Sustainable Energy Programs on Campus

November 30, 2020

We recently sat down with Seth Beaver, Senior Director for Resident and Community Affairs and Capital Projects for Kendal-Crosslands Communities, to talk about several new and exciting projects on campus.  One of the newest projects is adding charging stations for electric vehicles near the community center at both Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands.

“We’re installing two Level II charging stations at both Kendal at Longwood and Crosslands to be able to charge four vehicles at a time on each campus,” Seth said. “More residents are purchasing electric vehicles, and outlets at their parking spaces only provide much slower charging at a Level I. These new stations will enable visitors, or residents who need a faster charge, to get it while having dinner or spending time at the community center.” 

Seth joined KCC back in 2017 as Director of Facilities, having worked previously for Brethren Village in a similar position. Prior to his career in long term care, Seth worked as an engineer for both Century Engineering and UGI Corporation.  With a Master of Environmental Engineering from Penn State, Seth makes sure that projects on our 500 acre campus are done with sustainability and the environment in mind.

“One of our main values is to be good stewards of the environment. Sustainability is on the forefront of the minds of our staff, residents and Board as we undertake any project. The Kendal Energy Committee came up with the plan for charging stations along with one of our electricians, Rob Truslow.  As leaders, we were excited to get behind the project that involved both our residents and staff and they also found grants to help fund these projects,” Seth said.

The costs for the charging stations were defrayed in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which paid for 50% of the costs. 

“We’re able to charge just $0.30 per kilowatt hour, and recharge a vehicle in about 2 hours from the new stations.” Seth mentioned.  While the fleet of campus vehicles are not yet electric, Seth said that they are always looking to see if more environmentally-friendly options are available.  “One of our residents looked into whether an electric-powered bus was an option, but the cost was almost $500,000 compared to about $85,000 for a conventional vehicle.  We keep watching and hoping for increased technology and more affordability of electric vehicles, particularly trucks, to add as older vehicles wear out.”

Seth mentioned that they are also trying to ensure each new replacement of HVAC systems, hot water and other energy-using utilities on campus are replaced with more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly options.  “We’re looking into the possibility of adding solar collectors into our new construction projects, and we even have a sustainability consultant helping us with the design and concepts as we embark on some new construction.” Seth said.

The new charging stations should be fully installed soon, and we know this will not only help current residents driving electric vehicles, but help encourage others, including staff, to consider electric vehicles as well.  Every little bit helps, and helps us demonstrate our commitment at Kendal-Crosslands Communities to being good stewards of our environment on every level.