Smith College
IN-27: Innovation D

Smith is working with area partners to test the idea of a Community Climate Fund. This fund enables the partners to invest in local activities that reduce GHG emissions- for example, making a local non-profit organization's buildings more energy-efficient. Testing the Community Climate Fund has involved faculty and students in research and development, and the fund could ultimately provide an opportunity for faculty and student innovations. The fund will also help Smith College offset the carbon emissions we generate from staff/faculty commuting and college-funded air travel, which are difficult to reduce in other ways, on our path to carbon neutrality by 2030. The fund will allow us to keep our investments local and improve our community's energy efficiency, while also giving students real-world experience. The first project was completed this year and the recipient was DeMarey Gardens in nearby Westhampton. Dave Demarey was able to replace an old, inefficient oil fired heating system in his greenhouse with a new, 95% efficient propane furnace. Mr. Demarey's installation of a new heating system coincided with his switch from growing tropical plants in his greenhouse to growing tomatoes year-round. A rebate from the Community Climate Fund helped enable Dave to install the high efficiency model, which has a higher upfront cost than the standard 80%-85% efficient models, but has a lower operating cost due to fuel efficiency.