Curbing carbon on campus
The wells that plunge 1,500 feet under Radcliffe Yard are out of sight to those walking over them. But to the facilities team there, they are well known as indispensable tools in the University’s fight against climate change. First installed a decade ago when the technology was still in its infancy, the wells are part of a geothermal system that reduces carbon emissions by using the natural heat stored deep underground for heating and cooling buildings. Through a process of continual testing and improvement that included the help of undergraduate engineering students, the system has been expanded twice to serve all of the historic brick buildings surrounding Radcliffe Yard. In a report released today, Harvard University details the path it took to achieving its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2016 from a 2006 baseline, inclusive of campus growth. The steps included energy audits and energy efficiency measures across...