Plant Operations

Gerges Abdelmeseh (John Russell/Vanderbilt) April 19, 2007, is a date etched in Gerges Abdelmeseh’s memory. On that day more than five years ago, Gerges, his wife Sheren and two young sons, Bishoy and John, left their native Egypt and settled in Nashville. The family came to the United States… Read More

The Vanderbilt campus is home to more than 7,500 trees – that adds up to a lot of leaves. But did you know that Vanderbilt Plant Operations’ grounds program has been harnessing nature’s own processes to help trees on campus weather the record heat this summer? Plant… Read More

Anthony Hayes of VUMC Plant Services' electrical shop installs LED energy efficient light bulbs at Eskind Biomedical Library. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt) When Nashville temperatures soared to an all-time high last Friday, the Vanderbilt campus kept its cool, thanks in part to low humidity as well as the long-term energy conservation… Read More

(iStockphoto) As the weekend approaches, temperatures across the South are expected to soar to 100 degrees or higher. As one of the largest energy consumers in Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt faculty, staff and students are encouraged to do their part to reduce energy consumption on campus and at the medical… Read More

Members of the Vanderbilt community can now enjoy the outdoors and charge their personal electronics at the same time thanks to four solar-powered charging stations that have been installed on campus. Read More

(John Russell/Vanderbilt) NOTE: Weather permitting, the effort to disperse roosting crows will begin on Thursday, Jan. 26, around 4 p.m. Inclement weather may postpone the effort until a future date. Sounds of cannon fire and fireworks will fill the air in the early evening beginning Thursday, Jan. 26, as… Read More

Crows flying over campus. (John Russell/Vanderbilt) Sounds of cannon fire and fireworks will fill the air in the early evening beginning Jan. 25 as Vanderbilt undertakes its latest effort to drive roosting birds from campus. In recent weeks, hordes of crows have gathered in the branches of trees to… Read More

Community Connections aims to enrich the work lives of Vanderbilt staff Janiece Vincz (left) and Lara Beth Lehman (John Russell/Vanderbilt) As one of Tennessee’s largest employers, Vanderbilt is, in essence, a small city. More than 22,000 workers comprise this bustling community, which is service-minded, rich in creativity and culturally diverse. What… Read More

Vanderbilt University has decreased its greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 18 percent since 2005 despite a 17 percent increase in square footage, according to a new report prepared by Vanderbilt’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. Read More

Vanderbilt University has teamed with the Electric Power Research Institute and the Tennessee Valley Authority to build an integrated solar-assisted electric vehicle charging station on campus. Read More

Solar film has been installed at the Vanderbilt co-generation power plant in a project sponsored by the Vanderbilt Green Fund. (John Russell/Vanderbilt) An innovative solar energy installation now adorns a concrete silo at the Vanderbilt co-generation power plant. The unique, 8.16-kilowatt, student-initiated solar project – made possible by funding… Read More

The Vanderbilt Army and Navy ROTCs provide a flag detail while about 100 members of the Vanderbilt community gather on Library Lawn for a moment of silence in memory of the 9/11 victims. (Vanderbilt University) About 100 individuals gathered on Library Lawn at noon Sept. 12 for a moment… Read More

There are many things you can do to save energy during the summer heat. Read More

Anyone used to walking around Kirkland Hall on campus will need to be aware of detours due to construction that begins this week. The construction is routing power lines directly to Wilson Hall.  Currently, Wilson is linked to the Kissam Residence Halls. Before work can begin on the new… Read More

Cicadas blocking up filters in the chillers outside of Vanderbilt and Barnard Dorms. (Steve Green/Vanderbilt) Many buildings on campus are having problems with cooling systems, and cicadas are to blame, said Mark Petty, assistant vice chancellor for plant operations. He explained that the slow-moving insects… Read More

(Vanderbilt University/Daniel DuBois) On Sunday, May 15, Plant Operations will perform electrical power maintenance on campus between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 p.m.  Some buildings on campus will not have power or air conditioning during this time. The outage does not affect the baseball game with the… Read More

On April 30, (pictured from left to right) David Rehse of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Center for Energy Efficiency at MTSU presented Mark Petty, assistant vice chancellor for Plant Operations; Darren Bevill, campus energy manager; and Mitch Lampley, director of Engineering and Technical Support,… Read More

Now that spring is well underway and the weather is warmer, thoughts turn to freshening up your surroundings.  Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition, and can result in simplifying and organizing your home and/or office without impacting the environment by following some simple strategies. “Spring cleaning is a… Read More