Colby College
4000 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901-8840
P: 207-872-3000
Admissions: 1-800-723-3032
 

Building Design and Operation

Goals
  • Build new buildings only when they are essential to the academic or community missions
    of the college or to improving working or living conditions for employees or students.
  • Design and build buildings that reduce environmental impact and enhance the well being
    of their occupants to the extent practical and affordable.
  • Adapt low environmental impact strategies for existing buildings.

    SSW
    		diamond_bldg
    		 Pulver

 Practices and Accomplishments

  • Developed Green building "Principles and Guidelines" for building and renovation projects.
    Click here for more details.
  • Energy efficient, front-loading washing machines on campus allow for larger loads, require
    less detergent, and save the college $10,000 a year on energy costs and water use.
  • T-8 fluorescent bulbs were replaced with low mercury T-8 bulbs. These bulbs provide the
    same quality of lighting, use 40% less power, last 20% longer, contain 66% less mercury
    (a required component of fluorescent lights), and meet EPA guidelines for non-hazardous waste.
  • Hockey rink lighting was changed from 400 watt to 320-watt fixtures, reducing power use while
    providing equivalent lighting.
  • The College continues to upgrade its energy management system, which controls heating,
    ventilation, cooling and lighting systems on campus, to ensure these systems operate efficiently
    and only when needed (based on usage and weather conditions). Currently, 73 percent of
    residential space is metered for electricity usage.
  • Motion sensors in classrooms, restrooms and other intermittent use spaces automatically
    shut lights off when the space is not being used.
  • Motion senors (a.k.a. VendingMisers) on vending machines, reduce energy use when the
    machine is not in use.  Click here for more details.
  • Only low-flow showerheads are installed on campus.
  • Toilets on campus use reduced-flow plumbing reducing water consumption by more than 50%.
  • Construction and renovation projects replace water-cooled air conditioning, air handling, and
    other cooling equipment with air-cooled units reducing water consumption.