Going Green at HBS
Ivy is not the only green growing at Harvard, as the University-wide Green Campus Initiative, begun last year, takes hold. At HBS, in areas such as water use, lighting, and cogeneration, smart systems are now saving the School more than $200,000 per year. These efforts, along with recycling and conservation, eliminate the potential annual discharge of some 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the environment.
Also at HBS, the Hamilton Hall renovation project, begun this past summer, is using “green” approaches to materials selection and to water and energy efficiency. A total overhaul of the 47,500-square-foot residence hall is due for completion next fall.
Last spring, HBS student Alex Goodwin (MBA ’05) teamed with four other students from several Harvard graduate schools to win a $125,000 environmental business-plan contest at MIT. Their venture employs microbes to eat away mineral “scale” that has accumulated inside pipes that conduct hot water for heating. With pipes cleared, hot water (heat) flows more efficiently, creating significant savings for industry. The students met in a new course called Commercializing Science and High Technology, taught by HBS associate professor Lee Fleming. The course is specifically designed to integrate students from across the University in cross-disciplinary projects.
