| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.29 |
| Liaison | Holly Andersen |
| Submission Date | March 30, 2022 |
Bennington College
OP-6: Clean and Renewable Energy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.33 / 4.00 |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Total energy consumption (electric and non-electric)
20,213
MMBtu
Clean and renewable energy sources
Clean and renewable electricity
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Imported electricity from certified/verified clean and renewable sources (i.e., bundled green power purchases) | 505,331 Kilowatt-hours | 3,011.29 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site, clean and renewable sources (rights retained/retired) | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
A brief description of the certified/verified sources of clean and renewable electricity:
We have a power purchasing agreement with Solar Sense, a solar developer here in Vermont. We are the off taker of three solar plants in Northern Vermont. Also, the Green Mountain power fuel mix is now carbon neutral and 64% renewable, so overall the lionshare of our electrical use is clean/renewable.
A brief description of the on-site renewable electricity generating facilities/devices:
We have none on campus.
Clean and renewable thermal energy
| MMBtu | |
| Clean and renewable stationary fuels used on-site to generate thermal energy | 18,487 MMBtu |
| Imported steam, hot water, and/or chilled water from certified/verified clean and renewable sources | 0 MMBtu |
A brief description of the clean and renewable stationary fuels:
We have a biomass plant on campus that supplies low pressure steam to about 75% of the campus square footage. Our biomass plant burns somewhere between 3,000 to 6,000 tons of wood chips annually, depending on the winter season. They are all locally sourced bole chips and run the steam system on campus. It is a low pressure steam system-- up to 6 pounds. They are supplied to us locally by Galusha and sons in Queensbury, NY. They recognize that consumers are seeking wood from forests that are independently verified as well-managed, and that is why their lands are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®). Our biomass chips come from their FSC certified lands. They are a local, family owned business that has more 40 years to ensure the highest quality workmanship and efficiency. While they do not have an e-green certification per see, their staff is highly skilled and certified by multiple organizations. With today’s stringent environmental standards, erosion, and sediment controls are their number one priority. They have a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Controls (CPESC) which is a national accreditation recognized by NYSDEC. This allows the to implement the correct “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s). They take a proactive approach to stabilize potential problems before they occur, this way the wetlands and other sensitive areas stay safe.
A brief description of the certified/verified sources of clean and renewable thermal energy:
Our newest building on campus, CAPA finished in 2011, is heated, cooled and provides domestic hot water off of a geothermal system with 48 wells. This system has been in place since commissioning and has been operating ever since, so that is why the amount did not change.
Unbundled renewable energy products
| kWh | MMBtu | |
| Purchased RECs, GOs, I-RECs or equivalent unbundled renewable energy products certified by a third party | 0 Kilowatt-hours | 0 MMBtu |
A brief description of the unbundled renewable energy products:
We do not have any of these.
Metrics used in scoring
38,184.09
MMBtu
Percentage of total energy consumption from clean and renewable sources:
83.29
Optional Fields
Sierra magazine requests the following information from U.S. institutions that wish to share data with that organization:
| Percentage of total electricity use (0-100) | |
| Biomass | 35 |
| Coal | 0 |
| Geothermal | 10 |
| Hydro | 60.60 |
| Natural gas | 9.80 |
| Nuclear | 27.90 |
| Solar photovoltaic | 1.70 |
| Wind | 0 |
| Other (please specify and explain below) | 0 |
A brief description of other sources of electricity not specified above:
Other than Green Mountain Power and Solar Sense, we have no other sources of electricity.
Energy used for heating buildings, by source::
| Percentage of total energy used to heat buildings (0-100) | |
| Biomass | 85 |
| Coal | 0 |
| Electricity | 5 |
| Fuel oil | 6 |
| Geothermal | 4 |
| Natural gas | 0 |
| Other (please specify and explain below) | 0 |
A brief description of other sources of building heating not specified above:
There are no other sources of heat, except for solar gain.
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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