this announcement also solidifies middlebury’s place as a leader in environmental studies and education, especially considering the idea that set the school’s carbon goal in motion started as a class project that made its way to the board of trustees.

so how did middlebury do it? here are the five top ways the college has innovated to reduce its carbon footprint and reach its goal:

1. biomass

middlebury college’s biomass gasification plant was opened in 2009. it gasifies wood, a process by which, instead of burning, draws gasses out of woodchips, which are fed into the system, and burns the gases emitted by the woodchips. the plant is manned 24 hours a day and features extensive exhaust filtering, which promises to remove 99.7% of particulates, meaning most of what the plant releases from its distinctive smokestack is water-vapor. while biomass gasification can be viewed as controversial, as it does require wood to be chopped and burned, middlebury considers it carbon-neutral since all their wood is harvested within 75 miles of campus and net forest growth in vermont typically far exceeds the harvest rate. the biomass plant accounts of 50% of middlebury’s reduction in carbon emissions.

according to middlebury college “… the biomass gasification plant exceeds the manufacturer’s original specifications” and actually saves the college between $1-2 million dollars per year in energy costs!

for a video tour of the plant, see https://vimeo.com/129550116. 

2. local, college-owned solar farm network

middlebury also utilizes a small network of solar projects that are located both on and in the close vicinity of campus. the original farm, called the “all earth solar farm,” is located just past middlebury’s science building, along the path to the college’s organic farm. the 143-kw plant is about five years old. in addition, the college is working on two more solar projects, the south ridge project (just 5 miles off campus), which just came online, and the wilber project (12 miles off campus), which will come online soon. middlebury’s solar farms will account for 8% of the college’s electricity use.

3. efficiency on campus

in addition to utilizing new forms of energy production, middlebury has taken steps to ensure that energy-consuming objects and appliances on campus also minimize their electricity use. projects include installing compact fluorescent and led lights across campus, new appliances, and installation of new variable-speed “smart” heating and cooling fans in dorms, offices, classrooms, and the main library.

4. permanent conservation of 2,100 acres on middlebury’s bread loaf campus

just under 12 miles away from campus is middlebury college’s bread loaf school of english. surrounding the school are 2,100 acres of pristine green mountain forest. thanks to a donation from middlebury alum and conservationist louis bacon, the college announced in 2014 that the forest would be conserved in perpetuity, never to be cut down. as a result, middlebury gained the ability to measure and register the land for their carbon sequestration. preliminary numbers suggest that for the first five years after the announcement and measurement, middlebury will receive offset credits for 25,000 tons of carbon per year. after five years, the college will be able to count roughly 3,000 tons of carbon offsets per year, which accounts for the yearly net growth of the bread loaf forest land. while the land does offset middlebury’s carbon output, director of sustainability integration jack byrne hesitates to call them an “offset,” rather pointing out that middlebury created an offset rather than purchasing one.

5. shredding the (carbon neutral) gnar at the middlebury snow bowl

in 2006, middlebury college snow bowl became the first ski area in the united states to go carbon neutral. the snow bowl is one of two remaining college-owned ski areas in the united states. just 12 miles from campus, the snow bowl has three ski-lifts, 17 trails, and 1,000 vertical feet of skiable area. carbon neutrality here was achieved through offsets, meaning that the college invested in protected land and sustainable energy projects across the united states. to do this, the college works with nativeenergy: “… a privately held renewable energy company that helps reduce co2 emissions by funding native american owned and operated wind turbine farms and family-owned farm methane projects.”

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

this video is a walkthrough of self-reliance, our solar decathlon home. it is part of a set of four videos required by the department of energy for the competition. you can watch all four videos (walkthrough, market appeal, architecture and engineering) and earlier ones on our planet forward ideas page. this summer the middlebury solar decathlon is building a small, 100% solar-powered home that will compete in the us department of energy solar decathlon 2011 competition. the solar decathlon is a biennial green-building competition that brings together 20 collegiate teams from all over the country and world to showcase their solar homes on the national mall in washington d.c. this competition is one of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the country, as it challenges these teams to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions, feature cost-effective and energy-efficient construction, and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems within their 100% solar-powered homes. team middlebury’s home, “self-reliance,” strives to do all this as it reinvents the iconic new england farmhouse, integrating today’s efficient technologies into a home for a vermont family of four. it is our belief that living sustainably can be facilitated by beautiful, comfortable, and practical design. when architecture and technology are used wisely together to utilize the power of the sun and other renewable energy resources, our impact on this earth is greatly reduced. as we construct our solar-powered home this summer we hope to offer a sustainable solution to life in the 21st century. we invite you to follow our construction progress over the next 12 weeks via the weekly videos we will be posting with planet forward. it is our hope to extend this learning opportunity to a greater community beyond middlebury, and inspire others to turn to sustainable design practices as well. please stay tuned! for more information about the middlebury solar decathlon team, please visit http://solardecathlon.middlebury.edu/

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

for more information visit:
http://www.transom.org/tools/beginnings/2006/200602_bill_mckibben/gourmet_article.html
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/
http://lifecyclesproject.ca/initiatives/food_miles/