Learning from Our Campus: Hillcrest & the Biomass Facility

Earlier this month, we visited two facilities on the Middlebury campus that embody sustainable design: the Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest and the Biomass Facility. Since Wayne and Steve were involved in the design of both facilities, they were able to give us the inside scoop on how the technologies operate and why they were selected. At Hillcrest, we learned about the PV system, energy dashboard, green building materials, and LEED Platinum Certification.

At the biomass facility, we followed the gasification process that uses woodchips to generate steam. We learned that the steam is then distributed throughout campus for heating, cooling, hot water and cooking, which drastically reduces the need for #6 fuel oil. Overall, the tours of these two facilities were fascinating and inspirational, and we’re appreciative that we can learn so much from our own campus!