Carolina is not just a consumer of energy. One-fourth of UNC’s electricity and all of its steam are generated by UNC’s own award-winning cogeneration facility. The remaining electricity is purchased from Duke Energy. UNC's cogeneration facility has several features that reduce its environmental impacts.

By generating electricity and steam simultaneously, UNC’s cogeneration facility operates at twice the efficiency of standard coal-fired plants. The plant relies on an advanced technology called circulating fluidized bed, which combusts fuel components often allowed up the stack at older coal-fired generators. Each year the facility produces more than 25,000 tons of fly ash. The waste is sent to a local company that reuses the ash for structural fill and sewage treatment. Additionally, coal used at UNC’s power plant is not purchased from mountain-top removal sites. View UNC’s cogeneration website, a diagram of the boiler system (PowerPoint), and a case study of UNC’s facility(pdf).

Renewable Energy 
Driven by student initiatives, the University has also begun to incorporate renewable energy technologies on campus. In 2009, 83% of the voting student body re-approved and expanded the scope of the $4 per semester green energy fee that has been in place since 2004.  It can now be used for renewable energy projects on campus, energy effeciency programs, and energy education programs. The fee generates approximately $200,000 per year. The money is appropriated by students on the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee, with guidance from campus adminstators.

Projects funded to date include: the solar hot water system on top of the renovated Morrison Residence Hall the first year of biodiesel fuel use in the Point to Point bus system the geothermal wells at the NC Botanical Garden Visitor Education Center Additionally, the Energy Services department is actively pursuing alternative energy sources for its central plants. Landfill gas, animal waste methane and wood biomass appear to be the most promising fuel sources on both main campus and the future satellite campus, Carolina North. A study to examine the technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of these options started in the fall of 2007.