By Daniel DePietro | Observer Contributor
Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) is a relatively small school, with 13,000 students, that has gone to great lengths to reduce its carbon footprint and serve as an example of innovation in technology. The college, located in Gardner Massachusetts, has incorporated several techniques in order to become nearly self sufficient and almost completely carbon neutral.
In December of 2002 the college switched from electric heating to a new biomass heating system that reduced MWCC’s carbon footprint by an estimated 29%. The biomass heating system has also helped MWCC save more than $4.5 million in utility expenses since it was built.