Going Green @ Haverford

In response to the comment on the last post, Ron Tola, director of facilities management, tells me that the two units are ground source heat pumps, with one unit for the second floor and another for the third floor of the residence. The lines are buried about 70 feet deep in a “cone” configuration with about 8 vertical members for each unit.

Want to know more about Haverford College’s geothermal wells? Ask the green squirrel.

The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity.  Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously produced inside the earth.

1 College Circle has two geothermal wells. They are used to provide 2/3 of the heating and cooling for the house. While modified systems, they provide enough energy to heat and cool the second and third floors.

Other geothermal facts of interest:

• California has 33 geothermal power plants and is the largest producer of geothermal energy in the world.
• The EPA has determined that geothermal heat pumps are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean and cost effective systems for temperature control.

Going green is pretty hot these days. Buzz words ranging from carbon footprint to recycling are floating around in everyday conversation. Pretty much everyone knows about recycling, but what is your carbon footprint?

Simply put, calculating your carbon footprint is figuring out how much you pollute your environment. There are many calculators on the web to help you do this, some are pretty simple, some very involved. Below are two links that will help you get started.

For Adults: www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/
For Kids:  meetthegreens.pbskids.org/features/carbon-calculator.html

You, too, can go green!

• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
• Bike to work.
• Turn water off when brushing your teeth.
• When available “Please use the revolving door”. Eight times as much air is lost when a door swings open as when it spins.
• Plug computers, cell phone chargers, home appliances etc. into power strips. Even when not turned on they use electricity.
• Plant a tree.
• The three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
• Buy local products.
• Faculty and Staff can get Founder’s Bell online. Contact Lucy Stewart to receive your copy digitally.

Did you know?

• It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all of the plastic water bottles used in the United States.*
• 15 million barrels of oil would be enough to run 1.5 million cars on U.S.  roadways for an entire year.**
• Only 20% of those bottles are recycled, the rest end up in landfills.*
• The bottles that drift from landfills and litter streams are washing out to the Pacific Ocean and have formed a huge “raft” that is twice the size of Texas.*
• It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to break down in a landfill.**

That’s not all folks…

• The US consumes 100 billion plastic shopping bags.**
• That translates into 12 million barrels of oil.**
• Worldwide it is estimated that 1 trillion bags are used.**
• Translate that and you end up with 120 million barrels of oil.**
• Oil is used in the manufacturing process in making bottles and bags.

Tips

• Consider using a reusable water bottle.
• Hook up a purifier to a water faucet.
• Purchase cloth or reusable bags.

The Haverford College Bookstore sells reusable bags and water bottles!

*Source: E Magazine May/June 2008
**www.treehugger.com

During the 2007 Plenary, Haverford students elected to spend an extra $60 per student to purchase 100% wind energy for the College.

While the College is not directly buying wind energy, it is buying “offsets” that invest in renewable energy. For instance, funds are used to create wind farms that will eventually provide electricity.

Haverford College is one of a growing number of colleges purchasing wind energy for their campus. In July 2008, the United States overtook Germany as the world’s top wind energy producer.

Photo by Gerard Lovett, used under the creative commons license.