Home / portfolio / Alfred State College CEMP
Wendel worked with Alfred State College and the State University Construction Fund to deliver a campus-wide Clean Energy Master Plan designed to meet aggressive climate goals. The plan outlines deep energy retrofits, electrification strategies, and long-term solutions to help the College reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Client
State University Construction Fund
Owner
Alfred State College
Location
Alfred, NY
Services
Markets
Status
Complete
In alignment with the State of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), BuildSmart 2025, and SUNY’s 1B-2 directive, Alfred State College committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With 112 campus buildings totaling over 1.7 million square feet, this effort required a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to energy planning.
To support these ambitious goals, the State University Construction Fund (SUCF) and Alfred State College partnered with Wendel to develop a Clean Energy Master Plan. Central to this effort was an updated campus-wide energy audit focused on understanding how the College uses energy to heat, cool, and power its facilities. Wendel worked closely with campus staff and SUCF to gather extensive building data, analyze energy loads, and perform walkthroughs that informed a deep energy retrofit strategy. The collaboration and insight provided by Alfred State personnel played a critical role in the study’s success.
The resulting Clean Energy Master Plan evaluated three strategic pathways toward electrification and long-term energy reduction. Each option considered infrastructure capacity, space constraints, proximity of buildings, and opportunities to leverage simultaneous heating and cooling loads. The study emphasized replacing fossil fuel-based HVAC systems with high-efficiency electrified systems, reducing building energy loads through targeted Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs), and identifying the campus’s solar generation potential.
Wendel’s analysis helped establish a strong foundation for project development, delivering a design basis for transformative HVAC system upgrades and deep energy savings. Beyond operational improvements, the plan positions Alfred State as a leader in campus sustainability, enhancing its reputation, opening doors to funding opportunities, and creating hands-on learning environments for students interested in clean energy and climate solutions.
With the selected strategy now in place, Alfred State College is well on its way to becoming a carbon-neutral campus and a model for climate leadership in higher education.
Having a partner like Wendel, along with support from NYSERDA, made what could have been a heavy lift very manageable. It’s not a small undertaking, but it was well worth the effort. Wendel’s expertise was unmatched; it didn’t take long before they knew our campus as well as we did. It was a true partnership, and the final document has continued to serve the institution long after the project wrapped up.
Joe Greenthal
Finance Director, Alfred State College