University makes commitment to energy conservation
Inspired by Waynesburg University’s EcoStewards Club and Janet Paladino, assistant professor of biology and club advisor, the Waynesburg University administration has decided to take significant steps to become more energy efficient.
This summer, Waynesburg University will complete lighting updates in 11 buildings, leading to an estimated savings of 363,900 kilowatt hours or $34,000 per year. Campus buildings include Benedum Dining Hall, Buhl Hall, Burns Hall, Denny Hall, Eberly Library, Hanna Hall, Martin Hall, Miller Hall, Ray Hall, the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse and Thayer Hall.
“Our students have caused us to think,” said Roy Barnhart, Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration. “While it is important to control cost, it is even more important to be good citizens of the world. As an educational institution, we have the obligation to lead the way for others and if we can meet and surpass that expectation by reducing our energy footprint, we are happy to do so.”
Paladino and Dorothy Rurak, EcoStewards co-president, put together a Campus Sustainability Plan during the summer of 2009 that has since created positive change across campus. The plan was funded by Waynesburg University’s Center for Research and Economic Development with the help of director Barb Kirby.
The purpose of the plan is to provide a guide for advancing sustainability in all sectors of Waynesburg University, from operations to education, and to promote an advancement in the understanding of the importance of sustainability to the current and future success of the University.
“The administration has been extremely receptive and supportive of our efforts, and I would like to think that we were instrumental in helping them to realize that saving energy and educating the campus community were top priorities,” Paladino said.
Paladino said implementation of energy saving lighting technology is definitely an important step toward sustainability.
“We are working very hard to educate students regarding the importance of taking a personal role in addressing energy issues, climate change and creation care,” she said. “Our changing world will require changing attitudes regarding these matters, and each and every one of us can make a difference.”
The decision to implement the lighting project is also a result of the deregulation of electricity slated for January 1, 2011.
“The expectation is that deregulation will cause rates to increase by substantial amounts,” Barnhart said. “This is one way to cut back usage while conserving energy. That money can be used in pursuit of our educational mission and goals instead of paying electric bills.”
Paul Salosky, purchasing manager and loan collection supervisor at Waynesburg University, paved the way for the project by inviting The Hite Company to campus to complete an initial assessment of the University’s current lighting system. The visit produced suggestions related to fixtures and controls that would lead to a reduction in energy consumption and cost.
The overall project will keep an estimated 380 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the air. The decrease is the equivalent of removing 70 vehicles from the roads over the period of a year. The study also suggests that the updates will remove 6,500 pounds of sulfur dioxide, the energy equivalent of 883 barrels of oil and the environmental equivalent of planting 9,740 trees.
The project is estimated to cost $150,000.
“This is a major commitment,” Barnhart said. “The benefits, however, are truly incalculable.”
The project will include new technologies including occupancy sensors, in addition to the replacement of the current T12 fixtures with T8 fixtures. The new bulbs save energy and produce a higher level of light than the original fluorescent bulbs.
“We have limited control over utilities and for that reason, when an opportunity to reduce cost presents itself, you grab it,” Salosky said.
Two years ago, the university added new boilers in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse and Stewart Hall. This project converted the larger single boiler systems to several smaller micro-boiler units. The system only fires enough of the micro-units to meet temperature demands. The savings in utility cost allowed for the addition of the fitness center without a major utility cost increase.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three adult centers located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and is one of only 27 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
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Released May 21, 2010
Contact: Pam Cunningham, Assistant Director of University Relations
724.852.3384 or pcunning@waynesburg.edu