Smith College Campus Energy Decarbonisation Study

Smith College had committed to being a Zero Emissions campus by 2030. Integral Group developed and evaluated available options and recommend a clear strategy and comprehensive technical concept that would enable Smith College to achieve its 2030 Climate Targets.

The study had carefully considered a multitude of technical, economic, environmental, and logistical factors, opportunities, and limitations in the specific context of Smith College’s existing energy infrastructure and its ultimate goals.

The recommended strategy comprised the following short, medium, and long term progression steps:

1. Switching from natural gas to renewable biodiesel in the existing central plant steam boilers;
2. Implementation of the initial stage of the new campus-scale geo-exchange system with heat recovery chillers and new low-temperature heating distribution network;
3. Extending, completing, and eventual complete switch-over to the new campus-scale low-temperature heating distribution network and addition of new tri-generation system based on renewable biodiesel, and decommissioning of the existing steam heating and CHP plants and steam heating distribution network.