Charting a Course to a More Sustainable Future

In a world full of buzzwords, “sustainability” gets its fair share of use. The United Nations defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

“As reflected in the Strategic Plan, the sustainability of the College is grounded in policies and practices that are economically, environmentally, and socially just,” said Christine Foschia, Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Mission. “Saint Vincent has a long-standing commitment to environmental issues, in keeping with the Benedictine hallmark of stewardship for the natural environment.”

At Saint Vincent, through efforts big and small, we’re creating a more sustainable campus to meet the needs of Bearcats for generations to come.

A More Efficient Approach

Over time, things break. That’s one of the certainties of life. Yet, with each break comes opportunity: to fix, to improve, and to implement solutions that simply weren’t available to previous generations.

“One of the things that is crucial to our development as we look to move into the future of sustainability and renewable energy is addressing an aging infrastructure,” said Joshua Guiser, Vice President for Finance, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer for Saint Vincent College. “With an aging infrastructure, you lack efficiency. A big consideration for us is not just using different types of energy, but more efficient use of energy.”

Case in point: every Saint Vincent alum is likely familiar with the boiler system, a complex network of steam pipes starting at the powerhouse and snaking its way across the campus. The steam heat runs through administrative buildings, classrooms, and residence halls, warming the buildings. Once cutting edge, it’s a system that has seen better days. “The sheer distance steam is required to travel creates an inefficiency,” added Guiser. “Energy is lost as you go through that process. Taking steam that far [across campus], displaces energy, which means you’re using more water and gas, which means more cost.”

To remedy the situation, recent projects have moved certain areas of campus, including Saint Benedict Hall and the new Student Life and Hospitality Hub, off of the campus-wide boiler system and onto independent boiler systems.

Guiser noted that the Saint Benedict Hall project alone led to a decrease in water usage of approximately 5,000 gallons per day.

The shift to independent systems also allows greater flexibility in regulating temperatures across campus.

“When we have a warmer day in peak winter season, individual buildings having their own systems makes it easier to adjust without turning off the heat everywhere,” said Guiser.

The primary boiler itself has been converted to run on natural gas rather than coal, which is a cleaner, cost-saving alternative.

“The long-term plan is to try to get campus off of the large boiler system and onto individual heating systems for each building,” said Guiser. “If there’s an issue that would potentially happen in one of the steam lines, it could affect the entirety of campus. On their own systems, an event is only going to affect a particular building.”

In other words, a win for the College and a win for the environment.

The Fred M. Rogers Center and the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion utilize geothermal heating systems, which uses the temperature of the ground below to heat or cool the building above.

According to Guiser, similar systems could be utilized in future projects as well.

A Bright Alternative

Another way Saint Vincent’s reliance on outside energy sources has been reduced is through the installation of solar panels. Currently, solar panels line the roofs of the Dupré Science Pavilion and the Dale P. Latimer Family Library.

“There are obvious benefits to utilizing solar power as an energy source and reducing our dependence on an outside electric provider, including environmental and cost savings,” notes Guiser. “A lesser known benefit of these solar panels is the ability for our students to utilize the data.”

The data includes the fact that over the past three fiscal years, more than 435,000 kilowatt hours of electricity have been generated by solar panels on the Saint Vincent campus.

For students studying sustainability, the panels provide real-world metrics on the effectiveness of solar energy.

“Our students can use the available data for projects that they might do in different classes, so it’s an educational opportunity for students that we are excited to be able to provide.”

And for those wondering if tapping into solar energy in Pennsylvania might not be the perfect solution, Guiser notes that solar is only one piece of the sustainability puzzle.

“We have been having conversations with a number of different organizations and programs to find out other ways that we could add solar, add geothermal, or a variety of other opportunities to be more environmentally conscious with our utility usage. We’re not looking at just one solution, but a combination.”

Foschia also noted the importance of partner- ships, including the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF). “They are a valued partner,” she noted, “providing guidance, technical expertise, and significant grant funding to support the use of renewable energy sources, improvements in energy efficiency, and a reduction in the College’s carbon footprint.”

“The timeliness of this whole initiative makes sense given both the environmental focus and economic atmosphere we are operating in. Both electric and gas rates are quickly rising,” added Guiser. “We are happy to see an immediate impact, but [we’re] equally excited that these initaitves allow us to start the beginning phases of how we can be more environmentally friendly across the entire campus community. At the end of the day, being more efficient with our energy usage and utilizing different types of energy changes the overall impact that we’re having on the environment for the better.”

Hospitality Yields Sustainability

In 2020, Saint Vincent officially broke ground for the construction of the new Student Life and Hospitality Hub, comprised of a new Seminary dining space, the Amil and MaryAnn DiPadova Hall; a renovated Community Center Dining Hall for the College; and updated kitchens, storage areas, and meeting spaces.

Albert Novak, C’81, Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Relations and member of the College’s Master Planning Committee, noted that such projects are viewed through the lense of sustainability.

“The Master Plan helps build a vision for what our campus and facilities should look like for a decade or more,” Novak explained. “It forces us to be thoughtful and deliberate when rebuilding, remodeling, and maintaining our campus. Sustainability must be our guide as we consider these issues.” While visitors to the Student Life and Hospitality Hub see a transformed space with fresh paint, new furniture, and modern amenities, the most impressive changes may be the ones that go unseen. “One of the things that happened with the Dining Hall is we were able to upgrade some of our utilities and infrastructure as part of the overall Student Life and Hospitality Hub project because of the location of it,” said Guiser.

Since work was already being done in the area, Guiser explained that it made sense to address outdated infrastructure—including the boiler system—as a part of the project.

“We need to keep a long-term approach to everything we do, so anytime we think about adding some sort of new system, we figure out what parts of campus it can benefit to ensure everything we take on is done in an efficient way.”

With the construction of new kitchen facilities, additional opportunities for efficiency presented themselves. Commercial-grade, high-efficiency appliances mean less energy consumption to prepare meals for students, faculty, staff, seminarians, and guests.

“Any new equipment and appliances we purchase are going to be high efficiency, which is similar to what most people are trying to do within their own homes, but these products are designed to be highefficiency on a commercial level,” said Guiser.

And the improvements don’t end there: even the signature hanging lights in the Dining Hall and the fixtures throughout the Student Life and Hospitality Hub use less energy. Similar lighting upgrades have been made in Alfred Hall as well.

“Having conversations proactively like we do at Saint Vincent allows us to keep these intiatives in mind for the next project and to improve every chance we get.” Novak added, “It’s the right thing to do from an environmental perspective, and frankly it’s also the right thing to do from a fiscal perspective. Our supporters want to know that we are meeting these goals and being good stewards of their investment.”

Through long-term planning and constant improvement, Saint Vincent administrators are charting a course toward a more sustainable future, taking a College founded in 1846 into the 21st century and beyond. ♦