Sustainability in higher education (Part 2): 4 ways to rethink district energy systems
June 12, 2026
Universities can reduce emissions by unlocking campus district energy, wastewater heat, open-loop geothermal, and better messaging
Colleges and universities can—and probably should—push sustainability in higher education further than they think. They can start today. And they can do it with existing technologies.
Colleges and universities want to cut their carbon appetites. More than 1,050 universities across 68 countries have pledged to hit net zero by 2050 in Race to Zero. In Canada, roughly 75 percent of universities have committed to reducing their emissions. The awareness is there. The urgency is building. Now it's time for action on sustainability in higher education.
In part one of this series, we talked about why colleges and universities want to reduce their carbon appetites. We highlighted the importance of a carbon-neutral master plan and the steps they can take to decarbonize a higher ed campus.
Here, we’re talking about four hidden areas in campus sustainability where universities can cut their energy appetites. We will also look at how to leverage the district energy systems at their core and how to get started right away.
A new low-carbon district energy system, designed by our team in collaboration with Creative Energy and BC Hydro, is underway at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Have you seen the old smokestack on campus?
You’ve seen that smokestack that dominates the college campus skyline. It reminds us how much opportunity there is for campus sustainability. And how much still exists to modernize.
Many older campuses still operate central power plants that burn fossil fuels. For some, they have found ways to update their systems. Cogeneration and combined heat and power systems with heat recovery steam generators can be an effective way to update campus power and enhance efficiency and resiliency. They can even protect highly electrified campuses from price spikes during times of peak demand.
More broadly speaking, we see the university campus as an ideal setting for a district energy program. It’s often a self-contained community that runs its own power grid. Rather than see this as a roadblock to sustainability in higher education, it can be an opportunity. These existing district energy systems can be the backbone of something much better. Modernize them, and you don't just cut emissions—you build a smarter, more resilient campus.
When it comes to energy, there is global uncertainty and fluctuating prices. That gives universities more incentives to find energy savings. The big news is that campuses can go much further with decarbonization than they think. And they can do it using existing technology and approaches before investing in big-ticket items like photovoltaics.
Key takeaway: Universities need to see the campus as its own district energy system. Then, they will find potential energy and carbon savings that building-by-building retrofits simply can't match.
Here are four questions—and the strategic answers—for sustainability in higher education that universities can focus on right now.
1. How do you turn data center waste heat into something useful?
Data centers are critical to today’s world. The key is to integrate them into campus energy strategies. We shouldn’t view them as an isolated, energy‑intensive asset.
Across North America, new data centers are springing up everywhere. Many of these facilities can handle advanced processing, which includes artificial intelligence. Of course, they require more power.
Universities, as knowledge and research hubs, are significant consumers of that processing power. Today's AI-focused racks run at 80 to 150 kilowatts (kW) compared to just 10 to 15 kW for traditional racks. In 2023, data centers consumed 4.4 percent of all US electricity. And that figure could double or triple by 2028 as AI demand surges. And data centers are heating up. Advanced processing generates waste heat, which requires new approaches to cooling.
According to the International District Energy Organization, data centers in the US are projected to consume over 600 terawatt-hours of electricity by 2030. This will result in the generation of more than 2 quadrillion British thermal units of waste heat. To put it in perspective, that is more than the US commercial sector uses for heat in a full year.
According to the International District Energy Organization, data centers in the US are projected to consume over 600 terawatt-hours of electricity by 2030.
Liquid-based cooling offers universities a great opportunity. They can remove data center waste heat and use it to warm nearby buildings through a campus district energy system.
It’s a modern spin on a classic win-win: Cool the data center and use its waste heat elsewhere.
We can reuse data center waste heat and position it as a “bullseye” within campus energy master planning efforts. A growing number of campuses and cities are already showing how waste heat recovery can scale when planning, infrastructure, and partnerships align.
Universities are already using this technology. Since 2023, the Technological University of Dublin’s Tallaght campus has been heated by waste heat from a nearby data center. In fact, it heats several buildings in southwest suburban Dublin.
There are similar setups in Denmark and Paris. And Ontario and British Columbia have several projects in the works that will use surplus heat from data centers in district energy systems.
The National Lab of the Rockies—where our team designed the pioneering net zero research support facility expansion and other buildings—is similar to a university in its research and computing environments. The NLR campus captures waste heat from its supercomputing data center for office and lab heating. The design included thermal distribution loops for the NLR campus.
North American universities can do something similar. Many large research universities run large or multiple data centers on campus. Others are adjacent to research parks. And those in urban areas may be in proximity to commercial data centers.
They can use surplus heat from their own data centers or partner with nearby commercial computing hubs. And that way, “waste” heat isn’t wasted, it’s part of a plan for better sustainability in higher education.
Key takeaway: Treat data center waste heat as a useful asset to campus decarbonization.
2. How can campus wastewater be a heat source?
Leveraging wastewater-to-energy transfer and other “hidden heat” sources can feed district or campus energy systems. Let’s focus on water.
Universities use a lot of water for their student housing, dining, landscaping, and facilities. When those buildings and uses are done with warm water, they discharge it to sewer lines. This wastewater represents an untapped heat source on campus.
A heat-recovery system can capture that heat before it leaves the campus. With heat pumps and heat exchangers, it transfers thermal energy from wastewater into a clean-water loop. The loop feeds into the district energy network so that thermal energy can be used to heat and cool buildings. A big win for campus sustainability.
Our team helped shape an energy strategy around performance, adaptability, and future growth for this new district in Vancouver, British Columbia. By prioritizing recovered and recycled energy, the Sen̓áḵw District Energy System captures waste heat from the adjacent sewer network and combines it with water‑source heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and high‑efficiency equipment. (Image courtesy of Creative Energy)
We have used this kind of system on Sen̓áḵw, a mixed‑use development in Vancouver, British Columbia.
By prioritizing recovered and recycled energy, the district energy system captures waste heat from the adjacent sewer network. It features water‑source heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and high‑efficiency equipment. The result is a district energy system delivering 26 megawatts (MW) of heating and 12 MW of cooling. Low-carbon strategies should yield 30 percent annual energy savings for the new neighborhood.
Key takeaway: Recycle heat from wastewater systems in a campus district energy system to boost savings.
Speaking of heating and cooling buildings, there’s some new thinking around deploying geothermal on campus.
3. What are new approaches to geothermal systems?
Traditional closed-loop geothermal systems have served campuses for decades. These systems allow fluid to circulate through sealed underground pipes to absorb or release heat.
They work. But they require significant borehole drilling, a lot of land area, and considerable upfront investment.
Now, we are talking to campus clients about open-loop aquifer systems. These can serve as either their first geothermal system or an expansion strategy to their first‑generation geothermal systems, which might include a deep hole closed loop.
So, what makes an open-loop aquifer system worth the conversation?
In this system, the aquifer supplies groundwater. The system passes it through a heat exchanger, then sends it back. The aquifer, which could be hundreds or a thousand feet beneath the surface, acts as a heat sink in warmer months and a source of heat in colder months. The aquifer has a stable temperature and a high heat capacity. We’ve found these systems can achieve high efficiency and performance. In the right setting, they’re less expensive to install—with much fewer boreholes required.
If your campus is constrained by cost or space, these are great options. And they can be connected to district energy systems. And some schools even use their open-loop wells for living-learning laboratories and build a curriculum around sustainability in higher education.
We are talking to campus clients about open-loop aquifer systems. These can serve as either their first geothermal system or an expansion strategy to their first‑generation geothermal systems.
We have created open-loop geothermal systems on several projects. These include the evolv 1 building and the Prince George Royal Canadian Mounted Police Detachment Facility. We are seeing universities install aquifer-based geothermal systems to heat and cool campus buildings. We are currently reviewing open-loop feasibility for several projects in development. And we believe there are many more opportunities to use open-loop geothermal systems in energy districts.
Key takeaway: Open-loop systems mean fewer hurdles to a campus adopting geothermal.
However, cutting emissions isn’t always about using new technology. It can start with communication.
4. How do you invest in user education to influence occupant behavior?
One of the biggest challenges to help decarbonize a campus is changing occupant behavior. A university campus has many buildings, rooms, and individuals using them. And there are a lot of lights, computers, and other equipment that use power.
The good news? Universities have a measure of control. It starts with fostering a culture of campus sustainability and encouraging positive behavior changes.
And behavioral change doesn't require a large capital budget or the latest technology. It can start with signs and posters. It requires the right information, delivered at the right moment. Engaging everyone on campus not only reduces emissions, it promotes sustainability as a team effort.
Even better? Campuses can use the data they’re gathering about resource and energy use to tell the story. This can help students, faculty, and staff make better decisions each day. It can also help them to understand recent upgrades to the campus. Think about signage (or a dynamic video screen) that shows how much water a new low-flow system is saving or banners on construction sites explaining the energy savings from a new geothermal field.
Many campuses are doing this; we are supporting a project for the University of Toronto, where the new energy center is planned to be a living lab. Students should be able to access the energy center system data. And professors should be able to shape a curriculum so their classes can use operational data in research.
The Green at West Village, a student housing project at the University of California, Davis, includes a net zero energy district. It has a 5.5-megawatt solar array on parking structures.
Communication is key, and real-time feedback is where the results show up. At Clarkson University in New York, students who received feedback and motivational messaging cut their electricity and hot water use. Prompting strategies helped Virginia Tech residence halls reduce water consumption by 11.6 percent.
Key takeaway: Make your consumers—students, professors, and others—allies in your campus conservation efforts.
How do you take your campus decarbonization further?
Your campus is already sitting on the tools to decarbonize. There is heat in your data centers, energy in your wastewater, stability deep in your aquifer, and behavior change potential in every single building.
These aren’t the technology of the future. They’re available now. They’re established. And they work best when they’re connected through a smart district energy strategy.