Apr 18 2008
On Tuesday, April 22nd, Babson will officially become the first college in the greater Boston area to utilize wind power through an on-campus installation, joining the growing number of US colleges and universities that have chosen to develop their commitment to sustainable business practices through the use of renewable energy technologies. The commissioning ceremony will take place at 2:00 PM, and will coincide with the school's Earth Day festivities.
The college's decision to complete the installation was the result of a proposal spearheaded by a team of three graduate students (Rob Banagale-M'09, Jonah Eidus-M'09 and Clinton White, M'08) and introduced through the Babson Energy and Environmental Club (BEEC), a student-led organization at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
As a student led initiative, the project was introduced to the school's administration as means of promoting sustainability programs at the college in a manner that emboldens student innovation. Through collaboration between the college's Facilities Department and the BEEC, the installation site itself will also be utilized on an ongoing basis as a space to encourage visitors to support resource conservation and efficiency improvements as primary drivers in limiting environmental impacts and operational costs.
"I welcome this wind turbine as an example of Babson's entrepreneurial spirit, of our ability as a community to create and collaborate, to live in the real world, and to turn a crisis into an opportunity," said Fritz Fleishmann, dean of Faculty, at last month's emotional groundbreaking. "Our wind turbine represents hope: we are not helpless; we have agency; there are things we can do. It represents optimism, an essential feature of the entrepreneurial spirit and of American business in general." The groundbreaking ceremony also featured spirited addresses by Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown and State Representative Alice Peisch (MA).
The project was funded in part though a $5,000 contribution given on behalf of the BEEC. These funds were raised by the club's membership over the past year through the organization's e-waste recycling campaign along with solicited contributions.
The Babson Wind Turbine is being completed through a partnership with SolarWrights, a Rhode Island based provider of efficient renewable energy systems, including photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind systems. The Providence Business News recently awarded SolarWrights the "2007 Entrepreneurial Award" for Business Excellence, in addition to naming SolarWrights one of the" Best Places to work in Rhode Island" and one of the "Fastest Growing Private Business in Rhode island" for 2006 and 2007.
Special recognition is also due to the college's Facilities Department whose consistent efforts to promote responsible resource management at Babson paved the way for this project and, in turn, many more like it in the years to come.