Kenyon's Current Sustainability Projects
The sustainability office has had a busy year. The energy management performance contract project is almost finished. Our version for this project was to reduce waste and improve the facilities. We believe we are on target to achieve the set goals, as we are seeing reductions in energy consumption and many spaces have received improved lighting/space temperature controls up-grades.
Energy Managment Project:
Lighting Upgrades: We have replaced 11,020 lighting fixtures/ballasts.
Water Conservation: We have installed a total of 1319 water conservation devices. The project will also revive two old wells at the maintenance department. The wells will provide the make-up water for the central steam plant.
Central Steam Plant Summer shutdown: We installed seven small condensing boilers, to allow the shutdown of the central steam plant in the summer months. The boilers will provide heat for the reheat devices, domestic hot water, and steam for the dash washer located in Peirce Hall.
Sub-Metering: We have installed 106 sub meters and we soon will be installing the new dasboards. The building automation system has been expanded to include 15 additional buildings. Caples, M. Mather, McBride, Hanna, Old Kenyon, Leonard, and Hanna have received up-graded controls to provide thermostatic control to each room.
Behavior Modification (set to launch on Earth Day):
· Naming: the name will become the reference point for the project
· Logo: a logo development process will follow upon the selection of the name
· Real-time Data Dashboard: the dashboard is the heart of the project, letting people interact with and see numerous aspects of the conservation project including current energy consumption of specific buildings .
· Web Version of Dashboard: this will pull selected elements from the main dashboard and make them available in a broad, device-independent platform.
· Smart Phone Apps: native apps will be created for two major marketplaces, iOS and Android.
· Awareness Poster Template Designs,
· Fixed and mobile Kiosk located at different locations throughout campus
· 50 Tablets
Demand Response (DR) program:
The College continues participate in the DR program. This innovative program responds to critical energy demand reduction periods called for by the power company. The college has agreed to reduce its energy use by more than 1,400 kilowatts (KW) during DR events. EnerNoc provided the college with two primary meters that include dashboard viewing of electricity consumption. This allows us to track power consumption in near-time. The college will receive just under $54,000 next year for participating in the program.
AEP GridSmart Program:
The college is participating in the AEP gridSmart program. This program offers financial incentives for the implementation of energy-efficient improvements and technologies that reduce energy consumption. The college has received over $20,000 this year for participating in the GridSmart program.
Compost:
Our class II compost facility continues to do well; we have reduced our solid waste and have reduced over 600 tons a year from going into landfills. Kenyon has created a dining hall composting system that diverts 6,000 pounds of waste from the landfill per week . We also have incorporated our compost for atheltic fields and flower beds, which greatly reduced the amount of fertilizer used . The compost is also used for herb gardens and community gardens. We currently have many requests by other colleges to visit and tour our compost facility.
Kenyon College's strong sense of community and commitment to interdisciplinary studies combines well with the fundamentally global questions explored in the study of sustainability. But, Kenyon's commitment to the environment goes beyond an academic ethic. The college's Food for Thought program provides students with the opportunity to develop intellectual and practical knowledge regarding the region's food and farming systems.The school also has Kenyon's Certificate Program in Ecological Agriculture which aims at providing "practical knowledge regarding food and farming systems." Sample courses provided at Kenyon in regards to this can be found by clicking the Certificate link above or the Food For Thought tab located on the left in purple.
Brown Family Environmental Center (BFEC):
The Brown Family Environmental Center is another focused initiative on campus that provides students and the surrounding community with opportunities to study regional organisms and habitats in an effort to help conserve the environmental heritage of the Kokosing River Valley. The Center worked with the Environmental Campus Organization (ECO), a student-run club, to recharge the school's recycling program by improving the number and placement of recycling bins on campus.
Electric Cars:
The college has recently purchased two Global Electric Motorcars for use by maintenance staff, creating a reducion from $10 to $0.10 per day!