Sustainability
Reducing our Impact on the Environment
For many years Elizabethtown College has taken a proactive approach to the efficient use of water, natural gas, fuel oil, electricity, in the reduction in the amount of storm water we send to the Chesapeake Bay and the sanitary waste and solid waste we generate. Several principles have guided the College’s efforts:
- The energy you never use is the cheapest energy there is and energy not used does not generate carbon.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
- We will use best management practices (BMP) handling our storm water.
- We will continually evaluate new conservation technologies and implement those that can reduce our consumption of utilities while demonstrating reasonable paybacks.
This website outlines our accomplishments in these areas and provides insight into the developing technologies that we are investigating. In many areas you will see duplication as one management technology or strategy often acts to reduce consumption of multiple utilities. Efficiency improvements such as water conservation and efficient lighting that have been implemented across the campus. Many of the conservation strategies have been incorporated in existing buildings and planning is taking place for implementation in the renovation remaining buildings and in new construction.
Promoting a More Sustainable Elizabethtown College
Reducing energy consumption can have drastic positive effects on the environment. If each student on campus were to reduce their energy usage by just 7 KW a month, it is equivalent too:
89.6 acres of forest saved
190,495 miles driven by an average car
22.4 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled
8,965 gallons of gas consumed
86,619 pounds of coal burned.
Elizabethtown College is promoting this more sustainable future by introducing a Student Dormitory Energy Challenge.
The goal of the Student Dormitory Energy Challenge is to find out which dormitory can reduce their electric energy usage per student compared to the previous year’s energy usage per student from January to March. Each dormitory has different electric requirements for the operation of their dormitory. By comparing the previous year’s energy usage for that dormitory, we will create the most accurate representation of the success of each dormitory’s ability to reduce their electric energy usage. The Facilities department has teamed with Resident Life to ensure the number of students per dormitory is accurately represented. The dormitory’s overall electricity usage divided by the number of students occupying the dormitory over that timeframe will provide the information of KWH (Kilowatt-hour) per student. The reduction in KWH per student compared to the previous year divided by the previous year’s KWH per student will provide the percentage decrease in electric energy usage. The dormitory with the largest percentage decrease during the months of January through March 2023 compared to January through March 2022 will be the dormitory winner.
Results for January 2023 Student Dormitory Energy Challenge
Results for February 2023 Student Dormitory Energy Challenge