Sustainability
Red Deer Polytechnic is a leader environmentally, reducing energy consumption on its campuses while enhancing learning, training and applied research related to alternative energy. The Alternative Energy Initiative is part of the organization's larger, future-focused Green Campus Master Plan, which works to incorporate and develop alternative energy systems that will provide learning and innovation opportunities for students, industry, and community partners while also working to reduce Red Deer Polytechnic's overall carbon footprint.
United Nations SDG Accord
On October 31, 2022, RDP signed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Accord, demonstrating our commitment to celebrate and advance the Goals.
Our Green Campus Master Plan
Through six sustainability pillars, interim goals help track progress and direct efforts that will lead RDP to achieve our overarching goal of becoming a net zero institution.
Campus Land Use Master Plan
This plan provides an overview of the potential long-term development opportunities on RDP's main campus and a framework to guide our decisions.
Future Opportunities
2023 ImpAct-Climate Challenge
Join our campus' movement for a greener future by participating in the Colleges and Institutes Canada ImpAct-Climate Challenge today! Share your climate action ideas by submitting them online or through social media and you could win cash prizes. Contest ends May 31, 2023.
Residence Sustainability Awards
Red Deer Polytechnic's newest Residence building has received six national and international awards and nominations for leadership in sustainability.
Energy Generation on Campus
Red Deer Polytechnic has an impressive array of 4,200 photovoltaic solar panels on its main campus buildings, which helps decrease the demand for external energy. More than 2,500 of these solar panels are on the state-of-the-art Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, which received a gold ranking in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The newest Residence has 545 panels and the solar walkway holds an additional 276. The main building and Alternative Energy Lab (AEL), a LEED-Silver facility, house the remaining solar panels.
In addition to energy conservation, the AEL is a key component of alternative energy education and applied research opportunities for students and businesses. Data from the solar panels’ energy generation can be gathered and analyzed, providing real-world applications for learners.
Electricity is produced at the Polytechnic through a 1 MW combined heat and power (CHP) unit, which was fabricated at Red Deer’s Collicutt Energy. The institution is also expanding its use of LED lighting, which adds more efficiency.
Red Deer Polytechnic aims to become a net zero institution, producing enough energy on main campus to power its infrastructure. While significant strides have been made, the organization is exploring opportunities for further alternative energy growth.