News Announcement
For further information please contact
Lynne S. Briggs

Columbus, April 22, 2005

FOUR OHIO PRIVATE COLLEGES RECEIVE ENERGY PROJECT GRANTS

Four Ohio private colleges were awarded grants to plan for and implement projects to generate energy cost savings. Baldwin-Wallace College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, and Union Institute & University will each receive $10,000 to fund projects submitted.

Grant funds were made available to all Ohio private colleges by the U.S. Department of Energy-Rebuild America through OFIC and The Ohio Department of Development, Office of Energy Efficiency.

Baldwin-Wallace College proposed installation of a geoexchange thermal heating and cooling system in the renovation of a residence hall, making the hall the first in Ohio to use this efficient, environmental-friendly technology.

Oberlin College will use the funding to implement and assess the effectiveness of new technological approaches to the use of “real-time” publicly accessible feedback on dormitory energy performance. This will serve as a means to engage students in energy management and conservation.

Ohio Dominican University is planning the installation of an electronic energy management system that not only will allow automatic, electronic regulation of temperatures in conditioned building space but also will serve as a prototype for electronic energy management systems all over campus.

Union Institute & University will change and upgrade their boiler control systems to allow boiler temperatures to cycle down during summer months, thereby using less natural gas and cutting energy costs.

This energy conservation program is intended to be collaborative. OFIC will facilitate sharing of intermediate and final results as well as lessons learned with other Ohio private colleges and universities.

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges was founded in 1950 to conduct annual solicitations of companies and foundations to benefit private colleges in Ohio. OFIC today has 35 member institutions and more than 94,000 students. OFIC raises both unrestricted and restricted gifts including scholarships and endowments.

The member colleges are: Antioch College, Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.