From the campus wide recycling program to the lighting fixtures in the Liacouras Center, the Office of Facilities Management is responsible for monitoring the use of energy across campus.

So it should come as no surprise that one of the department’s priorities is to lessen the university’s energy consumption by investing in “green” alternatives.

“President Hart made it clear that sustainability was a focus of hers and an issue that she wants the entire campus to pay attention to,” said Tom Dinardo, director of Facilities Management. “Our department uses a lot of energy, so we're always looking for alternatives that will allow us to lessen emissions and conserve energy usage.”

In an effort to create a more environmentally friendly campus, the Facilities recently invested in two 2008 Ford Escape Hybrids for on-campus use, which will run on electricity part-time.

Facilities workers will use the vehicles for deliveries and transporting equipment across campus, as well as other jobs that require the use of a small vehicle, Dinardo said.

By utilizing these new vehicles, Facilities workers will limit energy consumption and cut down on harmful emissions, Dinardo said.

Saving energy on campus didn’t begin with the purchase of new hybrids, Dinardo said. Since 2002 the department, which has 65 vehicles including a fleet of garbage trucks, pick-up trucks and standard cars, has purchased six large vehicles that run on natural gas, and it recently installed a slow-fill natural gas pump that is used to fuel these vehicles.