190 Business View - November 2015
has a printer in their office. They now have to think about
what they’re going to print and if they really need to print
it they get up and they walk to a copier, where they then
release the document. We have found that that step,
alone, eliminated hundreds of thousands of prints. The
cost savings are incredible.”
Savingmoney is always an additional and welcome result
when institutions promote sustainability concepts and
environmental stewardship - especially when it comes to
the installation of alternative energy systems in its build-
ings. In 2011, Messiah became home to the nation’s
fourth largest solar thermal system. According to Shafer,
it was the first institutional project that was funded with
the knowledge that there would be a payback because
of a reduction in utility costs. The $1.5 million system
serves all the hot water needs of the three residence
halls that comprise the North Complex. It’s payback pe-
riod is estimated to be six years.
Another alternative energy project is coming online soon.
“We are in the process of installing natural gas into our
campus,” says Shafer. “This is something we’ve wanted
for at least ten years. And we’re building a combined heat
and power plant. With it, we’ll generate enough electric-
ity to take our largest complex – dining rooms, gym, and
fitness center – offline. After the third year, we’ll see a
million dollars a year savings in our utility bills.”
In another example of cost-saving combined with sustain-
CLEAN & GREEN
