As part of the College’s commitment to reduce its environmental impact, Bard College turned to solar water heating for two of the dormitory buildings on campus, Tremblay and Keen. With the completion of the project, about 85% of the hot water in these buildings now comes from solar heat. A total of 19 collectors were installed on the campus dorm buildings. On the Tremblay dorm building alone, Bard College estimates that is saves about $10,000 annually.  The solar water heating system appealed to the campus much more than the traditional photovoltaic systems did due to the cost-effectiveness of the solar water heating systems. 

Bard College has received the Silver STAR (Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System) award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education for the installation of the solar heating system on the Tremblay dorm building.