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Sustainability Title Paul Smith's College

What We're Doing

Energy Efficiency

In accordance with our Climate Action Plan Paul Smith's College partnered with Johnson Controls energy management company and completed nearly $2 million dollars in facilities improvement upgrades campus wide.

Upgrades include:

  • Lighting retrofits: Changing almost 5000 light fixtures and controls across campus.
  • Building Weatherization: Installing weather stripping, insulation, and air-sealing around windows and doors.
  • Integrated building management system: All buildings on campus are now set to a fixed temperature of 65 degrees.

These upgrades are estimated to cut our Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 22%
and will save the college nearly 4.6 million dollars over 15 years.

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All new buildings are built to LEED Certified Silver Specifications

Check out our two newest buildings on campus:

The Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Environmental Science and Education Center

Geo-thermal Heating and Cooling system, high efficiency two-stage heat pumps to optimize geo-thermal source, building insulation includes rigid exterior insulation; high density closed cell spray foam in walls and attic; blown cellulose in attic floor.


Overlook Residence Hall

Specifications include permeable asphalt pavement, bicycle storage structure provided, indigenous landscape plantings, high efficiency vehicle designated parking provided, high efficiency lighting and lighting controls, direct digital control energy management system to optimize building systems performance.






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Renewable Energy Credits

Paul Smith's College offsets 100% of our energy use by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits from Renewable Choice Energy.

For more information on Renewable choice energy and Renewable Energy Credits please visit:

http://www.renewablechoice.com/business-about-renewable-energy.html

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Effective Waste Management

In 2011 Paul Smiths' College became the first in our area to adopt Zero -Sort Recycling from Casella waste services. Making it easier for it to recycle on our campus, it goes all in one blue bin!

We recycle the following- Cardboard, Paper, Glass (colored and clear), Metal and Plastic- # 1-7. ALL IN ONE BLUE BIN!

For more information on zero-sort recycling, www.zero-sort.com




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Recyclemania

Paul Smith's College has participated in the nation-wide recycling competition Recyclemania since 2008. For more information on Recyclemania please visit. www.recyclemaniacs.org/





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Local food initiative

Paul Smith's College is committed to supporting the local food movement here in the Adirondack North Country. This fall our main campus dining facility, Lakeside Dining, will also be serving food from local farmers. See the article below to read more about our local food initiative. Lakeside Dining already purchases nearly 20% of our food from NY State and hopes to increase that amount in the coming year including small producers such as Finger Lakes Fresh vegetables, Coyuga Pure Organics (Brooktondale, NY), and Murray's Chicken Farm.





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Friday Farmers Market at the Paul Smith's College VIC

The Paul Smiths Farmers' Market features fresh vegetables and berries in season, breads and other baked goods, herbs, jams and jellies and plants. The market is part of the Adirondack Farmers' Market Cooperative. The market is open every Friday throughout the summer from 2-5 PM.





Paul Smith's College Campus Sustainability Office: (518.327.6054)
CampusSustainability@paulsmiths.edu

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