A hundred-thousand energy-saving light bulbs now illuminate the gym and with other new environmental projects, this will bring an estimated savings of 229,232.62 pounds of carbon dioxide this year. The school is setting goals to improve our environmental profile. Beginning with the ice rink, Deerfield is taking steps toward becoming a more energy efficient institution.

A comprehensive environmental plan, however, cannot happen overnight. Many years’ worth of conversations has sparked the creation and implementation of numerous projects among students and faculty, coordinated and led by the Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator Kristan Bakker.

One such project is the replacement of high-intensity driving lights in the hockey rink and East and West Gyms with T-5 low mercury, high-efficiency lights.

“The gyms are also used for testing, and with the new, bright, and efficient lights they are now an improved space,” Mrs. Bakker stated.
These new lights are estimated to save around 111,360 pounds of carbon dioxide a year compared to the old ones, a 51% reduction.
Another new feature is the ice-making system in the hockey rink. This is a high-efficiency refrigeration system in which ice is produced using less energy, and extra energy is used in other parts of the facility. The ice temperature will be monitored and will change when it becomes too hot or too cold.

Hockey player and environmental proctor Lili Gahagan ’12 believes that “the upgraded ice-making system and the new lights in the rink are not changes everyone will notice, but they are evidence that the school can become more environmentally responsible in many unexpected ways.”

Mrs. Bakker is confident about the progress of all of the Academy’s environmental projects. “We are moving towards being more efficient by reducing our carbon and pollution footprint while reducing our energy expenditures during these tight economic times.”