Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Berkshire School Goes Solar for Carbon Neutrality

The Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA has begun construction of a 2 megawatt solar installation.

The project will produce 2,300 MWH of electricity per year, or 40 percent of the school's needs. The installation is being built by Spire as part of the school's plan to be carbon neutral by 2016 and is scheduled to be completed this summer.

The Berkshire School currently receives its electricity from TransCanada, with half of coming from renewable sources.

Other steps taken by the Berkshire school to meet the goal include:

  • A requirement that all new construction be compliant with LEED standards;
  • Energy audits of campus buildings, performed by students;
  • Fleet audits, also performed by students, to ensure that mileage is a top priority in purchasing and leasing decisions; and
  • The manufacture of biodiesel from the dining hall's used vegetable oil.

According to information released by the school, administrators are also looking at financial mechanisms for funding efficiency projects and considering the purchase of a dashboard to provide real-time updates of energy data.

More information is available here.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • abstract glowing cube outlines

    Microsoft Positions Windows as a Platform for AI Agents

    The recent Microsoft Build 2026 developer conference highlighted a significant shift in the company's Windows strategy. Rather than presenting artificial intelligence as a collection of standalone features, Microsoft is increasingly positioning Windows as an operating environment for AI agents.

  • businesspeople in silhouette with colorful network lines

    Report Finds AI Will Reshape Work More than Replace It, but Global Impact Is Uneven

    Richer countries face greater exposure to AI-driven changes than developing countries, which are less exposed to AI but risk being left behind, according to a joint report from the International Labour Organization and World Bank.

  • group of smiling teachers

    NAAIC Expands AI Workforce Development Efforts to High Schools

    The National Applied AI Consortium, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative led by Miami Dade College, Houston City College, and Maricopa Community Colleges focused on artificial intelligence education and workforce development, is expanding its mission into high schools.

  • Digital cyberspace with particles and Digital data

    Survey: AI Is Moving Faster than Data Trust

    AI agents are already in use or pilot at most organizations, but data visibility, governance and precision recovery capabilities have not kept pace, according to a new survey from Veeam Software.