Goshen College shares green practices with local business leaders

May 21, 2009

In these tough economic times, business owners are eager to save money. Members of the Sustainable Business Roundtable in Michiana want to save the planet too. Goshen College hosted the May meeting of the group to share some of the “green” practices of the college.

Glenn Gilbert, Goshen College sustainability coordinator and utilities manager, said that the most significant “green” practice at Goshen College is the highly sophisticated energy management system that has evolved since 1990. The system merges computer technology with HVAC systems, using over 700 controlling devices connected to 31 cabinets throughout the campus. Careful scheduling of lights, heating and air conditioning has led to a significant drop in energy consumption. Current electricity consumption, for instance, is comparable to 1994 levels, despite ever-growing reliance on electronic devices and air conditioning. And natural gas usage in 2008 was less than in 1992, despite a 60 percent increase in campus square footage. The campus energy use index (EUI) – a formula that distills electricity and natural gas usage per square foot into a single number – has dropped from 110 in 1990-91 to only 73 in 2008-09.

Gilbert can monitor the energy usage of every room on campus from a hand-held computer. If a refrigerator compressor quits, or a window is left open over Christmas break, or high humidity levels signal flooding in a basement room, the system pages someone who is on call at all times. The energy management system has saved many kilowatt hours and btus, but actual cost savings fluctuate with energy prices from year to year. According to Gilbert, decisions about any campus upgrades consider a triple bottom line: cost, quality of life and sustainability.

In addition, Gilbert shared other “green” practices at the college. Custodians use only green-certified products and the physical plant is working together with other Indiana college physical plants to meet EPA regulations for all waste disposal.