Energy Waste in Public Universities: A Study on Alternative Energy and Best Practices

Abstract

A 2013 EC report suggests that buildings are big energy consumers in current society. Characterized by steady infrastructure growth and staff strength, the University of Education, Winneba, has witnessed an overall increase in its energy load. As part of global measures for energy efficiency and tackling global warming, it is of the essence that states institutions like public universities champion efforts for reduced energy consumption; this is essential for meeting sustainable development goals. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research is a longitudinal study that investigates energy waste at the University of Education, Winneba. The study establishes the existence of energy waste in public universities which has seen very little research, and explores the alternative approaches to mitigating energy waste on campus to reduce the financial burden created by an increase in expenditure on (utility) electricity bills in the university.