Vassar College Saves $225,000 While Transitioning to 100% Renewable Electricity

The opportunity

Vassar College sought to advance its carbon neutrality goals while managing the financial impact of transitioning to renewable energy.

Founded in 1861, Vassar College is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, with a 2.3 million-square-foot campus. As part of its broader sustainability strategy, the College established a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Transitioning to 100% renewable electricity was a key component of that plan, but Vassar needed to balance its environmental objectives with responsible energy cost management. The College engaged Tradition Energy to identify a renewable energy strategy that could support its sustainability goals while minimizing the financial impact of the transition.

At the time of the procurement, electricity generated entirely from renewable sources carried a slight premium compared with power generated from conventional sources such as natural gas and coal. Tradition evaluated available options to determine how Vassar could overcome that cost difference.

Tradition closely monitored market conditions and identified a favorable purchasing opportunity. Strategic timing allowed Vassar to secure renewable electricity while also capturing savings through its contract renewal.

Tradition’s renewable energy experts identified a multi-year purchasing strategy capable of supplying Vassar’s entire 2.3 million-square-foot campus with 100% renewable electricity. The strategy aligned the College’s energy procurement with both its sustainability and financial objectives.

The Result:
Savings with Sustainable Impact

Thousands In Cost Savings

Tradition’s strategically timed contract renewal enabled Vassar to transition to renewable electricity while reducing its energy budget by approximately $225,000.

Sustainability Goas Achieved

The renewable energy purchase eliminated more than 2,500 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, representing approximately a 10% reduction from Vassar’s 2005 baseline.

Renewable Electricity

The multi-year purchase enabled Vassar to power its entire campus with 100% renewable electricity, supporting meaningful progress toward its carbon neutrality goals.

Client Testimonials

Our Energy Advsior is a true asset to Tradition Energy and her professionalism and knowledge of the industry are nothing short of the best!

Staff Accountant,
Regional School District

The energy advisors I have the pleasure to work with go above and beyond. They provide great insight and support, constantly. Most notably, they assisted me at great lengths prior to an energy agreement being reached and that support has only improved since our agreement was finalized.

Energy Manager,
Public School District

My energy advisor does a fantastic job. Seven years ago I think I was Tradition’s smallest customer with an annual load of 25,000 kWh, but my energy advisor treated me like a big customer. Now we are working on a 4 million kWh load in my latest position.

School Business Administrator,
Public School District

Whether you have a full-time Energy Manager on staff, or not, a collaboration with Tradition Energy will prove to be beneficial. Their team of energy experts has the knowledge and research capability to assist your organization in maximizing utility cost savings. They operate with a “partnership” approach and we’ve partnered with Tradition Energy since 2008 and it’s one of the best financial decisions our district has made! I highly recommend you give them an opportunity to show how they can enhance your bottom line.

Executive Director of Business Services,
Public School District

My Tradition Energy advisor is responsive and understands our objectives. The process is transparent. There are no surprises and we always know what we will be paying. I appreciate the frequent market updates.

CFO,
Private School Facility

By aligning with Tradition Energy and their wholesale energy expertise, we have consistently made more effective and timely procurement decisions for our facility.

Director of Facilities,
University

Our Energy Advsior is a true asset to Tradition Energy and her professionalism and knowledge of the industry are nothing short of the best!

Staff Accountant,
Regional School District

The energy advisors I have the pleasure to work with go above and beyond. They provide great insight and support, constantly. Most notably, they assisted me at great lengths prior to an energy agreement being reached and that support has only improved since our agreement was finalized.

Energy Manager,
Public School District

My energy advisor does a fantastic job. Seven years ago I think I was Tradition’s smallest customer with an annual load of 25,000 kWh, but my energy advisor treated me like a big customer. Now we are working on a 4 million kWh load in my latest position.

School Business Administrator,
Public School District

Whether you have a full-time Energy Manager on staff, or not, a collaboration with Tradition Energy will prove to be beneficial. Their team of energy experts has the knowledge and research capability to assist your organization in maximizing utility cost savings. They operate with a “partnership” approach and we’ve partnered with Tradition Energy since 2008 and it’s one of the best financial decisions our district has made! I highly recommend you give them an opportunity to show how they can enhance your bottom line.

Executive Director of Business Services,
Public School District

My Tradition Energy advisor is responsive and understands our objectives. The process is transparent. There are no surprises and we always know what we will be paying. I appreciate the frequent market updates.

CFO,
Private School Facility

By aligning with Tradition Energy and their wholesale energy expertise, we have consistently made more effective and timely procurement decisions for our facility.

Director of Facilities,
University

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Vassar College Saves $225,000 While Transitioning to 100% Renewable Electricity

The opportunity

Vassar College sought to advance its carbon neutrality goals while managing the financial impact of transitioning to renewable energy.

Analysis

The Result:
Savings with Sustainable Impact

Thousands In Cost Savings

Sustainability Goas Achieved

Renewable Electricity

Client Testimonials

The Scale and Experience Behind Every Recommendation

Case Studies

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