Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality at Macalester College
Ever-Green Energy worked with Macalester College as part of our Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality program, which helps higher education institutions accelerate their efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. The program provides schools with pro bono planning services to evaluate campus energy efficiency and pathways to reduce Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.
Energy Master Planning
Ever-Green began its partnership with Macalester College in 2020, working toward meeting the college’s goal of achieving campus decarbonization.
Macalester established goals for carbon neutrality that provided Ever-Green with direction during the development:
- Deliver reliable, long-term, cost-competitive energy services to the campus
- Develop carbon-neutral energy solutions for the campus
- Eliminate dependence on fossil fuels as a primary fuel source, along with the related carbon emissions
- Establish a path to achieving Macalester’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2025
With the support of Macalester staff, Ever-Green gathered information on the existing campus buildings’ generation assets, building mechanical systems, square footage, and occupancy. Ever-Green also evaluated the existing energy system operations to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and enhance reliability.
Using the campus data, Ever-Green developed an energy consumption profile for Macalester’s campus. Once loads were established, energy supply and distribution options were evaluated, and capital investments and system energy-related costs were projected in a 30-year life-cycle cost analysis model. The model compares the costs and carbon profile for Macalester to heat, cool, and power the Macalester campus under the business-as-usual scenario against several low-carbon energy solutions over that time period.
The recommendations also included assessing opportunities to convert the legacy steam system to low-temperature hot water and expand cooling to enable a future conversion to a carbon-free energy source.
About Macalester College
Macalester College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1874 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Macalester is recognized as a global leader among liberal arts colleges, with the highest standards for scholarship and a continuing commitment to internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. In 2007, Macalester College signed onto the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Carbon Commitment and established an ambitious commitment to carbon neutrality by 2025.
