The Green Campus idea was the winner of LUT's "Open Your Drawer" innovation competition held in 2010-2011. Professors Juha Varis, Aki Mikkola, Jarmo Partanen, Juha Pyrhönen and Olli Pyrhönen were the minds behind the idea.
Green Campus was announced as the winner of the LUT innovation competition on 28 March 2011. LUT decided to immediately implement the project, which concretely embodies LUT's position as the biggest university actor in energy education and research in Finland.
Juha Varis was selected as Project Director and Marko Kasurinen as Project Manager. The goal is to rapidly build a solid foundation for Green Campus in 2011-2012. Once completed, the infrastructure will be maintained, developed and updated in pace with new knowledge developed in research at LUT.
A great deal accomplished in just a couple years
During 2011-2013, information boards with energy consumption and carbon footprint meters, charging shelters for electric bikes and a wind turbine, among others, will be built on the LUT campus. Area power will be supplied by the revolutionary Smart Grid system.
Green Campus colours are currently being used on a hybrid car, which will be joined by a fully-electric car in 2012.There are also negotiations underway for an electric bus, which would provide a green link between LUT and the Lappeenranta city centre.
In addition, the entire campus area would be landscaped in a greener, more pleasant way. Skinnarila waterfront areas will be developed for a variety of recreational uses, not only for students, but also all Lappeenranta citizens and visitors.