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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 22, 2016) — Milligan College President Dr. Bill Greer announced today, on Earth Day, that the college would overhaul campus infrastructure over the next year, reducing its energy consumption by more than 20 percent.
In total, the year-long venture is projected to reduce the college’s CO2 emissions by approximately 593 metric tons annually, equivalent to the removal of 126 cars off the road annually or the planting of 486 acres of new trees per year, according to statistics projected by Energy Systems Group (ESG), who is leading the project.
This $3.9 million sustainable initiative is funded through the college’s savings of over $250,000 annually in utility expense, in addition to over $100,000 in repair and maintenance savings. Additional funding is provided through Tennessee Valley Authority incentives and a Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant to support sustainability.
“We’re excited to undertake this important project, one that demonstrates in a significant way our commitment to being good stewards of God’s creation,” said Greer. “One of Milligan’s underlying goals is that students gain an enriched quality of life through, among other things, the stewardship of resources. So, we’re pleased that we’re able to make this investment in campus infrastructure that will significantly reduce our usage of gas, electricity and water, which helps make us better stewards.”
The improvements include replacing more than half of campus HVAC equipment; renovating the P.H. Welshimer Memorial Library with new ceilings and lighting; significantly reducing water use across campus by approximately 6,722,000 gallons per year; and creating a website and central energy dashboard to monitor energy use in real time that will be available for public viewing on campus.
In addition to the above project improvements, most buildings on campus will receive computerized HVAC controls including state-of-the-art metering technology to monitor and give live feedback of electric and water use, which will allow for greater control and management of energy use and costs. For example, alerts will be generated to inform the Milligan maintenance staff when monitored energy use levels indicate a problem has developed in a building.
“We are proud to partner with Milligan College to implement infrastructure improvements that will have a positive impact on the campus environment for years to come,” said Russ Nelson, ESG business development manager. “We commend Milligan for their dedication to providing a quality educational environment while promoting energy efficiency and sustainability using existing budget dollars.”
Energy Systems Group (ESG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC), is a leading energy services provider that specializes in energy efficiency, sustainability and infrastructure improvement solutions in the government, education, healthcare, commercial and industrial sectors. ESG also offers a full range of sustainable infrastructure solutions including waste-to-energy, distributed generation and renewable energy. To learn more about ESG, visit www.energysystemsgroup.com.