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With its emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency
through numerous design, construction and operational initiatives, Ford Hall
will be at the forefront of energy-efficient architecture. The 140,000-square-foot
building, scheduled for groundbreaking this year, will incorporate numerous initiatives
in its design and use in order to reduce the consumption of energy resources and
the costs of operation and to serve as a teaching tool for sustainable design.
A new 10-unit apartment-style dormitory with a central common
area was recently built to house students enrolled in the Ada Comstock Scholars program.
Each unit has two bedrooms, a full bathroom, an eat-in kitchen, and a living room.
This building has been designed to minimize thermal and electrical energy loads by using
a few simple techniques. The primary components are thick walls and ceilings with lots
of insulation (R-50 and R-70 respectively) and tall triple-glazed windows. In addition
the building has direct-digital temperature controls, heat recovery ventilation,
energy efficient (Energy Star) appliances and lighting, and solar panels for domestic hot
water production. The added insulation in the walls and ceiling has already paid for itself
by reducing the size of heating and cooling systems.
Cogeneration, also called Combined Heat and Power (CHP),
is an efficient, clean, and reliable approach to generating power and thermal energy
from a single fuel source. By installing a cogeneration system designed to meet
the thermal and electrical base loads of our campus, Smith College will increase
operational efficiency and decrease energy costs, while significantly reducing
emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. More...
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Facilities
Management
Dining Services
Building
Green
The Cogen Project
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