Green Options » Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida College Grads Now Cleaning Offices

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:23:05 +0000

While your immediate response to the headline may have been “Yeah, the economy’s tough,” or “Hmmm… they must’ve been English, art history, or film studies majors,” Florida Gulf Coast University graduates Kylee Snyder and Michael Brinkman aren’t cleaning “country clubs, fitness centers, office buildings, restaurants and vacation rentals” because they had no other options. Rather, after winning a university business plan competition in 2007, they invested the $500 prize into a new venture: Green Leaf Cleaning.

Two years later, they’re not only still in business; they’re profitable.

In a brief interview with the Naples (Florida) Daily News, Snyder and Brinkman note that green cleaning isn’t just about jumping on a bandwagon: Snyder notes that their services can contribute to better indoor air quality (and fewer employee sick days), and can also contribute to LEED certification points. In the end, though, their most effective pitch involves cost savings: the two entrepreneurs have made sure to keep prices affordable while maintaining high green standards for their clients, and in their own operations.

Oregon Tech To Be Powered Entirely By Geothermal Energy

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:53:57 +0000

College students are demanding sustainability efforts in their schools, and now universities are stepping up to the plate. This past Tuesday, the Oregon Institute of Technology outlined a plan to build a $7.6 million geothermal power plant on campus. The plant will become the sole power source for the school in a few years, making Oregon Tech the only university to be powered completely by geothermal energy.

Since Klamath Falls, the home of Oregon Tech, sits near a fault line, heat and energy can be easily taken out of the earth.

And Oregon Tech isn’t the only institution to take advantage of the abundant geothermal energy in the area.

World’s Largest College-Based Solar Farm Coming to Florida

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:18:36 +0000

The Sunshine State might have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to solar energy installations, but it’s now on a fast track toward big improvements.

The tide began turning when Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican with a strong environmental sentiment and an affinity for renewable energy, first took office. Then came the debut earlier this year of Florida’s largest solar array to date, a 250-kilowatt installment in Sarasota County.

And now comes the news that Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Ft. Myers has been singled out by state lawmakers for an $8.5 million allocation to build a 16-acre solar farm on its campus. While the funding still needs a final OK from Crist, who’s likely to approve, the money would help FGCU construct what would be the largest university-based solar farm in the world.