Heartland Community College Agriculture Complex | Herald News
Heartland Community College has taken major steps toward a net-zero energy campus. Thanks to its new Agriculture Complex that opened this year, which includes an expansive solar array on the roof of the 29,500-square-foot facility. This building is on track to have net-zero emissions, which is part of the college’s goal to eventually run the campus on 100% clean energy.
The Agriculture Complex is host to plant science, germ technology and regenerative agriculture classes, farming plots, greenhouses, and an electric-vehicle (EV) lab, making it one of the first colleges in the nation to boast such a facility. Through the use of rooftop solar panels, the building operates sustainably for its students through energy-efficient mechanical systems, as well as through a geothermal system, radiant heating and cooling floors, and more.
In addition to the new Agriculture Complex, Heartland uses a 1.65 MW full scale wind turbine to generate renewable energy for all of campus. The College is also exploring long-term options, including a proposed solar field that would create a fully self-sustaining campus.
“Heartland Community College has a commitment to ensuring resource stewardship, and the goal of a self-sustaining campus aligns with this value,” said Steve Fast, Director of Public Information at Heartland Community College. “Looking for innovative and sustainable building practices like the net zero Ag Complex helps create a campus that serves our students and community well into the future. We continue to explore other innovative ways to utilize our resources, including the potential for a solar field on our existing campus property.”
The Agriculture Complex is open and running, with the solar panel system awaiting its final Certificate of Completion. Further updates to the facility will include a large monitor of the system’s energy output in the lobby, allowing students, staff, and guests to witness the impact of clean energy on the campus in real time.
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