Going electric: Princeton's low-carbon campus initiative and high-performance lab solutions

Princeton University is accelerating toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2046, while also raising the bar for science building capability. The new Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences buildings demonstrate a big part of the solution: transitioning from carbon-based district heating to a geo-exchange system with thermal energy storage – the second largest such system in the US. Session leaders provide an overview of Princeton’s campus strategic plan and net zero initiative, and illustrate project decisions that continue to deliver high-performance spaces -- vivaria, cleanrooms, trace metals laboratories, mass spectrometers, insectaries, and greenhouses -- in all-electric facilities. They provide findings and lessons learned to equip others in reconciling science and sustainability targets.