We want to build on our existing culture that asking for help is just a regular part of a good education.”Meg Foley, instructor in history
How green is Exeter?
In May 1927, the Academy’s first Nature Club formed, offering Saturday morning nature walks every other week. “For admission to the Nature Club,” The Exonian reported that spring, “a student must describe 25 trees, 25 flowers or 30 birds,” with faculty members serving as “examiners” of these findings.
The club is one example among many of the school community’s long-held interest in the environment and, increasingly in recent decades, the conservation and protection of natural resources. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and consider more urgently the global impact of our individual actions on the planet, we look at some of the work happening on campus — oftentimes behind the scenes — to limit our footprint. No list could capture everyone’s efforts, and there is of course still much more to do to achieve greater carbon emissions reductions and increased community-wide education. But here are 15 ways the Academy is already moving in the right direction.
Reduced emissions associated with electricity use on campus (scope 2)
Construction of the 1,552-panel solar array on the William Boyce Thompson Field House and ongoing programs to reduce demand (smart lighting, high-efficiency appliances) have helped Exeter control electricity use while expanding its built footprint. Since 2014, emissions associated with the electricity bought for use in campus buildings have been offset through the purchase of national wind Renewable Energy Certificates. Electricity used in the faculty houses that border campus is not offset, and represents 6% of the school’s total usage. Exeter is researching ways to further reduce scope 2 emissions, including metering all campus buildings; performing building audits and energy retrofits; increasing on-campus solar; and investing in solar power purchase agreements.
32,000 pounds of fish
That number reflects the amount consumed in the Academy’s dining halls in the past five years. It’s all part of a plan to move away from environmentally wasteful foods to responsible foods. Dining Services follows the Menus of Change initiative, which focuses on healthy, plant-forward eating and environmental stewardship. Benefits of adopting this program, founded by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, are reduced consumption of foods with significant environmental impact; better quality through organics and locally sourced items; and purchasing from vendors who share our commitment to the environment. Exeter’s fisheries partners protect the waters for future fishing through the types of fish they catch and by following sustainability practices. Other food is sourced from local suppliers whenever possible: 75 percent of produce in season; 100 percent of dairy, eggs and flour year-round.
Six vehicle charging stations
Electric chargers in the Thompson Field House parking garage were installed to be able to service six vehicles simultaneously.
Two tons of donated goods
Sheets, clothes, books, lights, you name it. If they’re unwanted, these useful items are collected on move-out days for regular year and Exeter Summer students. They get a second life through Goodwill of Northern New England.
134 geothermal wells
The 49 geothermal wells installed under the Academy Building lawn in 2012 have improved energy efficiency in Phillips Hall by as much as 30 percent. Space under the lawn is reserved for additional wells that will service the Academy Building when it undergoes renovation. In 2015, the Downer Family Fitness Center opened in the athletics complex, with heating and cooling supplied by 15 geothermal wells. Sixty geothermal wells were also installed near the baseball diamond in 2018 to heat and cool the Goel Center for Theater and Dance. The first use of geothermal energy came in 2007 and 2008, when the Academy constructed four faculty houses with 10 geothermal wells.
Environmentally responsible construction practices
Minimizing environmental impact is a priority in each campus construction project and has been at the forefront since Exeter opened the Phelps Academy Center in 2006 (since renamed the Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center). EPAC was constructed using the principles of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Exeter’s efforts resulted in Silver LEED certification for EPAC. Since then, the school has gained four LEED Golds (Thompson Field House, three faculty houses) and anticipates a fifth LEED Gold for the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Theater and Dance. Facilities Management staff are currently reviewing additional green building certification standards that will allow the Academy to adapt responsibly to every situation.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the spring 2020 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.
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