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Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield has taken the teaching of energy solutions into the classroom and beyond.
The core of the effort is its four-year degree program in sustainability, a first of its kind, begun in 2003 with six students and now enrolling more than 50.
“It takes into account not only the technical things like biodiesel, or solar energy or wind energy, but also the social aspects, the economic aspects and even aspects like critical thinking,” said Dr. David Fisher, director of MUM’s Sustainable Living Department. “All of these go together…”
And now as a companion project that puts these teachings into practice, MUM is planning a Sustainable Living Center that will serve as a model for how these alternative technologies and approaches operate.
The new center will be constructed in accord with the building practices of Vedic architecture, originally from India, combined with modern green technology.
This structure will be a “living building,” according to Fisher, in that it creates more energy than it consumes, allowing excess to be returned to the power grid.
A hybrid system will supply heating, hot water and cooling. A light monitor running east-west down the center of the roofline will collect natural light. Photovoltaic solar panels and a wind turbine will supply the remaining power needs. Water captured from the roof will be stored for later usage.
Fundraising is still under way for the $2 million center, with groundbreaking scheduled for May. The lead architect is Mike Nicklas of Innovative Design in Raleigh, N.C. Evergreen Homes and Development of Fairfield will handle the construction.