Mercyhurst College to be 100 Percent Wind Powered

With Earth Week festivities set to kick off at Mercyhurst College this week, the timing couldn’t be better to announce the college’s decision to become 100 percent wind powered by this summer.
“Combined with prior investments in geothermal and solar energy, and our ongoing efforts to improve energy efficiency and conservation, Mercyhurst’s move to 100 percent wind power illustrates the commitment we have made toward our long-term goal of carbon emissions neutrality,” said Mercyhurst College President Dr. Thomas J. Gamble.

Mercyhurst made its initial wind energy purchase seven years ago at the 10 percent level, increasing to 30 percent in 2008.  Prices for wind power have come down to the point that increasing the purchase level to 100% will not increase the wind energy premium that Mercyhurst pays. “Quite simply, there’s more wind in the marketplace now and the price reflects that,” said Dr. Chris Magoc, Mercyhurst Green Team chair. “Wind power has become the fastest growing sector of the energy market.”

In other green developments, Mercyhurst has purchased a composter that it will install on campus this summer. The “Earth Tub” system is designed specifically for on-site composting of food and yard wastes. The $20,000 system is expected to be installed in the vicinity of the maintenance building and will accept an average of 200 pounds per day of compostable material, including grass clippings, shredded paper, kitchen scraps and pulped food waste from the cafeteria.

The composter complements a strong recycling program at Mercyhurst and will strengthen overall waste reduction efforts on campus while also reducing the college’s need to purchase mulch and compost for flower beds as well as vegetable gardens at its West County campus.
Finally, plans are moving forward for the installation in late spring of a green roof on the ceramics lab of Zurn Hall. The $40,000 cost of converting the conventional $80,000 roof to a “green” roof is being funded through the 2010 Senior Class Gift and the Student Green Energy Fund. The roof will reduce storm water runoff, extend the life of the roof, save on energy costs and provide educational opportunities for students and community members.