Sustainability and Energy
The Office of Sustainability and Facilities Operations, both within Facilities Services, collaborate on the University’s sustainability goals and partner with students, faculty, and staff across campus to achieve a sustainable University of Chicago.
The Campus Planning + Sustainability and Capital Project Delivery units within Facilities Services are integrally involved in the delivery of high-performance buildings on campus, providing professional services and subject matter expertise.
Reporting
Sustainability Reporting is managed by the Office of Sustainability and includes the Sustainability Plan, Sustainability Plan Update, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, and annual formal greenhouse gas emissions inventory reporting.
Campus Energy Dashboards are managed by Facilities Operations and are available for viewing.
Initiatives
Campus sustainability initiatives are in alignment with the University of Chicago Sustainability Plan and include Climate Change and Energy, High-Performance Buildings, Multi-Modal Transportation, Waste Reduction, Food Systems, Green Space, Water Conservation, Environmentally Preferable Procurement, and Building Awareness and Partnerships.
Refer to Campus Goals for additional information.
Energy
Energy Services professionals conduct energy audits, implement energy conservation measures (ECM), and engage occupants with behavioral strategies to reduce energy consumption. They are an integral part of new project planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance. The energy team follows ENERGY STAR® Guidelines for energy management and relies on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to track usage, identify improvement opportunities, and validate successes. The University’s energy management information system also interfaces directly with Portfolio Manager, allowing for streamlined energy reporting. Please visit the Energy Landing Page for accomplishments and awards, energy dashboards, energy plans, news, ENERGY STAR Partnership information, and the Campus Engagement plan.
Events
UChicago’s Energy Services team has an annual plan to engage students in energy efficiency using ENERGY STAR tools. Energy and sustainability events can be found on the events page at sustainability.uchicago.edu/events.
Get Involved
The University of Chicago offers several opportunities to get involved in sustainability initiatives. Please visit get involved for additional information, including information about electronic waste, recycling, and a campus sustainability map.
Contact Us
We welcome your questions! Please contact us via email at officeofsustainability@uchicago.edu.