A 36 percent reduction in carbon emissions from 2003 to 2010 resulted in a 7 percent drop in energy bills—despite a 4 percent increase in campus building space during that time span. Per student emissions dropped from 20.6 to 12.0 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) or a total of 2,672 tons. These are the same savings that would result from removing 463 passenger vehicles from the road each year or eliminating the emissions from 5,637 barrels of oil.
How did we do it?
To improve efforts to reduce energy usage, Groton School completed an energy audit in 2006, which recommended a series of initiatives to address the problems in our aging buildings, some of which lacked insulation or had antiquated heating systems. These are just some of the accomplishments:
• Insulation and air sealing at the Schoolhouse, installed in mid-2009, led to a 17 percent drop in heating use during the 2009-2010 winter season.
• Faculty houses were insulated and sealed, and energy-saving heating and hot water systems were installed.
• All appliances purchased were Energy Star-rated.
• In the summer of 2008, a new cooling system for the 35-year-old Pratt Rink reduced electricity use by more than 20 percent.
• The indoor pool was closed when the outdoor pool is open.
• A new dining hall heating/venting system which can power down was installed; the old system ran all day.
• Monitoring devices were installed that allow mechanical systems to respond to demand rather than running constantly.
• Five faculty houses were switched from oil to gas heat.
• Heating systems at 15 faculty houses were converted from oil to gas, reducing emissions by 28 percent. The School’s current goal is a 50/50 mix of oil and gas systems for faculty housing to guard against future price volatility.
• A geothermal heating system was installed at the Headmaster's House.
• At Huebner House, insulation was installed and heating was converted to natural gas in 2007. The heating system was further upgraded the next year, decreasing energy costs by 45 percent over six years.
• Retrofits at Griswold House included installing a multi-zone heating system. Insulation, air sealing, and conversion to natural gas at Griswold House in 2009 led to a 42 percent decrease in energy costs.
• The School is in the process of gradually converting its fleet to hybrid vehicles, including two biodiesel-run trucks.
The School hired sustainability consultants Pure Strategies to measure our carbon footprint using a widely used international standard set by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). |