MC Green Team
MC's Green Team is the sustainability committee that represents The College stakeholders in addressing green issues. It is the Responsibility of the whole MC Community to influence climate change, conserve resources, and be a leader upholding the College values in such stewardship values.
MC has been a leader in energy, resource conservation and sustainability, and environmental action since the first "energy crisis" of the 1970s and has historically integrated renewable solar and wind energy into its building programs. All new buildings such as the new Student Services Center on the Rockville Campus, currently under construction, and the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math Sciences Building, currently under programming and design, will receive a Gold LEED Certification.
We are particularly proud of this accomplishment since these buildings are teaching laboratory facilities with inherent high ventilation loads, which pose engineering design and operational challenges in order to minimize energy consumption.
The College promotes sustainability education and awareness through staff education, media outlets, and coordination with other government agencies and professional societies. Further, in support of green practices, Montgomery College Cable Television (Channels 10 and 998 Montgomery County) produces a MC Green television program highlighting the College, local business and community sustainability efforts.
Initiatives
MC is committed to reducing its waste stream and has been a leader in establishing a successful recycling program. In calendar year 2018 we recycled 95.8% of our waste stream. We ask all faculty, staff and students to embrace the practice of "Reduce, Re-use & Recycle." Please use recycling containers which are distributed throughout the campuses and help us reach the College's recycling goals.
MC’s IT department recycles 100% of its obsolete computer and electronic equipment with a zero landfill policy. Data is destroyed to ensure the safety of information for everyone with in the organization. The College gets back 71% of the proceeds of the sale of the equipment recycled.
Solar Energy
The College currently has 148 kW of solar photovoltaic electricity generation capacity.
These generate approximately 290,275 kWh of electricity, saving the College approximately
$41,142 annually.
Wind Energy
The College participates with other County Government Agencies and purchases Wind
Energy in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). In FY2020 the College
will purchase 200% of its electricity from Wind Energy. While Wind Energy cost an
additional premium, it displaces fossil fuel generated electricity, thus reducing
pollution and promotes a clean and renewable energy resource.
MC’s College shuttle reduces the need to drive between campuses. Traveling between Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus to the Rockville campus was two hours back and now is 40 minutes. Going from the Rockville campus to the Germantown campus is now 30 minutes instead of an hour.
More information on resiliencenew window can be found here.
Montgomery College began its green building program in the early 1970s in response to the “energy crisis” and partnered with the Department of Energy in completing energy audits and performing energy conservation retrofits. The College pioneered energy efficient building design when it expanded to its Germantown Campus in the late 1970s and early 1980s by incorporating high performance design features such as efficient envelopes(walls, windows, roof, shading devices) and whole building solar thermal systems as the heat source for high performance water source heat pump systems.
Montgomery College Green Routine
The MC Green Routine covers numerous conservation and sustainable activities. View the list (PDF, 
) which is updated as information is received. Comments and suggestions are solicited
from the College community.
- Montgomery College reduces its daytime peak electricity demand by producing ice at night and melting this ice during the day for cooling buildings on all three of its campuses.
- Montgomery College’s six central cooling plants use high efficiency ammonia chillers, which are non-CFC and non-emitters of greenhouse gases.
- Building energy consumption at Montgomery College is reduced by the efficient management of heating and cooling through the use of modern direct digital control systems, variable frequency drive motors and pumps, CO2 and occupancy sensors in rooms, and increased insulation in buildings’ roofs and exterior walls and windows. This has kept the British thermal unit (Btu) consumption per-square-foot of space constant while utility costs have risen.
- Montgomery College is a partner in Montgomery County’s consolidated utility procurement process, which allows for the acquisition of electricity and natural gas in an economy of scale pricing beneficial manner.
- Montgomery County Government requires that County-funded capital project buildings meet LEED Silver certification. All newly constructed and renovated buildings are planned for the LEED Gold certification, one step above Silver.
- Montgomery College has a full-time professional engineer on staff who serves as the College’s Energy Manager along with a Utility Analyst managing the utility budget reporting MC's energy use and costs to the county.
- Montgomery College encourages students to use public transportation, the Raptor Shuttle, and Montgomery County's Bikeshare program.