Energy Use & Efficiency
In 2007, electricity accounted for 29 percent of Smith's carbon footprint. Energy use affects all aspects of the college's infrastructure, so aggressive energy-efforts have paid off. From 2004 to 2009, Smith reduced total electricity consumption by 7 percent.
From the massive to the miniscule, some of the projects include:
- Infrastructure Installation of a co-generation power plant reduces our emissions tremendously and generates cost savings, while installation of a solar panel array on the Campus Center is estimated to treduce carbon emissions by 238 metric tons over the next 20 years
- Lighting: Aggressive campaigns to replace incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and to retrofit the gymnasium lighting reduce our energy use significantly
- Leadership: The president of the college signed the President's Climate Commitment in an effort to harmonize Smith's climate change policy with other leading colleges and universities
- Technology: Students, faculty and staff changed the settings on their computers in order to save energy in The Million Monitor Drive campaign. Each individual contribution added up to savings of $60,000 and 520 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
