Sometimes simple ideas have big payoffs. The first two projects to receive funding from the University of Victoria's new Revolving Sustainability Fund will save the university enough energy and water, in less than five years, to pay for themselves in reduced utility costs.

The Department of Chemistry will replace the current lab aspirators with portable electric vacuum pumps. The current aspirators use a vacuum filtration system, requiring a constant flow of water at a maximum rate, whereas the new models use no water at all. The $30,600 project has an estimated payback period of 3.6 years and projected annual utility savings of $8,395.

The second funded project will result in the replacement of the carbon monoxide censors in the University Centre Parkade. The existing fans run 17 hours a day, whether they’re needed or not. With the new system, fans will only operate as required to keep the air quality in the parkade at a safe level. The $8,000 project is anticipated to result in annual energy savings of $2,920, and a payback period of 2.74 years.

"The $250,000 sustainability fund was established last year as a priority initiative in the Sustainability Action Plan for Campus Operations," says Dan MacKinnon, UVic sustainability coordinator. "The fund gives students, staff and faculty an opportunity to pitch their own ideas and help to reduce utility costs and the carbon footprint of our campus.” The fund is one of the first of its kind at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

Call for applications
The next deadline for applications to the Revolving Sustainability Fund is Feb. 29. For more information please contact Dan MacKinnon at danm@uvic.ca or 250-721-6678, or visit www.uvic.ca/sustainability.