Under Construction

The Sustainable Infrastructure Project (SIP) will propel Oberlin toward its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2025. The project's certification by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) indicates that independent experts have verified the environmental benefit of Oberlin’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program, in alignment with the goals and targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. This is only the second Certified Climate Bond offering among U.S. colleges and universities, and third in the world.

The four-year SIP will convert buildings throughout Oberlin’s 440-acre campus to geothermal heating and cooling, drawing on 1,100 wells that harness the earth’s natural underground temperatures to replace traditional fuels such as coal and Oberlin’s current heat source, natural gas. The project will also replace century-old steam pipes with an efficient, low-temperature distribution network that will save 5 million gallons of water a year and reduce operating costs by more than $1 million annually. At the same time, Oberlin’s buildings are being upgraded to accommodate the new system, conserve energy, and modernize electrical and communication technologies.

Source

“Oberlin College and Conservatory Secures $80 Million in Certified Climate Bonds for Sustainable Infrastructure Program (SIP),” Oberlin College and Conservatory News, August 3, 2021.