Heating on Campus: what can we do?
Last week it was officially below freezing outside, Sunday River started making snow, and the ground was covered in frost. While this past weekend may have been ideal, sunny weather, it is apparent that it is quickly becoming colder, especially when one looks at the forecast. With the arrival of autumn weather, the campus will start consuming another type of energy: heating.
Environment America recently published a report on the most environmentally conscious schools in America regarding renewable energy, and Colby was mentioned multiple times as an example setter.
“Colby College in Maine ranks first for using renewable energy for its non-electrical energy needs, thanks in part to energy from a geothermal system that draws from the earth’s stable temperature…,” Science America reports.
Living on campus, it is very easy to observe the College’s commitment to reducing our environmental impact. As this is something that has been stressed by the school, I decided to talk with Sandy Beauregard, the Sustainability Director, about the past, present, and future of heating.
In the past decade, the College has made numerous changes to the heating infrastructure. In 2012, Colby made an early change to the central heating system with the addition of biomass-fuel.
“This switch to low-grade wood saved nearly one million gallons of oil per year,” Beauregard said. She cited ongoing environmental goals as well as speculations of rising oil prices as a motivator for the switch. Later, in 2014, the College even switched its backup heaters from oil boilers to natural gas.
As for the present, the College is in the midst of finishing a “master plan” for energy and utility. The result of this process is not to give absolute, singular solutions to the improvement of energy consumption; rather, its goal is to explore the many different ways the College could adapt in the future.
“One option considered is a ‘business as usual’ case where we continue with our existing infrastructure, upgrading as needed. Alternative scenarios will consider lower carbon strategies that would allow Colby to eliminate fossil fuels from campus,” Beauregard explained.
While the College continues to make an effort to reduce and change our heating, it is important to recognize that we, as students, have a role to play and that we can help make a positive impact.
Beauregard recommended three easy ways in which students could make a difference. The first one being that temperatures in dorm rooms should be set as low as comfortable, and she said that 68 degrees Fahrenheit is a good standard.
The second one has to do with opening windows. Because many rooms are combined together for heating, one person opening a window could cause a fluctuation in the whole zone, resulting in a domino effect. The room with the open window would be at a good temperature, but the rest would overheat.
“Eventually, everyone in the zone is too hot, causing more people to open their windows, and you end up in a situation with the heat on full blast with all or a lot of windows open,” Beauregard explained.
And finally, she recommends that if there is anything faulty with your heating to reach out to Facilities Services. In general, with the cold weather near, it is important that we are intentional about our consumption of heat and understand our actions can make a difference.
~Adrian Visscher `24
