Reposted from CALS Notes [2014-08-17]:
CALS is about to become a whole lot “greener” thanks to a major greenhouse renovation scheme now underway at both the Ithaca and Geneva campuses. The initiative, called for in the college’s Master Plan, aims to eliminate or replace older, energy inefficient greenhouses with state-of-the-art structures that will provide faculty, staff and students with safe, spacious and sustainable facilities in which to conduct research.
New greenhouses are already under construction at CALS satellite campus at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, thanks to $4.3M in funds received from New York State. Construction also began earlier this month to replace the Bailey Conservatory Greenhouse adjacent to the Plant Science Building, which wasclosed in 2010 due to health and safety concerns. And CALS is also building new greenhouses (rendering above) at the Guterman complex on the Ithaca campus with a mix of college funds and a $500,000 grant awarded through the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council.
These renovations are taking place in concert with a new lean process improvement initiative undertaken by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station that’s designed to save on greenhouse energy usage without diminishing the essential value of Cornell’s greenhouses. Not only will this effort save money, it will also help to diminish the carbon footprint of both CALS and Cornell.
What a way to save green by going green!