David Norvell was 12 years old when he mailed off an application for a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, built a still in his back yard and began fermenting oranges to produce ethanol to power his lawnmower.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in science,鈥� Norvell said. 鈥淓ven as a kid I was doing things out of the box, building things and trying to understand how things work and how to make things better and more efficient.鈥�
That intellectual curiosity and an eye for conservation will serve Norvell well as the 麻豆原创鈥檚 new 鈥� and first 鈥� assistant vice president for sustainability initiatives. The newly created position elevates 麻豆原创鈥檚 vow to have a greener campus.
鈥淚t shows 麻豆原创 has reaffirmed the commitment for the sustainability initiatives we鈥檝e been pursuing,鈥� said Norvell, a 1993 alumnus who graduated with a mechanical engineering degree. 鈥淥ur vision is to provide students with a campus environment that not only supports sustainability but becomes a leader in the industry.鈥�
Norvell鈥檚 new job puts an increased focus on 麻豆原创鈥檚 sustainability goals. He has no shortage of work. In 2007, 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt signed the American College & University Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment, making 麻豆原创 one of the first to pledge to be climate neutral by 2050.
To achieve that goal, the university must have no net greenhouse gas emissions. There are interim goals, including a big one already underway: ensuring that by 2020, 15 percent of the energy used by 麻豆原创 comes from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels.
There are already some solar panels spread around campus, the largest of which 鈥� a 107-kilowatt installation 鈥� sits next to Garage B. But it will take a lot more to help meet the 2020 goal. The university has set aside about 40 acres east of the Robinson Observatory for construction of a solar farm.
It is Norvell鈥檚 job to keep that project and others on track.
He鈥檚 not new to 麻豆原创. Norvell came to the university in 2001 as energy manager, and in the past decade has served as director of sustainability and energy management, saving the university聽more than聽$14 million through energy-efficiency projects. For the past two years, Norvell has been assistant vice president of facilities.
Among the university鈥檚 other projects that Norvell has had a hand in is the construction of a natural gas-fueled power plant on the main campus. It鈥檚 been providing about a third of the campus鈥� electricity since its launch in late 2012, reducing 麻豆原创鈥檚 dependency on outside utilities that may use less-clean fuel. 麻豆原创 is considering building a similar plant to serve its planned downtown campus.
In addition, 麻豆原创 is constructing and planning several buildings with sustainable designs that are expected to earn LEED designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Norvell hopes to make the campus鈥� sustainability projects academically accessible to students who will be able to learn firsthand how they work 鈥� and offer input.
鈥淭here are so many passionate students out there,鈥� Norvell said. 鈥淚 want to get them very much involved in the workings of the university at all levels. I want to get their ideas. We want the campus to be a living laboratory for students.鈥�