College Wins Grants to Make Buildings More Sustainable

01/26/2016 

SUNY Cortland was recently awarded two state grants totaling $375,000 to improve heating and cooling efficiency in two of its largest facilities and to encourage “green” lifestyles in an off-campus student apartment building.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) funds will enable the College to retrofit Park Center, its primary athletic structure, and Van Hoesen and Cornish halls with high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and cutting-edge energy conservation measures.  

Park Center, the massive structure that houses Corey Gymnasium, Alumni Arena and many other facilities used by athletic teams and physical education classes, will benefit from the largest grant, a $250,000 award made as part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s BuildSmart initiative.

The 53-year-old Van Hoesen/Cornish classroom complex will be upgraded with a $125,000 grant awarded through the same program. That money will also pay to train SUNY Cortland employees on the new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

A portion of that grant will also be spent installing a new energy control system into two of the buildings in SUNY Cortland’s West Campus Apartments. The system allows residents to closely monitor and control energy usage by individual apartments. College administrators envision holding an energy-saving competition among building occupants.

“These grants will help the College reduce its energy bills and shrink its carbon footprint,” SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum said. “The New York Power Authority has been a valuable partner for SUNY Cortland on sustainability initiatives.”

Last year, NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the College’s new, environmentally friendly Student Life Center. The year before that, the agency gave SUNY Cortland’s 3,600-panel solar project two BuildSmart awards for excellence and innovation.