BEREA —
The Berea City Council plans to serve as Berea College’s bond issuing authority to finance a “Deep Green” residence hall to be built near Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant.
The state-of-the-art facility is estimated to house 120 students in 66 rooms. Construction is expected to be completed by August 2013.
The city will simply act as the issuing authority, which means it will in no way be liable for the funding, according to Berea City Administrator Randy Stone.
The first reading of an ordinance authorizing the city to act in this capacity was heard Tuesday, but it will not be final until a second reading is voted on by the council Sept. 18.
The facility is expected to cost about $16 million, according to council member and Audit/Finance Committee Chair Virgil Burnside.
The construction methods, sustainability features and use of local and recycled materials conform with the college’s strategic direction to meet the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations and to promote sustainability as a role model for the community as well as students.
The first new residential facility constructed at Berea College since the Ecovillage a decade ago, this residence hall will be the third campus building to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED certification denotes independent verification from the U.S. Green Building Council that a building is designed and constructed “using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health,” according to the building council.
To reduce the building’s ecological footprint, the residence hall will feature rooftop photovoltaic and solar thermal (hot water) systems to meet about 14 percent of the building’s energy needs; an ultra-efficient geothermal heat pump; active day lighting; operable windows for natural ventilation throughout; high-efficiency lighting; a highly insulated, state-of-the-art building envelope; low-flow water fixtures; and real-time monitoring of energy consumption via a special building dashboard.
The building site will utilize rain gardens, bio-retention ponds and pervious concrete to help manage storm water runoff.
Another initiative to save energy was presented Tuesday to the council during a work session regarding the “Berea Energy Cost Savings Plan: A Comprehensive Community Energy Plan.”
“This is a prescription as to how the city can save money and help Berea citizens save money on their utility bills,” said Elizabeth Crowe, a representative of the Berea-based Kentucky Environmental Foundation.
“These are possible actions the city can take and I’m personally very excited about it. This is a plan, it’s not a mandate,” she said. “But, I think it’s a formula for how we may be more cost effective in our future.”
An advisory committee has been formed consisting of members from city government, schools, environmental groups, social service groups, Berea College and interested citizens.
One of the main goals, according to project manager Henry Jackson, is to see a 30-percent reduction in the city’s overall energy use by the year 2042.
“The Berea Energy Cost Savings Plan reflects a comprehensive approach, encompassing all buildings and transportation, with more than 50 recommendations for potential activities that could help achieve this goal,” according to information provided at Tuesday’s work session.
In 2010, Berea’s total energy consumption was broken down as follows: transportation, 20 percent; residential, 32 percent; non-residential, 12 percent; and industrial, 36 percent.
The plan estimates a potential savings of $639 per household, per year.
“We have made efforts to make this a community process,” said project manager Henry Jackson.
Visit bereaky.gov/the-berea-energy-costs-savings-plan or call Stone at 986-8528 or Crowe at 986-0868 to learn more about the project.
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