Sustainability

Northeast Iowa Community College will be a regional leader for sustainability efforts through innovation, partnerships and education, in order to advance community vitality for years to come.

Focus Areas

  • Biodiversity
  • Build Partnerships
  • Education & Outreach
  • Energy
  • Land Stewardship
  • Waste Reduction
  • Water Conservation

Projects

Solar Panels in Peosta

Peosta Child Development Center Solar Array

The Child Development Center at NICC’s Peosta Campus completed installation of a 104 Kilowatt solar array in 2017. This array was created with the hope of supplying the Child Development Center with 95% of its daily energy.

Lifetime kWh Production: 3,194,564 kWh and 2,210 Tons of CO2 emissions saved. This is equal to:

  • 225,445 gallons of gasoline consumed
  • 243,713,445 smartphones charged
  • 2,214,455 pounds of coal burned
  • 4,640 barrels of oil consumed

In the four years since its development, the solar array has also resulted in $60,000 of electricity savings for the college to date.

Monarch Butterfly

Calmar Campus Conservation Plan

The campus-wide sustainable conservation plan includes a native wildflower garden, butterfly garden, shelterbelt, rain garden, oak savannah and a short grass native prairie.

Conservation Plan
Outdoor Learning Lab in Peosta

Outdoor Learning Lab

The Outdoor Learning Lab offers multidisciplinary education and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Outdoor Learning Lab
A shallow pond

Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agricultural Foundation Net Zero Initiative

The Northeast Iowa Dairy & Agriculture Foundation has committed to dialing in on carbon emissions generated on the farm with the goal of becoming net zero.

Net Zero Initiative