A Promising New Initiative for Hanover’s Large Energy Users
Sustainable Hanover is excited to have launched a new initiative to bring together the largest energy users in Hanover to share ideas and solutions for a more sustainable future. This group includes representation from Dartmouth College, Kendal at Hanover, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Hypertherm, Sheridan Printing, the Coop Food Stores, and the Town.
This group’s first meeting was facilitated by Sustainable Hanover in Town Hall on Friday, November 15th Attendees introduced themselves, briefly sharing their major successes and challenges regarding sustainability. They learned that the municipal government of Hanover has installed nearly enough solar to meet its demand for electricity and is just beginning to address its waste reduction goals. Hypertherm, on the other hand, is a zero-waste facility, but wants to install more local solar and is exploring the feasibility of geothermal exchange. The Coop and CRREL are both interested in more efficient and renewable refrigeration. Kendal is exploring alternatives to its current propane heating system that needs to be replaced within the next five years. After years of exploring alternatives, Dartmouth has committed to transitioning its district heating system from steam heated by #6 fuel oil to hot water heated primarily by geothermal exchange and other sustainable forms of energy. Clearly, while this group is doing a lot already, there is much they can learn from one another.
After this exchange, Andrew Hatch and Brian Callnan of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) introduced products that CPCNH is designing for large electricity users. Participants were enthusiastic about the exchange of ideas and information and formulated plans for holding the next session at CRREL.
After getting the appropriate security clearances, and with generous help from CRREL’s Orian Welling and Justin Campfield, this group convened at CRREL on January 17th Dr. Ivan Beckman, CRREL’s newly appointed Director, shared slides that summarized CRREL’s mission, history and research activities. Attendees then had a fantastic tour of the much-larger-than-expected facility and enjoyed brief presentations by Lindsay Gaimaro in the Biogeochemical Sciences Lab; Andy Bernier in the Materials Lab; Jason Olivier of the Mobility Lab; Justin Campfield for the Geophysical and Frost Effects Research Facility as well as the Extreme Cold Complex; and, finally, John Weatherly of the Cold Rooms Complex of the Terrestrial & Cryspheric Sciences Branch. Those on the tour were invited to touch a very old and very cold core of ice. They learned that the Materials Lab has not yet but is considering the use of recycled plastics for some of its cold region gear and CRREL may allow one of its unique vehicles to participate in Hanover’s 4th of July parade. All the while, attendees had a chance to talk informally with one another.
Dartmouth has kindly agreed to host the next meeting, tentatively for a Friday morning sometime in April, to share information about the transition of its district heating system. As requested, we organizers will allocate additional time to discuss how Dartmouth’s progress might inform the efforts of other large energy users and next steps for pursuing ideas and solutions that promote a more sustainable Hanover.
