Sustainability campus tour

1. The Life Sciences Center has 40 solar thermal panels which absorb the sun's heat and use it to heat up water.

2. The Mona Campbell Building has a solar wall which is a solar air heating system that uses the power of the sun to heat the building’s ventilation air. It minimizes energy consumption, heating costs and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the heating season.

3. The Computer Science Building has 80 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed in front of a solar duct system on the roof.

4. LeMarchant Place has 46 solar thermal panels as a means to heat hot water.

5. The Student Union Building has 43 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and the Weldon Law building has 16 PV panels. PV panels use the sun to generate electricity.

6. There have been energy and water projects completed including campus lighting upgrades in buildings and outdoor lighting (LEDs), major energy upgrades of the Life Sciences Center and Student Union building, as well as campus-wide water fixture upgrades and more.

10. You can take a self guided tour of the LEED® Gold certified Mona Campbell building using the green directory and signs or watch our video. Features include a rainwater cistern, building-activated art, and a green roof.

11. Visit the Steele Ocean Sciences building (LEED® Silver certified) to use the bike Fixit station and the electric vehicle charge station.

12. Visit the LeMarchant Place building (LEED® Gold certified) and see solar thermal panels for hot water heating, low-flow fixtures, vegetative green roof, variable refrigerant flow heat recovery heat pump system, as well an electric charge station in parking lot behind building.

13. Visit the Wallace McCain Learning Commons (WMLC) (LEED® Silver certified) to see the first building to have all LED lighting, green roof, FSC certified wood, and refillable bottle station.

14. The Life Science Research Institute is a LEED® Silver certified building. There are a number of green feature include high rates of construction and demolition diversion, energy efficient motor drives, natural landscaping and LED lighting.

17. The Fitness Centre (LEED® Gold candidate) has highly insulated walls and roof, day lighting, low flow water fixtures, EV charges, vegetative bioswale, and more.

18, See the permeable pavement at back of the Steele Ocean Sciences building. Permeable paving systems allows water to drip through the pavement and into the soil below. Permeable paving systems filters pollutants from storm water and reduces surface runoff. 

19. There is a rain garden on the corner of Coburg and Oxford and the Killam Loop. Rain gardens are specially-designed garden beds that filter storm water runoff.

20. There is a green roof between Dentistry and Burbidge buildings help to slow down storm water.

21. Hundreds of bike racks are installed across campus. Visit the campus Bike Centre at the Studley Gym. Dalhousie has a student and employee bus pass. Bike Fix-it stations are available at the Student Union Building and the Oceans Science Building.

22. Dalhousie Urban Garden Society manages an on-campus food garden behind the Computer Science building. Biodiversity replacement programs are restoring native and adapted species. A naturalized pond (ocean pond) was created beside the Chase Building Native species have been planted around the Life Science Research Institute and other locations on campus.

23. View many idle free signs around campus and ride share [link to Ride Sharing page] parking spots. Dalhousie has signed a workplace agreement with Communauto Atlantic’s and Dalhousie departments and faculties can access CarShare Atlantic’s fleet of cars around Halifax. Car share spots are located on Studley campus at the Grad House.

24. Dalhousie has hundreds of courses and programs on environment and sustainability across faculties. Visit the College of Sustainability first floor of the Mona Campbell building, Environmental Science Program 8th Floor of the Life Science Center (Biology) and School for Resource and Environmental Studies [link to SRES homepage] at the Kenneth C. Rowe Management building.

25. The University Office of Sustainability, in the Central Services building, focuses on campus operations.

26. The Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office is located in the Student Union Building (2nd floor). There are many Dalhousie student societies that have an environment and sustainability agenda [link to Student Action page].

6. Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic (PV) Panels are mounted on C Building for research. 

7. 12 solar PV panel systems are in the soccer field.

8. 469 solar PV panels are providing power to Emera IDEA building & Richard Murray Design building

16. The Emera IDEA building & Richard Murray Design building (LEED® Gold candidates pursing LEED Platinum) have many unique sustainability features including 60 well geo-exchange system, 469 solar PV panels, rainwater cistern, battery storage, and more. Watch our video of Sustainability features on Sexton Campus.

21. As part of the SmartTrip program, hundreds of bike racks are installed across campus. Dalhousie has a student and employee bus pass. A bike Fix-it station is available at the Medjuck building.

23. View many idle free signs around campus and ride share parking spots. Dalhousie has signed a workplace agreement with CarShare Atlantic’s and Dalhousie departments and faculties can access CarShare Atlantic’s fleet of cars around Halifax. Car share spots are located on Sexton campus in front of Gerard Hall.

24. Dalhousie has hundreds of courses and programs on environment and sustainability across faculties. Sexton hosts the Bachelor of Environmental Design and Environmental Engineering programs.

1. There are solar panels at the Tree House.

2. The main campus heating plant provides heating to 95% of the campus on a district energy system using biomass as the main fuel. Through the project, the steam distribution system has been replaced with a district hot water system which is 30% more energy efficient. The old wood biomass steam boiler has been replaced with a biomass fired based thermal oil heater.The thermal oil heat moves a 1 MW turbine used to create electricity. This efficient organic rankine cycle (ORC) system is a first installation of its kind at a University campus in North America.

3. Many projects have been completed including campus lighting and housing energy upgrades  A renewable energy study for the campus has been completed. Energy efficiency projects such as high efficiency pumps and fridge-freezer exchange have also been implemented.

4. The Bio-Environmental Engineering Centre (BECC) is a research and demo site exploring issues such as grass-based heating fuel and anaerobic organic energy production.

5. The Tree House is a bungalow that provides space for graduate students. The House has efficient lighting, including LED tube lighting, low-flow fixtures, and different types of insulation that are being monitored for thermal performance.

6. Off the main campus at Perennia Park at the end of Research Drive, research is underway on using natural vegetative systems to manage storm and waste water.

7. A bioswale was designed and implemented to manage stormwater and contribute to the aesthetic value on campus.

8. At the Gym, campus members can borrow a bike. Racks are provided on campus and some fleet vehicles are electric. A bike corridor (Cobequid Trail) passes through the back of campus.

9. The campus has two large gardens: a Chef’s garden used for teaching and local food production and a community garden for community and campus members. Native species are being planted. There are many other formal gardens on campus. An active demonstration garden is being cultivated across Pictou Rd.

10. The Agricultural Campus offers a variety of environment and sustainability courses across the four departments. Visit the Environmental Science and Integrated Environmental Management program at the Banting building.

11. Dalhousie recycles electronics, organic material, paper and cardboard, recyclables, construction and demolition material, white goods, and universal waste items like batteries and paint on all campuses. Look for four-bin sorting systems in every Bld. Manure and ash from the Biomass plant on campus is composted for field application.