Bard College

Building on a 150-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow's thought leaders. The undergraduate program at the main campus in the Hudson Valley of New York retains a reputation for scholarly excellence and civic engagement.

Bard College has committed to achieving campus-wide carbon neutrality by 2035 through their Climate Commitment. Bard's Climate Action Plan (established 2010, updated 2017) outlines over a dozen strategies for reducing carbon emissions, spurred by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS).

To increase energy efficiency campus-wide, Bard has made campus-wide lighting upgrades, improved building envelopes, added HVAC controls and automation, and replaced equipment with more efficient models. The College has led the region by adopting geothermal technology in building construction (beginning in the 1980’s), with roughly 40% of the total building square footage on the Bard Campus utilizing geothermal for heating and cooling. All new construction projects undergo technical review for energy efficiency, with future goals of achieving net-zero-energy status for all new buildings. Bard has roughly 300kW in on-site photovoltaics, with plans for over 1MW of additional ground- and roof-mount systems. Finally, Bard is developing a new Climate & Energy Master Plan (expected 2022), with ambitions to expand its geothermal footprint to serve ~80% of total building area, and develop a portfolio of solar and micro-hydro systems to offset 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable sources.

Webinar

2025 Better Project, Better Practice Showcase

Summit Event

Best of the Betters: 2025 Better Project Winners

Summit Event

Heating and Cooling Buildings with Geothermal Systems

Presentation

Beyond Solar: Other Renewable Energy, Thermal, & Energy Storage Strategies

Presentation

Beyond Solar: Other Renewable Energy, Thermal, & Energy Storage Strategies

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Leadership Commitments

Better Buildings Challenge

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