Physical Plant began transitioning toward sustainable energy more than 10 years ago when it converted to propane-fueled lawn mowers. Propane is an alternative energy source that produces next to zero greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants; this is due to the compound’s low carbon content. The department later offered its expertise to other organizations, including Louisville Metro Government, as it began transitioning to propane-powered landscaping equipment.

As technology continued to advance, Physical Plant began working with companies and developers within the industry to procure even more environmentally-conscious equipment. According to Greg Schetler, superintendent of grounds, UofL was the first institution in the commonwealth to start incorporating battery-powered tools into its day-to-day operations.

“We’re all here at the University of Louisville for research and education, and that’s what the Physical Plant is here to support. We have pushed our suppliers to stock, promote and sell sustainable, battery-powered equipment. We’re proud to be the first in the state to move toward these alternatives because it’s absolutely the direction we need to go in,” Schetler said.

Physical Plant currently owns over 25 pieces of battery-powered equipment, including leaf blowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, hedge trimmers and shop tools. In addition to the several propane-fueled lawn mowers, Physical Plant recently acquired a battery-powered, commercial-grade zero turn lawnmower in March of 2020. This made UofL the first organization in the state to purchase and utilize this particular innovation in green landscaping technology.

Despite the host of benefits offered by sustainable alternatives, the adoption of battery-powered equipment does come with its own set of challenges. In addition to an increased price point, some tools are not functional on a commercial level due to their short battery lives. Physical Plant has been able to cross these hurdles through industry research and strong relationships with various suppliers.

“We consider ourselves early adopters of the technology and we want to support it, but we are not willing to overpay for it; we have to be a fiscally responsible department. So, we work with our vendors to demo products before purchasing, or we do a trial run with the product to make sure the battery life can meet the needs of our groundskeepers.”

Physical Plant has served as a champion for sustainability within the industry for the past decade, and the department plans to honor its commitment to the environment by researching and acquiring the newest and cleanest innovations in the coming years.

“It’s only going to continue to get better. The equipment will only become more affordable and reliable with time,” Schetler said. “The Physical Plant team is keeping an eye on what the future of the green industry is going to look like and how we can continue to become even more sustainable moving forward.”

As soon as the spring semester ends, these employees move into action, able to operate more efficiently when the campus is at a slower pace, according to Aaron Boggs, director of Buildings and Grounds.

What the campus community will notice are details such as fresh mulch in the landscape beds, trimming, shrubbery and paint. What they won’t notice as much is all the work that has been done inside of the buildings.

“Many times, Housing will have a list of needs to address inside of the dorms. We also take on larger renovation projects as well as schedule major maintenance on air conditioning systems, electrical systems and plumbing during the summer break,” Boggs said.

The list of priorities for the team is extensive, but having a beautiful campus augments the students’ experience and is well worth it, Boggs adds.

“Our priorities are to make sure the students feel safe and comfortable while on campus and to help provide a great environment for them to learn in. We also believe that giving faculty and staff a great place to work supports them in their efforts of educating students,” he said. “Properly functioning buildings and aesthetically pleasing grounds have a synergistic effect on everyone at UofL.”

Several projects – including renovations in various buildings and refreshed paint – are new this year. However, much of the team’s time has been spent supporting the three major construction projects on the Belknap campus – the Belknap Academic Building, SAC renovations and Cardinal Stadium renovations.

“What most people don’t realize is that Physical Plant has thousands of hours invested in ensuring that our construction projects are successfully delivered,” Boggs said. “There hasn’t been a day that has gone by in the past two years where our staff has not supported these projects in some form or fashion.”

This is especially important for the Physical Plant crew members, as they’re tasked with maintaining the buildings after they’re completed.

Boggs said that while there is a push to get projects completed before the first day of the fall semester, the work isn’t much different than throughout the rest of the school year.

“Everything Physical Plant does all year long is to provide the best environment to learn in,” he said. “All of our effort is just part of the university’s mission to make UofL a great place to learn, work and invest in.”

UofL’s Physical Plant employees have also adopted a teamwork, pride and preparation mentality to ready the Belknap campus for primetime.

ESPN’s College GameDay will air from the heart of campus Saturday morning and, though most eyes will be on Lee Corso’s headgear choice, a number of UofL employees will continue to work as they’ve been all week to make sure the Grawemeyer Hall backdrop looks perfect on millions of high-definition TV sets.

Since ESPN made its location announcement Sunday, about 30 employees have been putting forth a team effort to ensure the Oval is flawless by adding fresh paint, mowing, power washing and more.

“Everyone moved into action first thing Monday morning and they’ve been going all week. These guys are pros and they’re hitting all the details. They know what to look for and how to make it all look better,” said Aaron Boggs, director of Buildings and Grounds. “That’s the great part about working at UofL – everyone comes together for a big event.”

In addition to refreshing paint and manicuring the green space, plumbers have been working on the entrance fountains and electricians have been ensuring the lights are ideally placed for a live broadcast, as well as some night shots. Boggs said there has been an added sense of pride since the location showcases our “prime real estate” Oval.

“We always do what we can to make the Oval look good because it has curb appeal. But Saturday there will be current and possibly future customers both in the Oval and seeing it on national TV and we’re looking at what we can do extra,” he said. “You can’t get a better backdrop than Grawemeyer Hall.”

The team has navigated a few challenges, including a couple of rainy days this week. But Boggs said Mother Nature is always a concern, and it helps the crew think creatively on how to approach all scenarios.

“That’s why we gave (the lawn) a fresh cut on Monday at a lower height, for example. But our biggest challenge will be how to get campus to look like nothing happened here after their crews leave,” Boggs said. “Fortunately, I think the weather on Saturday looks like it’s going to cooperate with us, so hopefully it won’t be too hard.”

Boggs does anticipate even more work being done once ESPN rolls in late Wednesday night and through the weekend to “get things back to normal.” Nobody seems upset about it, however.

“Our guys are excited about this type of stuff and they seem to want to be a part of it. It seems to be its own motivator,” Boggs said. “There are even a couple of UK guys on my staff who are recognizing how cool this is.”

UofL is expecting about 2,000 people in “the pit” area on the Oval Saturday. Fans typically begin lining up for access around 4 a.m. and access begins at 5 a.m. The show will air from 9 a.m. to noon. The game will begin airing at 8 p.m. from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and will be shown on ABC.