Keene State College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Keene State College’s (KSC) central steam plant generates heat and hot water for over 70% of the its 1.68 million square-foot campus. Prior to 2016, KSC relied on No. 6 heating oil to generate that steam, and did so for years. As a result, Keene State lagged its peers for on-site emissions, including schools using natural gas.
Beginning in 2016 Keene State College, under the leadership of the Coordinator of Energy and Utility Services and the Director of Campus Sustainability, with the support of the President's Council for a Sustainable Future, began investigating low/no carbon alternatives that would be considered "fossil-free". Meanwhile, a new fuel for large-scale boiler operations was gaining traction in Massachusetts refined by LifeCycle Renewables. This fuel (called LR100), processed within 5 miles of Boston's fuel port for heavy oil, is made from used cooking oil by food processing and large-scale kitchens. Far cleaner than No. 6, this fuel could be trucked to campus from the same distance as KSC's heavy oil, was a certified fuel that could generate New Hampshire thermal renewable energy credits, and was considered carbon neutral by Second Nature. KSC piloted LR100 summer of 2016 in just one of the three steam plant boilers to see how it worked. And it did.
Just two years later, all three boilers were running on LR-100 fuel, beating the KSC Sustainability Goal of a 100% renewable steam plant by 2020. As a result, KSC become New Hampshire's largest generator of thermal renewable energy credits, and its emissions from the steam plant stack decreased significantly, saving KSC money while cleaning up the region's airshed.
Keene State College was the first college or university in the nation to demonstrate this approach to getting off polluting heating fuel.
Additional information is provided in Innovation and Leadership IN-48-B.

The Keene State College SESCO (Sustainability and Energy Services Contract): Providing the Way for a Renewable and Carbon-Neutral Future
WHAT IS THE SESCO?
The Sustainability and Energy Services Contract (SESCO) is the short-hand used for branding KSC’s Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract. It is the umbrella term for the approach KSC is taking to achieve a truly transformative energy vision on campus (Note: this approach aligns with the City of Keene’s and the recommendations provided in the USNH deferred maintenance Sightlines report, https://www.usnh.edu/sites/www.usnh.edu/files/media/capital-planning/usnh_facilities_condition_assessment.pdf ):
1) Reduce energy use through energy efficiency; building systems; facility, infrastructure, and equipment improvements; and demand-side management
2) Generate renewable energy on or near the campus (e.g., solar on rooftops, parking lots).
An essential companion action to the SESCO work to ensure KSC attains its goals is to switch remaining energy purchases to renewable, regionally generated sources.
Through these actions, KSC will be a regional leader for teaching and demonstrating the energy transformation required to meet local, regional, and global goals.
Even more important is the emphasis the SESCO places on the student experience and academics. The SESCO provides internships, outreach and education, opportunities for new curricular and co-curricular programs, work force training, and sustainability enhancements. The SESCO is essential for building a robust living laboratory at KSC. All of these features are spelled out in the attached RFP.

PARTS OF THE SESCO
The SESCO comprises three distinct parts, all of which are covered under the Guaranteed Energy Savings umbrella. This is the distinguishing feature of the SESCO that differentiates it from other contracts: the energy savings are guaranteed, which means no risk to KSC—Siemens is contractually obligated to deliver the savings or pay.
The three parts are:
1) Young Student Center Learning Lab Showcase: This project kicks off the SESCO work with the intention of showcasing and pilot testing the efficacy of proposed energy saving actions (Facility Improvement Measures and Energy Conservation Measures): lighting upgrades, kitchen equipment improvements, and building envelope enhancements. Signage will accompany this project so it becomes a KSC and broader learning center for how to meet the City’s ambitious energy goals.
2) Campus Energy and Sustainability Project: This broad-based work comprises the bulk of the SESCO. It looks at opportunities in all buildings based on the results of the Investment Grade Audit. The Cabinet approved this approach in the August 2020 meetings. NOW, the specific suite of projects must be selected in order for Siemens to develop the campus-wide Guaranteed Energy Contract (What Ken refers to as the Master Services Agreement). The attached Decision Support Tool (Excel spread sheet) allows the College the opportunity to mix and match different types of energy projects to determine the scope, timing, and ROI. This is an easy and fun tool to work with and will be an important part of our Friday conversation.
3) Solar PPA: Siemens has prepared a variety of options to solarize the campus. We can hone in on which ones once we get past the debt/no-debt conversation. Here Plymouth State is helpful. They successfully negotiated a PPA. Attached is the RFP they used, as well as the final contract for the selected vendor.

Collegewide Learning Outcomes
All Keene State College students gain proficiency in the content of their own major, and they learn academic, career, communication and interpersonal skills to prepare them to pursue meaningful work.

Regardless of major, by the time Keene State College students complete their undergraduate experience they develop critical thinking, creative inquiry, intercultural competence, civic engagement, and commitment to well-being that will serve them as active citizens and lifelong learners.
Sustainability:
Keene State College students will explore their place in interconnected natural and human systems; evaluate the personal, social, and environmental impacts of their choices; and apply their knowledge and skills for building a just, resilient, and thriving world.

Intercultural Competence:
Keene State College students will reflect critically on their own culture and on the intersectionality of culture and social location, demonstrate knowledge of a diversity of cultures, and communicate effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds.

Civic Engagement:
Keene State College students will demonstrate knowledge of one or more social or environmental issues including relevant cultural, political and policy contexts; take action individually or collectively to address issues; and reflect on the ethical dimensions of civic engagement.

Commitment to Well-Being:
Keene State College students will reflect critically on their own well-being and that of the larger world, demonstrate knowledge of issues that impact health and wellness, advocate for themselves, and commit to one or more practices that promote well-being.

Critical Thinking:
Keene State College students will evaluate evidence, consider multiple perspectives, choose and defend a position from several alternatives, and analyze complex problems.

Creative Inquiry:
Keene State College students will engage in research, scholarly activity or creative work to contribute new knowledge, art or expression and reflect on the process of inquiry or self-expression.