Energy at App State
Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. Our holistic, three-branched approach asks us to consider if actions are sustainable economically, environmentally, and equitably in relationship to our planet’s co-inhabitants. As active stewards of our state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources, we challenge one another to think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications.
App State’s dedicated faculty and staff are more committed than ever to providing students with a holistic view of sustainability to meet present and future students needs. Students interested in sustainability should consider the various sustainability-related degree programs offered at App State.
Team Sunergy
Team Sunergy is made up of graduate and undergraduate students at App State from a diverse range of departments including Physics, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, Business, Music, and Computer Science. Through their unique compilation of skills, they seek to represent North Carolina and our University’s commitment to sustainable energy initiatives at international solar vehicle competitions.
University Sustainability
Sustainability at App State is not a trend, it is a tradition. We are active stewards of our state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources. Through engaged scholarship, App State balances critical, creative and global thinking in a living laboratory, transforming theory into practice and fostering responsible citizenship.
Climate Stories Collaborative
The Climate Stories Collaborative is a learning community aimed at growing the capacity of faculty and students to use creative expression to tell compelling climate stories, including the stories of those who are affected by, and/or taking action to address, climate change. The project began in the spring of 2017 in the College of Fine & Applied Arts, but is now university-wide in scope.
Energy-related clubs
At App State, there are several opportunities for students to get involved in energy-related clubs. Take a look at and consider joining the following groups engaging in different energy initiatives.
Solar Club (ASUSES)
The Solar Club engages students and community members in various hands-on sustainability initiatives and creates excitement over sustainable energy systems. More broadly, their purpose is to educate, enlighten, and inform students and the community about solar and other renewable energy applications, green building, and other aspects of sustainable living.
Renewable Energy Initiative (ASUREI)
The Appalachian State University Renewable Energy Initiative is a student-led, student-funded organization that seeks to install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. Since its inception in 2005, the ASUREI has funded a number of projects, including the Broyhill Wind Turbine, which, until recently, was the largest wind turbine in North Carolina.
Collaborative Biodiesel Project
The Collaborative Biodiesel Project is a student-led initiative at Appalachian State University and is partially funded by the EPA P3 Award: Student Design Competition for Sustainability. The purpose of the project is to create a closed loop biodiesel processing facility that provides for its own energy needs, and recycles its waste products.