Not just any weeds, mind you, but a wild edible garden that the students visited on a “sustainability tour” around Bluffton, Ohio. 

“These weeds are what will save the world …They have all the nutritional value you need,” senior Luke Hertzler said, recounting the words of their tour guide. 

He organized the 91����Ƶ contingent, which joined with students and alumni from other Anabaptist-affiliated colleges and universities for the Sustainability Alumni Network’s fall retreat. The attendees visited local farm-to-table businesses, went on an educational meadow walk, and discussed how to include environmental sustainability into their life’s vocation.

Hertzler felt “thankfulness that we were all able to gather together from our various communities, and share together, and commune together and converse together.” He especially valued the ideas generated for including sustainability principles in his future career in ministry.

The Sustainability Alumni Network hosts a retreat each semester at rotating locations – it was in Harrisonburg last spring. 91����Ƶ alum Harrison Horst ‘18 co-founded the group with Goshen College graduate Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus in 2017.

“We had collaborated before on fossil fuel divestment [at our respective institutions] and were hopeful that establishing some sort of network could lead to further conversations, future collaborations, and real advocacy work,” Horst said. 

Currently, the network includes graduates of 91����Ƶ, Goshen College, Bluffton University, Fresno Pacific University, Hesston College, and Canadian Mennonite University. Their goal is to support one another and current students in building community around climate advocacy and environmental sustainability.

“One of my initial hopes was that SAN could provide resources to sustainability club leadership at our alma maters, thereby creating a channel for institutional wisdom,” Horst said. “Cecilia and I both felt like the connections and skills we developed during our time in college should be put to use rather than simply left behind.”

Besides the biannual meetups, SAN also puts out a quarterly newsletter and holds monthly video conferences, which Horst joins from his current post as a teaching intern at China West Normal University in Nanchong, China. 

Recently, the network established the SAN Investing Collective LLC, “which will allow us to pool our money and collectively invest in sustainability projects of our choice,” Horst said. Their first project in the works is a solar panel installation planned for the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana.

Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mount Solon, was awarded a Legislative Leadership Award by the environmental group on Monday at 91����Ƶ.

The award, along with a book of nature photographs, was presented for Hanger’s work on Senate Bill 418, which “eradicate[d] a major tax barrier to solar energy,” according to the group’s announcement.

The bill extended tax exemptions to solar panels so that the equipment cannot be taxed by local governments as “machinery and tools.”

Solar energy equipment is now classified as “pollution control equipment” and exempt from local taxation. The bill was signed into law in March.

Republicans and environmental groups often butt heads over issues ranging from land conservation to funding for alternative sources of energy.

Hanger was honored on the balcony of 91����Ƶ’s Campus Center building, overlooking the . The panels, installed in 2010, are operated by Staunton-based solar development company .

, founder of Secure Futures and professor of at 91����Ƶ, said Monday night that solar power is the “fastest-growing industry in the United States.”

Smith said Hanger’s legislation will help support that growth.

“It’s important to align yourself with a very seasoned and very professional legislator … who can work on both sides of the aisle,” Smith said.

On receiving his award – made out of recycled glass – Hanger said human beings could be resistant to change, but need to be able to adapt.

Hanger noted the importance of coal to Virginia’s history, but said the state has survived similar changes in the past.

“There was life after tobacco,” he said, referring to a former top industry that has declined.

Several of the Sierra Club’s members thanked Hanger for his work and remarked on his “courage” in working with them.

The Sierra Club claims to be the “nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization.”

During the 2012 election cycle, the Sierra Club political action committee contributed more than $456,000 to congressional candidates nationwide – 99 percent of which went to Democratic candidates, according to the campaign finance tracking website OpenSecrets.org.

The remaining 1 percent went to independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has described himself as a “democratic socialist.”

In 2013, the state chapter of the Sierra Club spent more than $468,000 in support of Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s successful gubernatorial campaign, according to the , which tracks campaign funds for state elections.

Waving off concerns that some in his party might be upset with him working with the environmental group, Hanger said that the bill removes an impediment to business.

“I see it as leveling the playing field,” he said.

In addition to Hanger, eight other Legislative Leadership awards were given out this year by the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club: four to Republicans and four to Democrats, according to an April press release from the group.

Courtesy of the Daily News Record, July 21, 2014.

The chose 91����Ƶ because of its dedication to, said Kate Addleson, program manager for the , one of the partners in the campaign.

“We really appreciated the holistic approach that 91����Ƶ has to sustainability,” said Addleson, who hopes to see other universities in Virginia emulate what she described as 91����Ƶ’s pioneering and precedent-setting leadership on the issue.

The event, held on Earth Day in late April, featured a panel of 91����Ƶ faculty, staff and , speaking to a crowded room in the Campus Center.

“For us, it is a faith issue to take care of God’s creation,” said Swartzendruber.

Motivated by a theological commitment to care for the needy, he said, 91����Ƶ has been prioritizing sustainability for decades to try to limit resource consumption to its fair global share. As a result, 91����Ƶ’s buildings now consume significantly less energy per square-foot and per student than the average among its peer institutions.

Since 2000, efficiency upgrades on campus have allowed the university to save 46 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and $2.5 million on its utility bills, according to sustainability coordinator . (The figures are based on a comparison to energy consumption levels in 2000.)

One of the most significant recent sustainability projects was the on the roof of the . It was the state’s largest commercial solar power project at the time. Its innovative financing agreement has been the basis for statewide legislation designed to promote growth of Virginia’s solar energy sector. The solar project was developed in partnership with , a solar energy company led by 91����Ƶ business professor and MBA program co-director , who also spoke on the panel.

The university worked with the to pass an ordinance exempting the solar panel equipment from the local machinery and tools tax – another move that set precedent for recent state legislation.

Just three and a half years into their decades-long lifespan, the solar panels on the library roof have generated more than 450,000 kWh of electricity, offsetting the consumption of more than 266 barrels of oil. The average annual output of the library array is roughly equivalent to the annual energy use of 10 homes in Virginia. See live data on the solar array at

Earlier this year, the university was awarded a silver ranking by the , based on its sustainability initiatives in operations, curriculum, planning and other areas. 91����Ƶ is one of seven universities in Virginia with a silver ranking. Four others universities have earned bronze rankings, while none have a gold certification.

Also speaking on the panel was , a research professor at 91����Ƶ’s . She discussed her approach to sustainability as a issue by describing the growing link between climate change and violent conflict around the world.

Biology professor provided an overview of 91����Ƶ’s , an interdisciplinary program that combines environmental and social sciences. Launched just five years ago, enrollment has grown rapidly to more than 40 students, making it one of 91����Ƶ’s 10 most popular majors.

Kai Degner, a city councilman and former Harrisonburg mayor, also spoke. He complimented 91����Ƶ for demonstrating the environmental and economic benefits of large-scale sustainability initiatives, and said that the university “really provides us a terrific local example” for government, institutions, businesses and citizens to pursue similar projects.

More on sustainability at 91����Ƶ:

During the first six months of 2012, the 126,000-kilowatt-hour system performed 18 percent over target, meaning it actually brought in closer to 150,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, according to officials.

The system, located atop the , provides about 2.5 percent of the energy the Harrisonburg campus and its approximately 1,500 students consume.

The 126,000 kilowatt-hours the system produces is equivalent to 1.26 million 100-watt light bulbs burning for one hour, said , an assistant professor of at 91����Ƶ and CEO of the company that owns the solar array, .

But, since being installed in November 2010, the nearly $1 million system has consistently overshot its 126,000-kilowatt-hour annual target, meaning the university will help Secure Futures pay off its purchase of the system more quickly.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised how much better than expected the system has done,” Smith said. “This is because we’ve been blessed with much more sunshine this year. Harrisonburg tends to be a drier area than other parts of the state.”

91����Ƶ was able to install the system on campus as part of a 20-year power-performance contract with Secure Futures, a Staunton-based solar energy development company. The company owns and operates the system and 91����Ƶ pays the company for the energy produced at a price equivalent to the rate the university pays its traditional energy provider, .

According to , vice president for finance at 91����Ƶ, the university spent about $460,000 on energy during the fiscal year that ended June 30, about $18,400 of which went toward solar energy.

91����Ƶ paid in advance for 10 years of the guaranteed output of the system. The university will pay for additional kilowatt hours produced by the system; if the system underperforms, Secure Futures pays 91����Ƶ for the difference between what had been projected and what’s actually produced.

The partnership is beneficial to 91����Ƶ, Smith said, because it helps the university increase campus sustainability efforts. Secure Futures will make money from the partnership after the initial setup costs are paid off in 10 to 12 years.

Because 91����Ƶ is locked in at a certain kilowatt-hour rate with Secure Futures, a cost savings can be realized if utility rates climb in the future.

“We expect that the utility rates will increase at a more rapid rate than what we’re selling power to the university,” said Smith, who declined to provide the agreed rate between Secure Futures and 91����Ƶ, saying it is a confidential contract.

The opposite statement could also be true, however, if utility rates dropped.

For 2011-12, based on 91����Ƶ’s 5.7 million kilowatt- hours used and total energy costs, the university paid approximately 7.9 cents per kilowatt-hour for the campus’ energy.

Although the university would be relieved from regular utility rate increases, the contract between 91����Ƶ and Secure Futures does have an “escalator clause,” meaning the rate charged will increase at a predetermined rate.

That clause is typical of power-purchase agreements, Smith said.

Installing the system, which was the largest in Virginia when it debuted in 2010, was a forward step for 91����Ƶ, Smith says, in a state not known for having the most solar-friendly policies.

“If we weren’t working with an institution who wanted to be a leader in energy efficiency, it would have been a much more difficult sell,” he said.

The city also has taken steps to encourage more solar energy projects. In 2011, approved a 100 percent tax break for 20 years on tangible personal property related to the development of solar energy.

The exemption, retroactive to July 1, 2010, was designed to encourage more solar-energy development.

“Students today are increasingly looking for colleges and universities that integrate sustainability into the way of doing things,” Smith said. “[The solar array] helps make that sustainability leadership even more visible.”

Courtesy Daily News Record, Sept. 6, 2012

In addition, the solar photovoltaic system has outperformed projections for the entire period since it began operation in November 2010. The university hosts the solar panels, which are owned and operated by Secure Futures, a solar energy development company based in Staunton, Va.

“Solar energy operators project performance of a system based on how much sun they expect to shine on the geographical area where the system is installed,” said Anthony (Tony) Smith, CEO of Secure Futures and assistant professor of business at 91����Ƶ.

A combination of a mild winter and particularly sunny weather in the Harrisonburg area from February through June contributed to high levels of solar irradiance. Higher than expected sunshine remains a key factor for the strong output of electric power from 91����Ƶ’s on-campus solar array.

“Many people may not realize that solar irradiance actually varies from one year to the next, based on local weather. Given the amount of sun that the solar panels at Eastern Mennonite received during the first six months of 2012, the system performed significantly better than expected.”

The solar array on campus was the first in Virginia to exceed 100 kilowatts in capacity. Solar energy is a key component of the university’s program to save energy and promote sustainability.

91����Ƶ Secure Futures

Secure Futures L.L.C. offers clean and affordable solar energy generated on-site to colleges and universities, local governments and other institutions operating in the public interest.

Through service agreements, customers can reduce their electricity costs and protect themselves against future price increases from electric utilities without the high up-front cost of installing their own solar power equipment.  Secure Futures is based in Staunton, Va., and may be found online at .

The has featured the first LEED certified gold residence hall in the state in its .

Plumbing & Mechanical magazine provides news and updates for plumbing, piping and hydronic heating.

91����Ƶ’s winning entry gives an overview of sustainability efforts at 91����Ƶ and highlights the installation of a solar array on Hartzler Library roof in fall 2010. The two-minute video was produced by 91����Ƶ’s marketing  and communications media specialists Lindsey Kolb and Jon Styer, both graduates of 91����Ƶ’s Visual and Communication Arts program.

Among the university’s sustainability efforts highlighted in the video are a bicycle cooperative, integration of sustainability across the entire curriculum, dining hall composting that is used in the campus garden to grow produce for the dining hall, a residence hall built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards and more. The video prominently features 91����Ƶ’s solar power array installation, the largest solar deployment in the state of the Virginia to date.

The solar array has the capacity to generate 104.3 kilowatts of clean energy from 328 high efficiency photovoltaic solar panels installed on the library roof. Within the first six weeks of operation it offset emissions of more than 8,700 pounds of carbon and also reduced 91����Ƶ’s energy consumption and peak demand from the grid. In its 35-year lifetime the array is expected to offset over 6,000 tons of carbon. Live data about energy generated by the solar array can be viewed at . 91����Ƶ anticipates installing a second even larger array adjacent to the University Commons in the coming months.

“91����Ƶ has provided me with numerous opportunities to put my environmental idealism into practice,” said senior environmental sustainability major Emma Stahl-Wert. “Helping start the campus garden my freshman year, learning about LEED certification in the Green Design class, trying my hand at chicken keeping, and seeing how 91����Ƶ strives to integrate sustainable practices into the cultural fabric of the way we do things, has taught me that there are ways to live other than the cultural norm. This has instilled in me the desire and the skills to find those ways.”

Other winning schools in the competition include: Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro, N.C.; Baylor University, Waco, Tex.; Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School; Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, Mo.; and Montreat (NC) College.

The efforts of the six winners will be broadcast in on April 13 . The colleges will also receive a monetary award from the National Wildlife Federation to continue exploring innovative clean energy and climate action initiatives. This year’s webcast will be co-hosted by Tara Platt, voice and live-action actress, and Yuri Lowenthal, voice of Superman on CW’s Legion of Superheroes. The free program will celebrate this year’s award winners and showcase initiatives occurring on campuses across the nation. The webcast will be available for viewing on-demand after April 13.

“The passion that comes from these students, faculty and staff for a sustainable world invigorates the rest of society to continue the fight towards a clean energy economy,” says Jen Fournelle, Chill Out manager for National Wildlife Federation. “Chill Out is an incredible learning opportunity for campus leaders to see what others are doing and initiate positive changes in their own community. Academic institutions are an integral part of society. If if they don’t lead the charge against climate change, who will?”

Campus leaders all across the country are encouraged to host events on their campuses and in their wider communities to watch the webcast. The program will be part of a series of events scheduled on hundreds of campuses across the country, building excitement in the week leading up to Earth Day 2011 (Apr. 22). Visit for details on hosting a live screening party and to view the webcast.

“Chill Out: Climate Action on Campus” is supported by The Kendeda Fund and other partners including   Climate Counts, AASHE, Energy Action Coalition, Jobs for the Future, Campus Conservation Nationals, Earth Day Network and more.

mission is “to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.”

The winning video

The ordinance, passed by a four-to-one vote, exempts commercial solarpower equipment from the city’s machinery and tools tax while at the same time exempting residential solar systems from real estate taxes. Both exemptions last for a term of 20 years from the installation of any solar equipment.

“Harrisonburg has indeed made a bold statement in support of solar power, helping to ensure that the leadership shown by the community in renewable energy can continue,” said Anthony E. (Tony) Smith, CEO of Secure Futures, LLC, which operates Virginia’s largest solar energy facility, located in Harrisonburg. Dr. Smith is co-director of the masters in business administration (MBA) program at 91����Ƶ.

In fall 2010, working with Southern Energy Management (SEM) of Morrisville, NC, Staunton-based Secure Futures installed 328 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels on the roof of 91����Ƶ’s Hartzler Library. At 104 kilowatts, the system is the largest solar energy project built so far in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The new tax-exemption clears the way for Secure Futures and SEM to develop a second project at 91����Ƶ of an additional 300 kW of solar panels on raised canopies on the north parking lot of 91����Ƶ’s University Commons.

“This ordinance could not have happened without the leadership from Council members who spoke in support, the commitment of 91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber, facilitation from state Senator Mark Obenshain and support from the dozens of citizens who showed up last night,” said Smith.

Leading up to Harrisonburg’s Council vote, weeks of discussions took place among Council members, city staff, officials of 91����Ƶ and Secure Futures, owners of residential solar power systems and concerned citizens leading to an idea for a partial or more limited tax exemption. The ordinance took final form only minutes before the City Council put the measure to a vote.

“Council’s decision to amend the ordinance to provide a 100% tax exemption for 20 years was the right way to reward the buyers of solar systems for doing the right thing for the environment, even when there’s an extremely long payback period,” said Mitch King, board member of the Maryland-DC-Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association.

In less than six months of operation, 91����Ƶ’s solar project has already brought benefits to the city.

• 91����Ƶ’s project brought in substantial funding to the area from outside sources including federal and state grants as well as private investment.
• If solar power becomes more widespread in the City, this could translate into lower costs for ratepayers since solar peak production in the summer coincides with the peak demand costs for the Harrisonburg Electric Commission, the city’s municipal power utility.
• By reducing demand for utility power generated by coal and other fossil fuels, the 91����Ƶ solar project will eliminate more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the projected 35-year life of the solar panels.

Supporters say that the new ordinance will allow financial and environmental benefits to the city to increase in the future as 91����Ƶ and others install more solar power.

“Clean energy represents yet another means for strengthening the local economy and to help create jobs,” said Smith.

————-

91����Ƶ Secure Futures

Secure Futures, LLC designs, develops and co-finances distributed solar solutions with and for tax-exempt entities to reduce their electricity costs and to protect against future grid price increases through 15 to 25 year Solar Power Purchase Agreements (SPPAs). Secure Futures is based in Staunton, Va., and may be found on-line at

Installation of an array of solar panels began in mid October 2010. The completed 91����Ƶ solar project will be the largest photovoltaic (PV) deployment of any kind in Virginia.

The system, scheduled for completion in mid-November, 2010, will have the capacity to generate 104.3 kilowatts of electricity, making it the largest solar project in Virginia, with enough power to supply the total average annual electricity costs for nine homes in Harrisonburg.

Secure Futures continues to seek additional investors to help complete financing for a second solar array consisting of 300 kW of solar panels to be installed on raised solar canopies above the north parking lot of .

91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber (l.) and Dr. Tony Smith, Secure Futures CEO and co- director of 91����Ƶ’s MBA program, sign agreement documents for the solar energy project to move forward on campus. Projected completion for the initial phase is mid-November, 2010. Photo by Jim Bishop

91����Ƶ has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement to buy the solar-generated electricity at a "grid-parity" price equivalent to the rate that 91����Ƶ pays for power from its current provider, the Harrisonburg Electric Commission.

"This solar project represents good stewardship of the university’s financial resources and the Earth’s natural resources," said 91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber.

"It will also offer a highly visible case study for our students and our community about the pragmatic benefits of clean renewable energy," he added.

As part of the innovative business model, 91����Ƶ has agreed to pay in advance for 10 years of the guaranteed solar electricity output at the outset of the project, which reduces project financing costs. In return, Secure Futures will pass savings back to 91����Ƶ as an annual credit.

Largest solar power installation in state

When complete, the installation on the roof of 91����Ƶ’s Hartzler Library of 328 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels manufactured by the SunPower Corporation will represent the largest deployment to date of solar power in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, the second largest solar project in the state is currently the 84 kW solar installation at the Merrifield Post Office in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Tony Smith, Secure Futures CEO and co- director of

"91����Ƶ is demonstrating that solar power represents a good financial and social investment – doing good and doing well," said Secure Futures CEO Anthony E. (Tony) Smith, who also co-directs 91����Ƶ’s Stewardship MBA Program.

"This solar project will cut 91����Ƶ’s usage and peak demand energy costs and thus reducing its reliance on power generated by coal and other fossil fuels. It will also eliminate more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the projected 35-year life of the solar panels," Dr. Smith added.

Officials across Virginia applaud agreement

"This is exactly the kind of project we want to encourage across the Commonwealth to move toward a sustainable energy future," said Ken Jurman, renewable energy manager for the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME).

Using economic stimulus funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, DMME awarded an incentive grant for the project.

The entire system – solar panels, inverters, conduits and monitoring equipment – will be installed and maintained by Southern Energy Management. Based in Morrisville, N.C., SEM is one of the largest solar integrators in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, and has worked on other local solar projects in Virginia.

Community Bank, based in Staunton, is providing construction financing for the project. Secure Futures has formed a subsidiary company to be co-owned with investors from the Harrisonburg community and elsewhere, Community Solar, LLC, to develop and operate the project.

91����Ƶ Secure Futures

Secure Futures, LLC designs, develops and finances distributed solar solutions with and for tax-exempt entities to reduce their electricity costs and to protect against future grid price increases through 20 to 25 year Solar Power Purchase Agreements (SPPAs).

is based in Staunton, Va.

91����Ƶ Southern Energy Management

is a North Carolina-based sustainable energy company offering energy efficiency, green building and turn-key solar services for homeowners, builders, companies, government and military clients across the Southeast.

A certified B Corp, SEM’s mission is to have a measurable impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, and to build a sustainable triple-bottom-line company.

Sunday: sustainability panel

91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber

Sunday, April 18 at 4 p.m., 91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber will be part of a area panel that will discuss "Four Views: Community Sustainability" held at Harrisonburg High School. Swartzendruber will speak about his climate change and creation care philosophy and the campus-wide sustainability effort initiated by him at 91����Ƶ.

He will be followed by Kathy Holm on sustainable agriculture, Erik Curren of Blackfriars Theater in Staunton on business sustainability practices, and last, City of Harrisonburg Mayor Kai Degner will offer a viewpoint on sustainability progress and goals for Harrisonburg and surrounding area.

A question and answer period will follow the speakers forum.

Wednesday: Joe Stanley on moral energy use

Joe Stanley of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light

Joe Stanley of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light brings the voice of the faith community to the discussion of public policies that concern the environment, predominately on the state level. The group’s work largely focuses on climate change, energy production and energy efficiency.

Stanley will speak on ‘Energy Use and Its Moral Implications’ Wednesday, Apr. 21. in the Strite Conference Center on ground floor of the 91����Ƶ Campus Center (see campus map).

Stanley is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in political science. During his college days, he served as a legislative assistant to Delegate Franklin Hall, former minority leader, and also worked in the Richmond office of Senator Jim Webb. He also served as a student fellow for Virginia21, an advocacy organization working directly with and on behalf of college students. While at Virginia21, Stanley was active in the successful effort to pass the Community College Transfer Grant in 2007.

The Goochland County, Va., native is a 2005 graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia and a member of the Greater Richmond Partnership for Smarter Growth’s Land Use and Transportation advisory board.

Admission to Stanley’s Wednesday speaking presentation is free. For more information, call April Banks at 432-4545.

Thursday: food and farms

On Thursday, April 22 at 5 p.m., Eric Bendfeldt of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service and local farmers will discuss current issues in food, farms and community sustainability.

This event, held in the Strite Conference Center of 91����Ƶ’s Campus Center (see campus map), is sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension: Community Viability and the Creation Care Council of 91����Ƶ. For more information, can call the extension office at (540) 564-3080.

Thursday at 7 p.m. there will be a showing of "Kilowatt Ours, A Plan to Renergize America." Children grades 3 to 9 are especially invited. Eldon Kurtz, 91����Ƶ director of physical plant, will be part of a panel discussion after the film. For more information on the film, contact

The rezoning clears the way for 91����Ƶ with council, though they are still negotiating with the Harrisonburg Electric Commission about some technical aspects. The project is funded by a state grant and would ultimately provide up to one megawatt of power.

91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber said that this project was exciting and consistent with 91����Ƶ’s long-standing record toward sustainability on campus.

The project has been updated from the original scale. 91����Ƶ and Secure Futures LLC are now planning a 953 kW project (nearly 1 megaWatt), with projected savings to 91����Ƶ of $4 million over 25 years, offsetting about 20% percent of 91����Ƶ’s electricity consumption.

The project will be installed on three sites: Hartzler Library roof, on the parking lot on the north side of University Commons, and to-be-developed green parking lot off Parkwood Road next to Eastern Mennonite School.

Learn more about the solar project

2010 Food and Farming Week activities include planting the last spring crops in the campus garden, pictured above.

Student and faculty organizers have organized a number of events focused on producing and eating local food.

Gardening and the community – Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Come hear Tom Benevento and Soula Pefkaros of the local New Community Project talk about personal and public scale gardening and the impact on the global community. Simply in Season cookbooks will be given away as door prizes. Location: University Commons 211-212 (off the fitness center track)

*Also Tuesday at 7 p.m., the Harrisonburg city council will be meeting to approve the proposed campus solar project, the largest in the commonwealth. Come lend your support at the meeting, held at 345 South Main Street in downtown Harrisonburg.

Basics of breadmaking – Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Come make your own bread with the help of faculty member Tara Kishbaugh. Bring a bowl or bread pan if possible – everything else is provided. Location: second floor lounge of the Cedarwood residence hall

Campus compost project – Thursday at noon

Maybe you’ve heard of the chickens on campus, but have you ever seen them? They play an important role in the university compost project. Learn more about the compost project. Location: Behind Suter Science Center

Campus garden planting – Friday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Produce from the campus garden is used by the dining hall throughout the summer and for the campus community’s annual harvest meal in the fall.

The student-run campus garden, begun in 2008, provides campus with local produce. Come out and help members of the Sustainable Food Initiative plant the last spring crops. Location: main campus garden (southwest corner of Mt. Clinton and College Ave)

91����Ƶ Earthkeepers

Earthkeepers’ mission is to act in and around the 91����Ƶ community to encourage, simplify, and implement environmentally friendly practices such as recycling, composting, reducing waste, and monitoring water quality in the Harrisonburg area.

Earthkeepers club members also participate in many other events and activities throughout the year, such as hiking trips, field trips, and organizing guest speakers.

Campus partners of the club include:

• Peace Fellowship
• bike club

For more information on the event or the student club, contact the student life office at (540) 432-4135.

]]> /now/news/2010/signature-solar-power-project-to-be-hosted-on-campus/ Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=2168 Update: On April 13 Harrisonburg City Council approved rezoning that would allow 91����Ƶ to move forward with a solar project. In addition, the size and scope of the project has increased significantly, with projected savings to 91����Ƶ of $4 million over 25 years, offsetting about 20% of 91����Ƶ’s electricity consumption. Key players are still negotiating with the Harrisonburg Electric Commission regarding technical issues. See

91����Ƶ will soon feature another shade of green on its campus: the site of Virginia’s first commercial-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installation in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The new installation is part of a proposed revision to the campus master plan to allow for approximately 600 kilowatts of solar energy panels to be installed on the campus. The installation is expected to generate about 12 percent of 91����Ƶ’s total electricity use and save the university an estimated $2 million in avoided electricity costs over the 25-year project.

91����Ƶ was one of the three national leaders in efficient energy use out of 90 colleges and universities surveyed by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers in 2007. 91����Ƶ sponsors numerous campus green initiatives , including an institutional commitment to sustainability.

Learn more at March meetings

The university will host an event for persons to learn more about the project at 7 p.m. Monday, Mar. 1, in the Strite Conference Room on first floor of the 91����Ƶ Campus Center.

The Harrisonburg City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 409 South Main Street at 7 p.m. Mar. 10 to review 91����Ƶ’s proposed campus master plan submission to allow for the solar installation.

Under an innovative financing program that has been used extensively by universities in high solar states like California and Colorado, 91����Ƶ will effectively "host" the installation, paying only for the electricity generated by the panels installed on the campus through a 25-year power purchase agreement with Secure Futures, LLC, a private solar development company based in Staunton, Va.

"This will represent a signature project for 91����Ƶ, as it embodies the stewardship values of our institution as well as building on our record as a leading green university," said 91����Ƶ President Loren Swartzendruber.

"The signature components of this project include using state-of-the-art solar technology, and, through Secure Futures’ unique financing model, supporting a three-tiered sustainability program including campus, curriculum and community sustainability," said Ron Piper, vice president for finance at 91����Ƶ.

Staunton-based Secure Futures, LLC, obtained a grant commitment of $225,000 from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) for the project. Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Futures, said "this project will represent a milestone for renewable energy in Virginia insofar as scale and impact. We’re excited to see a first example of a solar project achieving electricity rates comparable to those offered on the electric grid, especially since Virginia has among the lowest electricity rates in the country."

Ken Jurman, renewable energy manager for the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME), noted that "The 91����Ƶ solar project as described fits well within the scope and intent of Virginia energy policy to encourage renewable energy resources. I’m very pleased that this initiative is moving ahead – it’s exactly the kind of thing we want to encourage across the Commonwealth to move toward a sustainable energy future."

91����Ƶ Secure Futures, LLC

Secure Futures designs, develops, finances and maintains turnkey distributed solar solutions in collaboration with tax-exempt entities to reduce their electricity costs and to create environmental and economic benefits for customers and their communities. Secure Futures is a solar development company based in Staunton, Va., and is a member of the MD-DC-VA Solar Energy Industries Association (MDV-SEIA). For more information see www.securefutures.us.

For more information on Secure Futures, LLC, contact Tony Smith, CEO, at 540-255-1404 or tony@securefutures.us

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