Electrifying Embry-Riddle: A Plan for Carbon Neutrality

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Campus

Daytona Beach

Presentation Description/Abstract

Electrifying Embry-Riddle: A Plan for Carbon Neutrality

Jared Kane, Gavin Madden, Tyler McGinnis, Gage Poindexter

The effects of global warming have become increasingly more significant in recent years. The constant and excessive use of fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas has resulted in the immense emission of greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. Switching to sustainable energy can reduce carbon output greatly, creating a much cooler and healthier atmosphere. ERAU can switch to electric alternatives via starting small. When the facility equipment becomes “cost inefficient” to run, we recommend that it be replaced with an electric counterpart. This solution could result in a cleaner environment and much lower utility costs for the university. Given the higher initial costs of electric facilities, ERAU could approach this problem by investing overtime. At first investing in smaller, less expensive alternatives such as hand-held landscaping equipment, then begin to invest in larger electric vehicles and the infrastructure to power them. From survey data collected, a majority of the ERAU facilities managers consider global warming to be an important issue to them and that they were highly interested in making the ERAU facilities sustainable. Of the facility managers that were interested in converting the university into using sustainable energy, they stated it would take a few years before any significant changes are established. Embry-Riddle should pursue this plan to greatly reduce the emissions the university produces.

Keywords: Electric Vehicles, Carbon Footprint, Electric Facilities

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Electrifying Embry-Riddle: A Plan for Carbon Neutrality

Electrifying Embry-Riddle: A Plan for Carbon Neutrality

Jared Kane, Gavin Madden, Tyler McGinnis, Gage Poindexter

The effects of global warming have become increasingly more significant in recent years. The constant and excessive use of fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas has resulted in the immense emission of greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. Switching to sustainable energy can reduce carbon output greatly, creating a much cooler and healthier atmosphere. ERAU can switch to electric alternatives via starting small. When the facility equipment becomes “cost inefficient” to run, we recommend that it be replaced with an electric counterpart. This solution could result in a cleaner environment and much lower utility costs for the university. Given the higher initial costs of electric facilities, ERAU could approach this problem by investing overtime. At first investing in smaller, less expensive alternatives such as hand-held landscaping equipment, then begin to invest in larger electric vehicles and the infrastructure to power them. From survey data collected, a majority of the ERAU facilities managers consider global warming to be an important issue to them and that they were highly interested in making the ERAU facilities sustainable. Of the facility managers that were interested in converting the university into using sustainable energy, they stated it would take a few years before any significant changes are established. Embry-Riddle should pursue this plan to greatly reduce the emissions the university produces.

Keywords: Electric Vehicles, Carbon Footprint, Electric Facilities