| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.69 |
| Liaison | Alan Turnquist |
| Submission Date | July 24, 2023 |
Michigan Technological University
IN-48: Innovation B
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Alan
Turnquist Director of Sustainability and Resilience Office of the President |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
The Sustainability Demonstration House is located at 21680 Woodland Road, within walking distance to campus and comfortably sleeps 5 students in 5 separate bedrooms. The Sustainability Demonstration House provides students with the opportunity to become involved in a demonstration of sustainable living within the community of Houghton. Residents of the house are encouraged to recycle and compost, while exercising good habits of sustainability by being mindful of power and water consumption. Residents will work side by side with the Alternative Energy Enterprise to showcase that sustainability can be extraordinarily successful, even in Houghton’s harsh climate.
The goal of the Sustainability Demonstration House team is to take an existing house in Houghton and retrofit it to be energy and water efficient, as well as demonstrate sustainable practices with the community. This year, the team has been working on plastic recycling, aquaponics, hydroponics,rain barrel irrigation of the raised bed garden, CURB power meter that monitors and records all circuits in the house, and indoor composting projects.
Each semester, students complete and archival final report documenting the improvements made to the house and the results of Open House events and workshops. In the Open House events, the students tour local residents, alumni, and other visitors showing them the sustainable practices and energy savings devices in use. Workshops are designed to engage families with younger children in making Bat Houses, Bird Houses with a green roof, and a Desktop Green House for starting plants inside to get a head start on planting in the spring.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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