Massachusetts Envirothon slated for May 10th at Mount Wachusett Community College

Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts, will host the 2007 Massachusetts Envirothon on Thursday, May 10th. MWCC’s main campus, located on 269 scenic acres, will provide ample space and suitable natural resources for this year’s ecostations. And in keeping with this year’s current issue, the college is in the fifth year of a renewable energy initiative.

MWCC has converted its main campus from all-electricity heat to biomass, reducing its reliance on electricity for heating by 80 percent. The college saved over $1.2 million in three and a half years in heating costs, reduced the campus’ greenhouse gas emissions by 22.5 percent, offset over 18 million kilowatt hours of electricity and reduced water consumption by 10 million gallons.

In 2006, the college installed a wind-metering tower at the main campus to explore the potential for using wind energy. MWCC has applied for a Clean Renewable Energy Bond to install 100-kilowatt-hour photovoltaic solar panels, which would build on the five-kilowatt-hour photovoltaic array already supplying continuous power to the main campus’ electrical grid.

In January, the college began a one-year test of a new bio-powered micro-cooling, heating and power system built by Community Power Corporation of Littleton, Colorado, making the college a nationally recognized center for applied research of renewable energy technology.

Through a National Science Foundation grant, MWCC offers several renewable energy courses.

For more information on the Massachusetts Envirothon, visit www.maenvirothon.org. For more information on MWCC's renewable energy program, visit http://www.mwcc.mass.edu/renewable/biomass.html.

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