[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/wind-turbine.jpg” caption=”Two vertical-axis wind turbines have been installed on the roof of the MIP building. Photo by Rod Paget. Below, more than 400 native trees and shrubs were planted on the slope behind Whidden Hall last fall as part of a woodland restoration project. Photo by Susan Bubak.”]This week's question was submitted by Daniel Wojcik, who wanted to know what the University is doing to reduce pollution and green the campus.

The most recent step toward a more environmentally friendly campus was made last week with the installation of a second vertical-axis wind turbine on the roof of the McMaster Innovation Park building.

The wind turbine will be fully operational by mid-June. The first wind turbine was installed at the same location last year. The combined peak output of both turbines is expected to be 7kW, and they may be connected to the building's power system in the future.

“Wind turbines are capable of producing significant amounts of clean energy [with] no greenhouse gases nor pollutants,” said Stephen Tullis, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “They can and do produce large amounts of power in various parts of the world.” He added that wind turbines are currently used in Denmark, Germany and Spain, as well as parts of the US and southern Alberta.

Although wind turbines cannot provide 100 per cent of a building's energy needs because it isn't always windy, Tullis said they “will become part of the mix of solutions to the need for sustainable energy supplies in the future.”

The project is a joint initiative between the Campus Renewal Partnership (CRP) and Ameresco Canada Inc. The CRP's aim is to reduce the Univeristy's utility and maintenance costs by renewing aging equipment and infrastructure. Launched in 2003 with an investment of more than $28 million, the CRP program is one of the largest of its kind in Canada, encompassing 25 campus buildings and covering 3.3 million square feet.

The retrofits included heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC); lighting upgrades; new air-handling systems to improve indoor air quality; steam trap replacement to improve HVAC efficiency and performance; new electronic sensors and thermostats; automated building systems to control heating and cooling; roof replacement; and washroom toilet and flush valve retrofits.

The CRP has enabled the campus to reduce its energy consumption by 23 per cent, which amounts to annual energy savings of more than $1.5 million, seven per cent above the original target. This translates to a 25 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. McMaster has succeeded in lowering CO2 emissions by 8,500 tonnes per year — the equivalent of taking approximately 1,400 cars off the road.

As for greening the campus, more than 400 native trees and shrubs were planted on the slope behind Whidden Hall last fall as part of a woodland restoration project.

In early November, several grounds crew members spent a week planting the trees and shrubs, which include sugar maple, butternut, cherry birch and elderberry. The plants will provide wildlife with a source of food and habitat.

The mulch used to prevent erosion on the slope was made of wood chips and leaves collected from other parts of campus. An orange fence was installed around the area prevent pedestrians from trampling the young saplings.

To submit your Question of the Week, please e-mail daily@mcmaster.ca.