Higher Education
Reliable, clean, cost-effective energy solutions for colleges and universities across the nation.
Industry at
a Glance
College campuses have diverse facility infrastructure, with unique characteristics and varied energy needs.
Environmental stewardship on-campus is the responsibility of all university stakeholders – universities are challenged to function as models of sustainable communities and are taking actions to advance their visions on multiple fronts.
Generating clean, reliable power directly on campus is an instrumental piece in helping colleges and universities achieve their mission of educating students and representing thought leadership.
Quick Facts About
Higher Education
- U.S. colleges spend $14 billion on energy annually, according to the U.S. EPA, with 80% attributable to buildings, making it a big-ticket expense for campuses.
- Higher education is particularly risk adverse to power outages Universities host $80 billion annually in research and development, much of it heavily dependent on electricity.
- A 2020 Princeton Review survey of more than 10,000 college applicants found that two-thirds of them would factor in schools’ environmental commitments – including commitments related to energy use – when deciding where to attend.
Overcoming Energy
Challenges
Mitigating Risk
U.S. grid outages have increased 60% over the past decade. Colleges and universities are increasing preparedness so that when the time comes, they can continue full operations and be safe, reliable anchors for their communities.
Resilient Solution
Bloom can operate independently of the grid. Because fuel is received through the underground pipeline system, they are significantly less susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather, enabling safe, continuous operation and avoiding costly consequences of unplanned downtime.
Lowering Emissions
Given the mixed use nature of campus buildings, strategic energy initiatives primarily focus on lowering consumption through efficiency and conservation efforts – both critical to reducing overall GHG emissions.
Sustainable Solution
Fuel cells generate electricity though an electrochemical process rather than combustion. This avoids emitting harmful criteria air pollutants that cause severe respiratory diseases and poor air quality worldwide. Fuel cells reduce carbon emissions compared to the grid and combustion-based technologies, and are also fuel flexible with the ability to run on biogas or hydrogen for carbon neutral emissions options.
Controlling Costs
Many colleges and universities have tight operating budgets, so it’s especially important to find low- or no-cost ways to reduce expenses. Traditional electricity delivered from the grid exposes institutions to fluctuating prices that make budgets difficult to achieve.
Predictable Solution
In addition to avoiding outage-related costs that can reach into the millions of dollars, Bloom’s solution enables customers to hedge against volatility and price escalation by fixing a large portion of their electricity cost, providing multiple financing options and flexible term lengths.