SUNY Cortland Awarded $375K by NYPA to Improve Sustainability

By Anca Gagiuc, Associate Editor

Alumni Arena, SUNY Cortland

New York—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) awarded SUNY Cortland with two state grants totaling $375,000. The money will be used to improve heating and cooling efficiency in two of its largest facilities and to support green lifestyles in an off-campus student apartment building.

The NYPA funds will support the college in retrofitting its primary athletic structure, Park Center, as well as Van Hoesen and Cornish halls, with high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and cutting-edge energy conservation measures.

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

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

A fraction of the grant will be used to install a new energy control system in two of the buildings in SUNY Cortland’s West Campus Apartments. The system will allow residents to closely monitor and control energy usage by individual apartments. College administrators imagine holding an energy-saving competition among building tenants.

“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.”

Image courtesy of Cortland Red Dragons