Three U.S. universities have been recognized by the U.S. EPA for their use of combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems to save energy, lower greenhouse gas emissions and decrease air pollution, in turn reducing impacts on public health.

The University of Missouri-Columbia, University of California, San Diego, and Fairfield University, Fairfield, Conn., received Combined Heat and Power awards for reaching 55 to 75 percent efficiency in their CHP systems compared with fossil fuel power plants, which are about 30 percent efficient, according to the EPA. The savings from the efficiency increase can translate into a clear return on investment when the costs of installation and operation are compared with costs of purchasing power and thermal energy, according to the EPA.