Thompson Rivers University recently received $263,700 from the federal government program, NRCan, Terasen Gas, and the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement (PSECA), to build three solar projects on its Kamloops campus.

The projects, now underway, are expected to be completed by the end of December, 2010, will heat 85 per cent of the domestic hot water for TRU’s Old Main building, the Campus Activity Centre addition and Independent Centre student area, as well as the meat-cutting facility in the university’s Culinary Arts Training Centre, said TRU’s Energy Manager, James Gudjonson.

“TRU has worked fast to honour its commitment to creating a sustainable campus” – Tom Owen, TRU Environment Sustainability director

“TRU has worked fast to honour its commitment to creating a sustainable campus,” explained TRU Environment and Sustainability Director, Tom Owen, who was hired last year to lead the university in reaching its greenhouse gas reduction and environmental sustainability targets.

“These solar projects will be integrated with our previously announced energy retrofit program, bringing our energy refit total to $1.5 million,” he said.  In the past year, the campus has installed water-bottle refill stations, created a campus carpool program, partnered with the City of Kamloops to offer full recycling on campus, hired an energy manager, and completed a major energy study detailing work to be done to exceed the university’s energy reduction target by 10 per cent over the next three years.