The Office of Sustainability has implemented EV charging stations in Lot 5, between East Hall and the Rosza Center. The construction started last year with the construction of East Hall. Director of Sustainability Alan Turnquist shared that “getting power to charger locations is typically the most expensive part of EV charger installation. We chose East Hall because installing electrical infrastructure in new construction is much easier and cheaper than retrofitting existing buildings. We worked with the design team to include a breaker and run conduit from the electrical room to the charger locations. While relatively simple, the process took nearly two years due to building construction timelines.”
When asked about potential growth, Tony Abe, the Transportation Operations Assistant Manager, stated that “with the increased popularity of electric vehicles, we will always plan accordingly for an increase in accommodating chargers. There is no definitive goal in place as these are the first ones on campus and we will be monitoring the usage and evaluating future needs.” Turnquist shared that “we’re letting demand drive expansion. Software on the East Hall chargers tracks usage and number of users. If we see strong uptake, we’ll add more. We’re preparing for future growth: H-STEM already has extra electrical capacity and conduit to Cliff Drive for easy charger installation. We’ll continue building this infrastructure into major remodels and new construction. Transportation Services has been instrumental in this effort. The Upper Administration made parking free for parking pass holders as an added service. If billing becomes necessary, we’ll keep rates at or below home charging costs.”
Turnquist says, “There’s a strong business case for sustainability—it’s not a choice between environmental or [economic] solutions. Many initiatives offer win-win scenarios. Beyond EV chargers, our facilities staff are modernizing lighting and heating systems that improve comfort, save hundreds of thousands annually, and reduce our carbon footprint by over a thousand tons per year. We have more work ahead, but we’re making solid progress.”
