Can Stanford University help show the world how to manage the energy transition?

Can Stanford University help show the world how to manage the energy transition?

Lincoln Bleveans, the executive director of sustainability and energy management at Stanford University, tells Energy.Media how one of the most well-known universities in the United States is approaching the energy transition. Lincoln explains how Stanford is doing its part to combat climate change by forging a new approach to energy sourcing and consumption.

In this episode, Lincoln explains what Stanford University is doing to phase out fossil fuel consumption as part of a wider effort to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:

Stanford has gone from using an on-site natural gas-fired co-generation plant for electricity generation and heating and cooling operations to relying on transmission grid connections, plus a network of chillers and heat recovery and storage facilities. In the process, it’s also been able to increase its use of solar power.
The shift to solar power makes financial sense as well as environmental sense. It’s allowing Stanford to take advantage of the declining cost of solar power, while also shielding it from the volatility that currently characterizes natural gas markets.
The university is taking advantage of both advanced technologies, such as smart building systems that help optimize energy consumption, and features of the local landscape, such as local reservoirs that can be used as heat sinks.