainfall, flash floods especially in urban areas, atmospheric properties of the most extreme rainfall and rainfall properties of land-falling tropical storms.

Watch the video

Learn more about the Washington Road Stream Restoration on the Facilities project website.

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