Ballantine Hall to receive energy-efficient lighting

Motion-sensing, energy-efficient lighting will soon be installed in Ballantine Hall.

The Student Sustainability Council at IU announced this month that its first capital project would be installing the lighting in Ballantine’s stairwells this summer, according to a press release.

The project will be funded by the Sustainability Fund, which was established via an 11,000-signature student petition in fall 2010. The fund gives students the option to donate $5 toward sustainability during online class
registration.

Student support for the fund has allowed the Student Sustainability Council, collaborating with IU engineers, to start the Ballantine Hall lighting infrastructure project, according to the press release. This initiative in one of IU’s largest academic buildings will translate into long-term energy savings as well as an immediate reduction in energy use.

The council is working with IU Physical Plant staff to identify future Sustainability Fund projects.

To show support for these initiatives and enable their continued presence on campus, the Student Sustainability Council is encouraging students to “check the box” to donate to the fund when registering for fall 2013 classes.

“Not only is the fund a great way for students to show the IU administration that there is real student interest in making IU a more sustainable campus, but it is a means of effecting tangible, immediate change,” Tom Ladendorf, finance director of the council, said in the press release. “Donations to the fund will be put to use in capital projects that will create an impact in the near future.”

Ladendorf said interested students may email iubssc@indiana.edu for details.
— Kathryn Moody