2016 球探足球比分 Annual Sustainability Progress Report

Background

球探足球比分 sustainability team was formed in 2007 when 球探足球比分’s president signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. We conducted a carbon inventory, created a climate action plan, and began working to reduce energy use and carbon emissions with a goal to become carbon neutral in fuels burned on campus and electricity usage by 2020. At the same time, we have been working to reduce consumption and waste, and integrate sustainability into all aspects of college activities.

Energy Efficiency: Electricity

By replacing exterior and streetlight bulbs with LEDs, converting other fixtures to LEDs, putting timers on pathway lights, and properly sizing or eliminating electric hot water heaters, we have reduced our electricity usage by 58,884 kWh over the last two years. As a result of upgrades since our first energy inventory in 2007, we have reduced our annual use of electricity by 42% from 730 to 421 MWH/year.

Energy Efficiency: Heating Oil

As a result of building upgrades, we have reduced our annual use of heating oil by 29% from 62,268 gallons in the 2006-2007 heating season to 44,430 gallons in the 2015-16 heating season. This has reduced CO2 emissions by about 200 tons. 球探足球比分 biggest improvement over the last year was the installation of a nest thermostat in the music building that resulted in a 30% drop in heating oil use in that building.

Woodchip Heating System

Our permit for a biomass heating system for the Plainfield campus was approved last November. 球探足球比分 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has agreed to?provide the mortgage?loan, and we are seeking construction period funding from a bank and from college supporters. 球探足球比分 College will be taking construction bids and?expects to select bidders, sign contracts, and begin construction by late?September. Installing the system will happen in two phases: constructing the building that will house the boiler, and digging trenches and laying the pipes that will carry hot water to all the buildings on campus. 球探足球比分 project will use?state of the art equipment, including an electrostatic precipitator, the latest technology to clean the emissions from the smoke stack. We anticipate that the system will start heating the campus sometime this winter. By switching to biomass, we will be using local, renewable fuel that is less expensive than oil, we will reduce our carbon emissions by about 470 tons/year, and our campus operations will become carbon neutral as our forests will absorb more CO2 than we produce.

Solar

Last fall, we signed a contract with groSolar to become part of a 500 KW community solar system that will be built in Middletown Springs, VT. We don’t have room on the campus for all the panels we need, so community solar is a good alternative. In community solar, instead of the electricity generated by solar panels going directly to our campus, it will go into the Green Mountain Power grid, and we will count 300,000 kWh as ours. This will offset our carbon footprint by 54 tons of CO2/year. 球探足球比分re is no cost to the college to join the community system, and we will save about $8,000/year on our electric bill. GroSolar is working through the permitting process and hopes to begin construction this fall.

Food Service

We get most of our foods from local farms and vendors. Littlewood Farm in Plainfield and Flywheel Farm in Woodbury are two of our main suppliers, and we also get produce from Black River Produce in Springfield, VT. Most of our baked goods are made in the 球探足球比分 kitchen from whole wheat grown at Butterworks Farm in Westfield, VT, flour milled at Champlain Mills, and Cabot butter. We get tea from 球探足球比分 Vermont Liberty Tea Co. that grows and packs its own teas and herbs in Waterbury, VT.

Clean Energy Fund

We have a voluntary $10/semester clean energy fee that can be paid at pre-registration by students who want to be stakeholders in the advancement of sustainability at the Vermont campus. 球探足球比分 fund was initiated after a March 2013 survey of students found that 73% of respondents would donate to a voluntary clean energy fund. 球探足球比分 fund is kept in an account to be used only for sustainability and will support continued upgrades in energy efficiency.

球探足球比分 Sustainability Entrepreneurs’ Grant

球探足球比分 Sustainability Entrepreneurs’ Grant Program offers an annual $2,500 grant to a 球探足球比分 student in any program who is starting or developing a business or non-profit that offers solutions to local or global sustainability issues.?球探足球比分 goal of the program is to cultivate responsible action towards nature, society, and future generations by supporting a business or non-profit that promotes sustainable living, social equity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and ecological protection and restoration.

Sustainability Listserv

球探足球比分 sustainability listserv that was started in Spring 2008 to send weekly messages about local and global sustainability news and resources to the 球探足球比分 community now has 377 members. Let us know if you would like to be included.

Travel to Campus

球探足球比分re is a ride share board at http://gnet.goddard.edu/ under 球探足球比分 Community, Ride Share Postings.

AASHE Membership

球探足球比分 is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and member benefits are available to anyone in the 球探足球比分 community. 球探足球比分 2016 conference will be held in Baltimore from Oct. 9-12.

Feedback

We welcome your ideas about how we can further advance sustainability at 球探足球比分. Email catherine.lowther@goddard.edu.
Thank you,
Catherine Lowther for the Sustainability Team
Bob Kenny, President
Scott Blanchard, Director of Facilities
Bob Buchanan, Faculty Undergraduate Program
Catherine Lowther, Faculty Undergraduate Program
Kelly McDowell, Assistant to the President
 

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