WELLESLEY, Mass., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College
plans to install a wind turbine on the school's campus as a demonstration
project, becoming the first college in the greater Boston area to utilize
wind power through an on-campus installation. Babson joins the growing
number of US colleges and universities that have chosen to develop their
commitment to sustainable business practices through the use of renewable
energy technologies.
Babson will install a residential-scale turbine, the Skystream 3.7 (1.8
kW), manufactured by Southwest Windpower. It is expected to be operational
before the close of the spring 2008 semester. Based on production estimates
and Babson's wind resource, the turbine will produce enough energy to
supply roughly 60% of the annual energy needs at the school's
entrepreneurship gallery after planned lighting renovations are completed
within the space.
The college's decision to complete the installation was the result of a
proposal spearheaded by a team of three graduate students (Rob
Banagale-M'09, Jonah Eidus-M'09 and Clinton White-M'08) and introduced
through the Babson Energy and Environmental Club (BEEC), a student-led
organization at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson
College.
"Managing the planet's resources sustainably and equitably is the
greatest challenge we face today," stated Fritz Fleischmann, Dean of
Faculty at Babson College. "Projects like this, and the innovative,
entrepreneurial thinking it represents, are needed to create new business
models, manage change in thought and behavior, and encourage others to
participate in addressing this urgent challenge."
The project itself is a testament to the level of innovation and
collaboration that Babson is known for and was created through extensive
dialogue between students, alumni, faculty and administrators, according to
BEEC Co-President Clinton White.
As a student led initiative, the project was introduced to the school's
administration as means of promoting sustainability programs at the college
in a manner that emboldens student innovation. To facilitate awareness,
several placards will be located near the turbine and around campus to
describe the project itself, recognize exceptionally innovative Babson
graduates in the energy sector, and to communicate sustainability projects
at Babson. Through collaboration between the college's facilities
department and the BEEC, the installation site itself will also be utilized
on an ongoing basis as a space to encourage visitors to support resource
conservation and efficiency improvements as primary divers in limiting
environmental impacts and operational costs.
The project will be funded in part though a $5,000 contribution that
will be given to the college on behalf of the BEEC. These funds were raised
by the club's membership over the past year through the organization's
e-waste recycling campaign along with solicited contributions. "This truly
has been a student driven project, representative of the incredible growth
of interest in renewable technologies among current students," said White.
"We should be proud of this great accomplishment and excited about being a
part of an academic community that is so receptive to student input."
That student interest is manifesting itself on both ends of the MBA
program. "Our Center for Career Development has seen an unprecedented spike
in student interest in cleantech and environmentally focused careers," says
Beth Bristol, Manager of Babson's full-time MBA program. "At the same time,
our graduate Admissions Office is receiving a consistent flow of inquiries
from prospective students looking to insure that Babson is in touch with
this burgeoning business trend."
The turbine installation itself will build upon a successful history of
green initiatives put in place by Babson's Facilities Management and
Planning Office, led by Shelley Kaplan, Associate Vice President of
Facilities Management & Planning. "The future of the world is heavily
dependent on today's students understanding the environmental impact of all
actions they take, so I have been especially pleased with the dedication,
hard work, quality research and financial support the BEEC has provided in
moving this wind turbine project forward. This project will be a source of
sustainability education and awareness for many years to come," says
Kaplan.
Other campus sustainability projects that have been completed or are
currently ongoing at Babson include:
-- More than $900,000 invested in capital projects with energy
efficiency and carbon footprint benefits including efficiency retrofits and
HVAC system renovations
-- Dark Dorm competition and incentive program established to encourage
energy conservation in residence halls
--Multiple rechargeable electric vehicles purchased for campus
transportation
-- Solar lighting installed on upper field walks
-- Biodiesel recycling program created to convert all used cooking oil
to biodiesel fuel for campus vehicles and lawnmowers
-- E-waste recycling program instated to provide students with
opportunities to dispose of old cell phones, PDAs, and printer cartridges
in an environmentally friendly manner
-- Campus standard for fluorescent lights moved from F32 to F28 lamps -
energy reduction of 13%
-- Electric power load shedding program established to reduce peak
energy use
-- Metering devices for building level energy and water systems
installed
-- Aggressive curtailment program established to reduce energy
consumption during holiday break periods
-- A recycling program that now recycles 40-45% of the campus waste
stream.
In addition to the student generated turbine proposal, Babson students
continue to gain attention for their abilities to think critically about
sustainability concepts. Babson students shared over 22 unique cleantech
and environmentally focused business proposals at the school's 2007 Rocket
Pitch competition. Babson has also been singled out as one of eight
international schools invited to participate in the $20,000 "Sustainability
Business Plan Competition" sponsored by Wal-Mart.
The college plans to celebrate the installation of turbine during a
public groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for the morning of March 27th,
2008 and in conjunction with the BEEC's second annual Entrepreneurial
Energy Expo, a half-day conference focused on clean energy. More
information about the wind turbine installation and the Energy and
Environmental Club's Entrepreneurial Expo can be found at
http://www.babsonenergy.com.
PODCAST: President Brian Barefoot interviews MBA student Clinton White
of the Babson Energy and Environmental Club and Shelley Kaplan, Babson's
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management and Planning, on the
growth of interest and opportunities in environmental initiatives at
Babson:
http://www3.babson.edu/Offices/President/podcast/2008_02_14121745.cfm.
The Babson Energy and Environmental Club is a student led organization
at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. The club works to foster
innovation by hosting educational events, connecting alumni to the club and
its members, and helping students gain new employment opportunities within
the energy industry. For information, visit http://www.babsonenergy.com.
Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., is recognized internationally as a
leader in entrepreneurial management education. Babson grants BS degrees
through its innovative undergraduate program, and grants MBA and custom MS
and MBA degrees through the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson
College. Babson Executive Education offers executive development programs
to experienced managers worldwide. For information, visit
http://www.babson.edu.
This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more
information, visit http://www.newswise.com.
SOURCE Babson College
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Related links:
http://www.babson.edu
CONTACT:
Michael Chmura of Babson PR, +1-781-239-4549,
mchmura@babson.edu
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