Energy Consumption
Consumption & Emissions Management
Consumption Reduction
Administrative and residential buildings have adopted conservation hours when occupancy is low and during overnight periods. In addition, our temperature set points are 68-70 in the winter and 73-75 in the summer.
Lighting
÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ continues to be a leader in consumption reduction, starting with early LED bulb adoption and implementing sophisticated lighting control systems.
Electric Blue Bus
The first electric Blue Bus that shuttles between ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥, Haverford College, and Swarthmore College, arrived on campus in February 2024.
Electric Vans
Facilities Services purchased two fully electric cargo vans in spring 2023, which are assigned to the lock shop and HVAC teams.
EV Charging Stations
Charge Point EV charging stations were installed on the south side of Radnor and on the north side of the Health and Wellness Building in the Erdman Parking lot.
HVAC Optimization
Upgrades in the Park Science building and adjustments to our HVAC management systems have reduced energy use and natural gas consumption.
Lower-Emission Vehicles
College currently has hybrid vehicles, a compressed natural gas (CNG) bus, and three buses that use clean fuel technology, including seasonal biodiesel.
Renewable Energy
The College has been purchasing its electricity from wind power, which reduced our carbon footprint by 40% in 2022 and will enter an agreement in 2024 to help fund the development a solar farm.
Carbon Offset Project
In 2022, the College Partnered with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, The Altoona Water Authority and others to plant trees on legacy mine lands in Blair County as part of our plan to off-set our carbon footprint and become carbon Neutral by 2035.
2023 PADEP Grant Recipient
÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ received $100,000 from the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program to help fund electric vehicles.
Conservation Commitments
Check out the conservation commitments of our administrative buildings on campus. Our buildings are optimized to consume low or no energy during the times listed below.
11 - 12 Hours
- Cartref Hall (8 p.m. – 7 a.m.)
- Dolwen (8 p.m. – 8 a.m.)
- Guild Hall (8 p.m. – 7 a.m.)
- Human Resources (8 p.m. – 7 a.m.)
- Ward Building (6 p.m. – 6 a.m.)
7 - 10 Hours
- Carpenter Library (12 a.m. – 7 a.m.)
- Health Center (10 p.m. – 6 a.m.)
4 - 6 Hours
- Benham Gateway (12 a.m. – 4 a.m.)
- Schwartz Gym (12 a.m. – 5 a.m.)
- Taylor Hall (12 a.m. – 6 a.m.)
- Wyndham (12 a.m. – 4 a.m.)
