Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
energy for all.
Affordable and Clean Energy Globally
Across the world, improvements are being made in the area of affordable and clean
energy. However, 789 million people still lack access to electricity,
and 2.8 billion lack access to clean and safe cooking fuels and technology. Improving
access in these areas, particularly for vulnerable communities in developing countries,
will be key.
The United Nations also recognizes that it is important this energy not only be
affordable and accessible, but also clean and sustainable. Currently, energy remains the
largest contributor to climate change, accounting for about 60% of global greenhouse
gas emissions annually. The impact of the reliance on unsustainable energy can be seen
in the current moment: indoor air pollution from combustible fuels caused an
estimated 4.3 million deaths in 2021. Increasing the share of renewable energy on the
global scale will prevent better health and well-being for all, as well as reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
Statistics from the United Nations website.
Affordable and Clean Energy Locally
Texas is a significant contributor to the United States energy system. According to Green Dallas, Texas is the largest petroleum refiner in the US,
produces more than 3 times the natural gas than any other state, and also leads in wind
and biodiesel production. Issues with the Texas energy grid made national news in
February of 2021 when a disastrous winter storm wreaked havoc on
ERCOT [Electric Reliability Council of Texas]
and the electric grid. In the future, energy will continue to remain a significant
sustainability and accessibility issue. It will be vital for the state of Texas to
continue producing renewable energy and be effectively prepared for possible future
climate disasters.
Highlights
Classroom Lighting Management System
A research project was designed to install multiple sensors at different appropriate
locations in classroom buildings. Proposed and researched by a Master of Engineering Student,
the idea would solve a problem of limited visibility of occupancy-based lighting
management systems (sensors) on campus. This research has been developed
under the supervision of faculty in a lab setting and is currently being piloted
in a meeting room on campus.
Conservation Conversations: The Policy Perspective
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Photo Source: Recording of the Event
For Campus Sustainability Month in November of 2020, Eco Rep Paulina Hruskoci
hosted Conservation Conversations: The Policy Perspective. During this panel event,
Paulina hosted speakers from the Bipartisan Policy Center, Citizen’s Climate Lobby,
Green Dallas, and the Roosevelt Institute to discuss renewable energy and climate action
legislation. At this event, the most highly attended sustainability month event,
the 50+ attendees were able to ask the panelists questions regarding the future
of renewables.
Building Energy Consumption
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
UT Dallas is committed to energy conservation and transitioning away from high
energy use lighting. Revolving Fund is utilized to fund
LED [Light Emitting Diode]
retrofits throughout campus. In FY 19, over $60,000 has been spent on retrofits.
The construction standards require
LED [Light Emitting Diode] s
for exterior lighting. The Research and Operations Center West and Bioengineering
Science Building are
LED [Light Emitting Diode]
only buildings. Outreach by Student Government’s Green Initiative and the Office
of Sustainability has also been conducted to improve energy consumption. Green Initiative
placed light switch stickers in buildings to conserve energy. The Office of Sustainability
offers Green Office and Green Lab initiatives to inform staff and faculty on campus how
to conserve energy, dispose of waste, and maintain a sustainable workplace. On peak energy
usage days, the Office of Sustainability also sends out a mass email regarding sustainability
to improve efficiency.
Solar Panels
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Solar Panels at various locations provide some renewable energy to power campus.
At Parking Structure 1, four rows of solar panels are designed to produce 227 kW
of energy, enough to supply the energy needs for the entire structure. This makes Parking
Structure 1 a net-zero energy building. At the Engineering and Computer Science North
(ECSN [Engineering and Computer Science North] )
building, solar panels on the roof provide 1.2 kW of energy to be used in the Renewable
Energy and Vehicular Technology lab. Solar panels at the UT Dallas Research and
Operations Center
(ROC [Research and Operations Center] )
provide charging for faculty golf carts, allowing them to drive to the main campus
without emissions. Installed in 2021, these 4-kilowatt panels are connected to batteries
that are capable of storing 15 kilowatts, which provides for nighttime charging. Lastly,
solar thermal panels on the roof of the Student Services Building
(SSB [Student Services Building] )
heat the building’s water, decreasing the amount of electricity needed for the
building’s operations.
Renewable Energy Research
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 13: Climate Action
The University of Texas at Dallas is leading in several areas of renewable
energy research. In 2019, a research team led by Dr. Babak Fahimi developed a generator
prototype that uses liquid metal to convert waste heat into clean electricity.
Fahimi shared that “heat is an abundant renewable energy source. In data centers,
for example, we spend a lot of time getting rid of the heat by using chillers and air
conditioning. Our work focuses on recycling that heat back to electricity.”
Read more at the Jonsson School press release.
In 2020, Dr. Todd Griffith, an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at
UT Dallas, won a $3M grant from the Department of Energy to produce a deep-sea
wind turbine. The goal of the project is to develop technology for cost effective and
reliable energy offshore.
Read more from the Dallas Innovates article.
Through a partnership with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, UT Dallas
also works to foster collaboration in a research center called WindSTAR. When the group
met on campus at UT Dallas in 2018, University and industry researchers were able to share progress
and future research projects.
Energy Management Program
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
In our Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas offers both a MS in
Energy Management and an undergraduate concentration and minor in Energy Management.
In the MS in Energy Management program, coursework is a synergy of core MBA and energy
courses. Instead of focusing on textbooks, much of the curriculum surrounds oil and gas
contracts and energy agreements.
Learn more about the MS in Energy Management.
The Energy Management concentration was developed
to help fill the need for future managers who understand the interdisciplinary nature
of an energy career and are able to identify challenges and opportunities presented by
dynamic market conditions. The course deals with both domestic and international energy
industries. Upon completing the Energy Management concentration, students will be able
to enter management track careers at oil and gas companies, U.S and international energy
government service, energy-focused investment banks, financial institutions, consulting
companies, and major energy consuming firms; participate in policy formation and
evaluation at the federal, state, and local level; and pursue conventional and
renewable project development.
Goals / Future Work
- Expand educational programming regarding energy conservation on campus
- Continue to support research efforts regarding renewable energy
- Increase solar panel locations on campus
Other Work We Do
The programs highlighted here are just one piece of the work we do on campus to achieve
SDG 7 [Sustainable Development Goal 7] .
View the full dataset (PDF [Portable Document Format File] ),
guided by the Association of Advancement in Higher Education
(AASHEAssociation of Advancement in Higher Education)’s
Sustainable Development Goal translation guide.
Learn More
- Take the online courses regarding Affordable and Clean Energy from SDG Academy
- Learn more about the targets and indicators at the UN Global Goals website
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