Credit: Deb Albenberg & Gosia Sklodowska
As Director of Operations for Harvard College Libraries, Paul Bellenoit's decisions have a big impact on the amount of waste produced and energy used at Harvard. In fact, 52% of all paper that is recycled at Harvard comes from the college libraries. For Paul, energy conservation and waste reduction are "huge issues" that drive his efforts in these areas. Having been at it for 10 years, Paul has his fingerprints on many important projects. One of his first initiatives was to replace all 559 Exit signs in all the libraries with LEDs, which saved 20,000 watts per year. Many of the libraries now use Green Seal cleaning and paper products, compact fluorescent table lamps, computerized energy management controls for HVAC systems, low flow toilets, timed sink faucets, hands free paper towel dispensers, and zero VOC paint. At Widener, motion sensor lighting is used in all 51 miles of stack isles. Changing the custodial cleaning schedule from nights to days now saves 75,000 watts per year just by turning off the lights at night. Also, alternating the run time on the two de-humidification systems has reduced natural gas consumption in Widener by 50%. A believer in up front investments, Paul looks for durability when choosing everything from carpeting to vacuum cleaners. Watch for coming attractions in library cafés, which will include signs that encourage recycling, low flow aerators on sinks, fair trade coffee, a mug reuse program, and local and organic food.
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