Designed to be 66 percent more efficient than a typical building, The Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) is a multidisciplinary academic facility situated on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. The mission of GIS is to undertake world class education and research missions in sustainability.
Inside of GIS, academic and research programs focus on sustainable production, sustainable energy, sustainable mobility, and ecologically friendly information technology systems.
Cutting edge technology has been incorporated into every inch of the 84,000 square foot building. Solar panels span the roof from end to end and three wind turbines tower above the entrance. The facility was designed to exceed LEED Platinum, the highest standard that can be achieved. The building’s primary energy source is a fuel cell that produces 400 kilowatts of continuous electric power. Heat generated from the fuel cell is also used to heat this and other buildings on campus.
The micro grid system takes energy from multiple sources, including the wind turbines and solar panels, and stores it in a battery bank to provide 50 kilowatt hours of power for some of the building’s lights and electrical outlets.
