Cost Analysis of Alternative Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency

Like the sign says: Stop Wasting Energy! It is easy to conserve energy on campus, even if we are not using up-to-date energy-efficient solutions. But that is part of the problem, Mt. Holyoke is not using the new solutions to energy efficiency and production that could easily bring down costs and cause less impact upon the environment.

Since the last assessment of the feasability of alternative energy production on our campus, the cost of these products has reduced almost exponentially. Another custom assessment of MHC needs to be done as technology has advanced by leaps and bounds making alternate sources of energy much more economically viable. Possible sources of energy that are possible on this campus, even in limited amounts (but by no means insignificant) are: photovoltaics, hydroelectrics, and wind turbines.

Aside from alternative energy production, there are many areas where MHC could easily save money by simply replacing energy guzzling products with those more efficient. By adding inventions that bring down the cost of lighting and cooling/heating, we can reduce costs by 20% or more.

We must understand that though we may never stop using fossil fuels completely, through a diverse energy plan we can greatly reduce our impacts and our budget. But until we can put plans for energy production into place, students, faculty, and staff need to realize that their absolute comfort has an absolute impact upon the environment and we are not made of money no matter how much we raise tuition.