Why Zero is Celebrated at Northfield Mount Hermon School
At most schools, a zero means epic failure. But selective Massachusetts prep school Northfield Mount Hermon is celebrating a zero ??? net zero carbon dioxide emissions.
MOUNT HERMON, Mass., Sept. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), a coed boarding high school in Western Massachusetts dedicated to education for the head, heart, and hand, today announced it has entered into new electricity and renewable energy credit contracts to ???green??? its energy portfolio.
The agreement for the purchase of renewable energy credits, which starts in December, will support the production of power from sources such as wind turbines. By offsetting its emissions in this way, the school???s net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere ??? for 100% of its electricity use ??? will be zero.
This is just NMH???s latest step in reducing its environmental impact. In 2016, the school???s power plant ??? responsible for heating the campus ??? converted from No. 6 fuel oil to a locally-made biofuel, reducing its carbon emissions by more than 97%.
The embrace of renewable energy and local biofuels complements NMH???s ongoing investment in energy efficiency. The school has engaged in comprehensive, campus-wide retrofits that include energy efficient lighting, refrigeration, and variable frequency motors. Together these efforts deliver a one-two punch, reducing NMH???s overall energy needs, while ensuring those which remain are fulfilled in an environmentally responsible way.
???Sustainability is part of the learning ethos at NMH,??? said Becca Malloy, Northfield Mount Hermon science teacher and director of sustainability. ???It is important to us to show our students and alumni that we as an institution are continuing to learn and grow. What we are doing with energy ??? how and where we source it, use it, and think about it ??? illustrates our commitment to embracing new ideas and making our school, community and environment a better, greener, and more sustainable place.???
Added Rick Couture, director of plant facilities at NMH, ???Backing our new electricity purchase with 36 months of renewable energy certificates ensures we will be powering the majority of our campus in a zero-emission fashion for years to come, fulfilling our responsibility to our students and local community as well as our mission as a learning institution.???
The new electricity and renewable energy contracts were facilitated via Balanced Rock Energy, a Springfield, Mass.-based energy consultancy and long-time advisor to Northfield Mount Hermon.
???In our years working together with NMH, the school has always demonstrated a curiosity and willingness to push the envelope to get the most out of energy for its campus and community,??? said Dan Joyce, President, Balanced Rock Energy.