Hawthorne Valley is thrilled to announce an award of $1.2 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to support its efforts to decarbonize its campus. The funding will support the installation of geothermal systems and a solar array at Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, and a renewable energy dairy pasteurization system for Hawthorne Valley Farm’s on-site organic creamery.
Scope of Work
As part of this project, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School will install a geothermal system and solar array, effectively decarbonizing the five buildings that make up the school. These systems include fresh air exchanges that will provide more ventilation in the buildings. Installation will proceed over the summer break, ahead of the 2025-26 academic year.
A portion of the grant will also support the conversion of Hawthorne Valley Farm’s on-site Creamery pasteurization system to renewable energy to replace an oil-fueled steam boiler.
Voices of Enthusiasm
“We are tremendously excited to receive this grant award knowing all that it will make possible in decarbonizing a significant portion of our campus,” says Martin Ping, Hawthorne Valley Executive Director. “We are grateful to NYSERDA for providing us with the resources to create a cleaner, healthier environment for our students while reducing our carbon footprint and generating savings that can be redirected to support our school’s learning goals.”
“This project will offer pedagogical opportunities for our students to engage with and learn more about green energy technology as they experience it at school each day,” says Karin Almquist, School Director. “We are also looking forward to the better ventilation and climate control these systems will provide for our classrooms to support the learning and health of our students for years to come.”
Net Positive Initiative This project is a part of Hawthorne Valley’s efforts to become a Net Positive campus by working to mitigate our carbon footprint. Through the Net Positive Initiative, Hawthorne Valley seeks to contribute more to the natural world and its inhabitants than it extracts; to harmonize social, economic, and environmental needs; and to formalize and embed these commitments in every aspect of the organization. Learn more
