The new sign was installed in front of the Office of Admissions building giving viewers information about the geothermal heat pump that was installed last summer. The system is predicted to save 50% in heating costs, and 30% on cooling costs.
Sustainability Fellow Named
Please join the Department of Planning and Facilities in welcoming our new Sustainability Fellow, Shelby Kalm. Shelby can be reached at The White House, ext. 2093 or email her at sakalm@smcm.edu.
Sustainability Committee Formation
The Sustainability Office is in the process of forming a diverse committee of passionate individuals to generate green ideas and solutions to campus issues. We are looking for students, staff and faculty interested in sustainability, whether it be one specific idea or just a general interest in being green! First-years and transfer students welcome, no large time commitment required! Please email sustainability@smcm.edu for more information.
Transportation Grant Awarded to SMCM
SMCM has received a Federal Transportation Alternatives Grant to design and build bike paths across campus! The 15-year Campus Master plan includes plans for an extensive network of bike paths to keep pedestrians and bikers safe.
Geothermal Heat Pump in Admissions
During the Summer of 2013, a geothermal heat pump was installed in the Admissions Office. This system is expected to save up to 50% of our heating bill and 30% of our cooling bill for that building! For more information on geothermal units, see the Renewable Energy page.
Calvert Hall Recycling
Calvert Hall now has a recycling bin! It is located under the stairs at the main entrance of Calvert, inside of a brown and green storage container with recycling stickers. It will be collected daily thanks to Grounds!
Composting Program
The composting program at SMCM is up and running successfully! Compost is being collected from all residences with kitchens as well as the Great Room and is being delivered to the Campus Farm. For more information on the Campus Farm, email kchandler@smcm.edu, or to volunteer to help with the program, email Shelby Kalm at sustainability@smcm.edu
Oyster Shell Boxes
During Fall of 2013, the Oyster Shell food box program was converted from a token-based system to a computer-based system. All students now have the option of taking out up to two green “to-go” boxes at once, which are tracked using the student’s one card. Each student need only return his or her used Oyster Shell box to either the Pub, the Grab-n-Go or the Great Room to receive a cleaned Oyster Shell box at their next meal. This has cut down dramatically on the amount of styrofoam waste that is produced by SMCM, and students are happy to see the campus looking cleaner!
Heat Pump Installation
41 new 16 SEER/9.0 HSPF heat pump units will be installed this summer in all of the Greens units! These will replace the 8 SEER/6.8 HSPF units and will save the College an estimated 200 MWH per year and $21k in electricity bills! This project was funded by the GSMRF, so many thanks to the SGA and the Fellow for putting this together!