During 10 weeks in the Fall semester of 2019, our group took a detailed look into how we could reduce emissions from the transportation sector here at Lafayette College. This project came on the heels of the College passing their Climate Action Plan 2.0 earlier on in 2019. The Climate Action Plan acted as an anchor for the project. It outlined the issue of emissions from the transportation sector needing to be reduced. However it gave very little methodology on how to approach that situation. The Lafayette College vehicle fleet was aging and in need of some serious alterations if it was to be seen as a sustainable piece of Lafayette’s transportation sector.
We started with a seemingly simple question of, “How can we reduce the emissions from the transportation sector here at Lafayette?”. We quickly discovered that purchasing a whole fleet of electric cars was out of the question as it did not truly solve our problem. We wanted to reduce the emissions produced here at Lafayette, not just shift them to the power plant down the road. We found that our solution was not a singular solution, but instead it was three separate components working together to create one cohesive system. Our solution was to combine sustainable energy production, electric car chargers, and electric and hybrid electric vehicles in order to reduce emissions from the vehicle fleet here at Lafayette. We found solar canopies in the form of solar carports allow the perfect medium for clean energy production to power our vehicles. By utilizing the wide open Bushkill Parking lot we would be able to implement an array of solar canopies, generating a significant amount of electricity to power the new cars without designating a certain plot of land solely for the purpose of solar panels. This energy source would also act as a potential revenue source for the college by selling any unused electricity back to the electric grid. Then by pairing the solar canopies with Level 2 electric car chargers we would be able to harness the energy created by the panels and channel it into the vehicles to power them without creating the large amount of GHG emissions associated with traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
When we dove deeper into the contexts surrounding the project, we found further support and guidance into the direction we wanted our project to take. The social environment surrounding this project proved that this project would not have been possible 10-15 years ago because the technological aspects were not as common and accepted by society. Electric charging, electric vehicles, and solar panels have all experienced a surge into mainstream society within the past few years making them prime targets for Lafayette College to utilize. This is a result of people beginning to recognize the issue of climate change. Climate change has invigorated politics and people alike to start addressing issues such as emissions by creating policies such as the Energy Policy Act as well as altering personal habits. As an elite liberal arts school Lafayette needs to bolster its reputation further and stand apart from its peers if it wants to reach the level of sustainability outlined within the Climate Action Plan 2.0.
Figure 14: “Lafayette’s Mission to Sustainability”, (Office of Sustainability, 2019)
In the long run this project should serve as an example for others to study in order to replicate our efforts in emissions reductions. Climate change is seen as a daunting task that no one individual or organization can truly change, but this is inaccurate. Each individual effort adds up and that is how lasting differences are made in the long run. A small reduction in emissions at a liberal arts school likely will fall short of solving climate change, however the ability of other schools and companies to look at our project and replicate it for their own fleets has the chance to actually put a dent into this massive problem of climate change.
As for the immediate future of this project here at Lafayette, there are several things that need to happen. First and foremost this report needs to be seen and scrutinized. The office of sustainability should review our research and findings. Then the office can determine if this is the route they imagined the project taking. If not, then they can return to the drawing board with a new capstone group next year. If Lafayette College actually wants to take steps towards carbon neutrality in the transportation sector then they will need to make some impactful decisions in the next few years. Over 60 licensed vehicles reach the end of their useful lives by the end of 2023, meaning there must be a plan in place once these cars do need to be replaced. Secondly, the people taking over the project should look to get more input and consultations on the proposed idea. These do not have to be expensive consulting firms charging outrageous costs but instead could very well be students, faculty, and employees of the school to get their input into whether or not they see this project as feasible. Finally, the report should be continually updated and expanded upon with new information. We have already looked upon schools from California like UC RIverside and even Rutgers in New Jersey on their attempts of implementing solar canopies. The more we can learn about how these projects function in the real world, the better chance this project has of working in its implementation down the line.
As students and faculty expand on different facets of this project, there needs to be constant communication with the Public Safety office and Department of Facilities as well. Individuals in these offices not only have numerous resources available to them to provide deeper insight into different analyses, but are also going to be the individuals impacted most directly. They will be the ones accommodating any installations of solar canopies and charging stations, driving the vehicles, and providing valuable insight into problems that may arise in the future. In any project it is crucial to create a collaborative environment that holistically tackles a common goal. This situation is no different and hopefully other groups will be able to expand on the foundation set by our group to produce real change on Lafayette’s campus.