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D&E students increase energy efficiency

ELKINS – The outdoor area of Eshleman Science Center on the campus of Davis & Elkins College is now more illuminated and energy efficient, thanks to the efforts of the student GreenWorks! club. As one of their spring projects, the group installed LED lights and fixtures.

The project included replacing one metal halo light source that required a 120-watt bulb with a high-efficiency LED light that uses a 10-watt bulb. Additional LED lights were added under the causeway. Previous semester projects included swapping all incandescent bulbs in the building for compact fluorescent lights.

Students who participated in the installation were Zachary Schmucker, a senior from Latrobe, Pa.; Nicole Wyatt, a senior from Elkins; Sydney Mucha, a senior from Mt. Clare; Rob Orr, a senior from Hyndman, Pa.; and Alex Cheuvront, a freshman from Parkersburg.

The students were assisted by Matt Sherald of Power in My Backyard (PIMBY), located in Thomas. Sherald estimates that the new LED fixtures will use 90 percent less electricity than the previous lights, plus provide additional security. In the upcoming fall semester, the students are proposing a solar installation in partnership with PIMBY that would provide the equivalent offset in electric use of a medium-sized home.

Funding to GreenWorks! was provided by Student Assembly. GreenWorks! is the student sustainability organization of D&E’s Center for Sustainability Studies (CSS) under the direction of Russ McClain. The CSS promotes green initiatives both on campus and in the community by sponsoring events, supporting local recycling efforts and providing opportunities for students to become active in sustainability research and community partnerships.

For more information, please visit the D&E website at www.dewv.edu or call 304-637-1243.

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