Green Fund Projects 2024-2025
The Green Fund supports student-initiated projects that improve the sustainability of campus facilities. Explore projects funded in fiscal year 2024, or browse previous years’ projects in the Green Fund Project Archives.
2024-2025 Projects
Spring 2025 | $18,267
Ultraviolet-C Lights in HVAC, Smith Residence Hall
Students are working with Housing staff to pilot germicidal UVC lights in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system to improve energy efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and improve indoor air quality.
Spring 2025
Thermal Curtains, D.C. Smith Greenhouse
Students and staff design and install curtains that reduce heat gain and loss in the airspace above the greenhouse’s growing areas, saving an estimated 290 MMBTU in energy and $1,570 in annual utility costs.
Spring 2025 | $1,805
Lighting Retrofit, Botany Greenhouse
Students and staff upgraded existing high-pressure sodium lighting to LEDs, saving an estimated 32.8 MWh in energy, $3,940 in utility costs, and 19.7 MTCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Spring 2025 | $1,805
Bee Hotels, Lakeshore Side of Campus
Students will design, build, and monitor homes for native pollinators and educational signage in the School of Education Native Plant Garden and Eagle Heights Community Garden.
Spring 2025
Electrified Kitchen Pilot, Wisconsin School of Business & UW Dining
A team of students will evaluate the energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost savings, as well as the user experience for culinary staff using the UW’s first all-electric commercial kitchen.
Fall 2024 | $10,615
Energy Saving Ice Cream, Babcock Dairy Plant
Food science, health science, and engineering students developed and tested an ice cream recipe that can be held at a higher temperature, allowing freezers to use less energy, with the hope of changing the industry standard.
Fall 2024 | $8,000
Stone Reuse, East Campus Mall
Landscape architecture students designed an outdoor gathering place on East Campus Mall reusing stone blocks from a campus construction project.
Fall 2024 | $5,000
Electric Vehicle Pilot, Housing
Students worked with Housing to purchase an electric vehicle and gather feedback and best practices to support the electrification of campus vehicles.
Fall 2024 | $1,800
Outdoor Classroom Shade Structure, Allen Centennial Gardens
Students from Engineers for a Sustainable World are designing a shade structure with an eye toward material reuse, supporting the UW’s Zero Waste efforts and Allen Centennial Garden’s outdoor education programming.
Fall 2024 | $10,000
Bird-Safe Windows, Microbial Sciences
Students from Audubon Society UW–Madison are installing bird-safe window upgrades at Microbial Sciences, the site of the most bird collisions with glass of any campus building.
Fall 2024 | $2,700
Reusable Crates, Wisconsin Union
The Wisconsin Union purchased reusable crates from their fruit and vegetable vendor for use in place of cardboard boxes. Students anticipate this will save $54,200 in operating costs and reduce waste by 37 metric tons a year.
Have an idea that addresses the environmental footprint, social impact, and operating costs of on-campus facilities? Green Fund staff can assist with proposal development at any time. Please contact Green Fund Program Manager, Ian Aley.