Minnesota State Mankato Carbon Footprint Down 15%

Initiatives Reduce Greenhouse Emissions

Energy saving efforts accounted for a 15.6 percent reduction in the carbon footprint at Minnesota State University, Mankato, according to a newly released seven-year study.

From 2011 to 2018, the University (dated Sept. 23, 2019) shows its amount of greenhouse gases declining largely around three initiatives.

A carbon footprint interprets the total greenhouse gases caused from the use of electricity, the combustion of natural gas to heat buildings and for hot water, and tailpipe emissions from cars and buses commuting to and from campus.  

The Environmental Committee attributed the reduced carbon footprint to three principal causes. 

  • Increased efficiency of the University’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems reduced the University’s carbon footprint by 2.9 percent every year since implementation. This resulted in a $119,000 yearly savings after an initial net cost of $13,000 to the University.  
  • Campus-wide replacement of flourescent bulbs with LED lighting. The $8 million cost for the project is being paid through savings of approximately $400,000 annually in the University’s electricity and heating costs.
  • The third cause of the decreased carbon footprint was a greater number of students, faculty and staff either walking to campus instead of driving their cars or not commuting at all. 

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