Colorado Mountain College clean energy efforts awarded
At the 2013 Garfield Clean Energy Innovation Awards, a recent Colorado Mountain College graduate and a staff member each snagged special “Clean Energy Innovation” awards.
Rob Morrison ’13 (Bachelor of Arts in sustainability studies), who has also earned an associate degree at CMC, was praised for his leadership and demonstration of the tenets of sustainability.
“Rob stands out among his fellow students for his dedication to sustainability and energy efficiency, for his leadership skills, and for his curiosity in exploring policy and technical issues related to sustainability,” said interim President Dr. Charles Dassance at the awards ceremony.
In a nomination letter, CMC instructional chair Adrian Fielder wrote, “Rather than reacting to individual pieces of information presented by a situation or by other people, Rob waits until he can perceive the underlying systems that tie those elements together, and he is careful not to jump to conclusions along the way. He is able to find common ground with all kinds of people.”
He served for three years as the president of the CMC Student Government Association at Spring Valley, and as president of the CMC Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society there.
Since graduation, Morrison has worked as an intern with the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) in Carbondale and Aspen. In August, he started an eight-month internship with Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) and the Northern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition, with an emphasis on alternative fuel vehicles. His first achievement was to organize the National Plug-In Day event held in Carbondale on Sept. 27.
Morrison envisions a career in sustainability, which could take him in any number of directions, from energy efficiency to brownfields redevelopment.
Meadowcroft applauded for energy management
And Phil Meadowcroft, operational supervisor in the college’s facilities department, was applauded for his accomplishments in energy management.
Dr. Dassance said: “Phil’s primary job at CMC is the college-wide HVAC supervisor. This includes new design, managing upgrades, troubleshooting and repairing existing systems. Covering an area from Rifle to Leadville to Steamboat Springs, it’s a very full-time job.”
Meadowcroft also acts as CMC’s facilities engineer, working on electrical and mechanical issues across the college, and is responsible for energy management across the college district. In that role, he designed and drove CMC’s Performance Contract, a $3.7 million project completed in 2011. The project covered:
- Water source heat pumps at Sopris Residence Hall and Quigley Hall
- Re-commissioning of buildings and their gas and electric meters
- Lighting, windows and water conservation
The project so far has exceeded the projected savings, adding up to about $60,000 every year.
He also works with CMC sustainability studies students and instructors on building and energy management, helping to create a “living lab” for teaching the concepts of sustainability.
And he has been the point person for implementing the Energy Navigator across the college district, working with CLEER on the system interface. Ultimately, the Navigator system will be working in more than a dozen buildings, across all of the college’s campuses. Using the Navigator data, the college can conduct bi-annual reviews at each campus to develop action plans to further save energy costs.
For more information about the Garfield Clean Energy Innovation Awards, please go to http://www.postindependent.com/news/8563241-113/energy-clean-award-garfield