Tufts receives energy efficiency award

Tufts University has received an Excellence in Energy Efficiency award from the utility company National Grid for its role in reducing energy use and greenhouse gases.

President Lawrence S. Bacow accepted the award on October 31 at a ceremony in Sophia Gordon Hall, a dormitory that opened last fall and is the first university building to conform to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, the nationally accepted green building model.

Tufts saves $613,748 annually through efficiency programs that have decreased energy use on campus by 5,901,396 kilowatt hours, according to National Grid. That’s enough energy to power 379 homes for one year. The savings prevented 3,252 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

Bacow noted that the money saved through conservation initiatives with National Grid is enough to fund scholarships for 23 students.

This story ran in the November 2007 issue of the Tufts Journal.