In early 2022, Poly commissioned the Verdical Group, an environmental consulting firm, to outline a plan for Poly to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Four years later and halfway to 2030, Poly has made some progress on renewable energy and campus efficiency but still heavily relies on gas for heating.
An initial survey was completed on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, when the Verdical Group examined Poly’s energy systems. In May 2022, they published the Campus Carbon Reduction Action Plan, which covers discoveries, data analysis and recommendations.
The consultants found that Poly was responsible for more than one million kilograms of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year, equivalent to driving from Los Angeles to New York and back 457 times, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. One-third of these emissions came directly from burning natural gas for heating, and the remaining two-thirds came from dirty electricity generation.
Notably, the pool heater makes up over half of Poly’s gas consumption. In compliance with regulations from the National Federation of State High School Associations, the pool is heated for an average of four to six hours daily to keep the water between 78° and 82°.
In their report, the consultants wrote, “The Polytechnic Pasadena Campus could save approximately 50,000 kg of CO2 per year simply by switching space and water heating, including heating the swimming pool, from natural gas to heat pumps that run on electricity.”
The Verdical Group recommended replacing the pool heater within one to four years of their 2022 report. While Poly has not yet replaced the gas heating system, Poly purchased new pool covers in January 2023 and has committed to deploying them in the winter. Pool covers will help reduce the gas consumption by trapping heat during the colder months, but they can’t replace active heating.
Information Systems Manager Ryan Katsuyama, who maintains the pool, noted, “[The pool cover] does save a lot in terms of gas usage. It also keeps the pool clean, and we spent a lot of money on the pool covers, so it’s something that we want to try to use as much as possible during the winter season.”
However, replacing the gas heater itself has proved challenging. The pool is used year-round on both weekdays and weekends by Poly teams and outside groups, such as Pasadena City College’s water polo and swim team. In August 2022, shortly after the May carbon report, Poly’s pool heater broke down. In order to make repairs as soon as possible, Poly opted against considering more sustainable heating options and purchased another gas heater, which is currently in operation. Gas heaters are often cheaper up-front, but have shorter lifespans and higher operating costs than electric systems.
“Once I finally found out that 50% of the gas was given to the pool, I was quite shocked,” noted freshman swimmer and water polo player Maynard Lee. “I think it is a really important issue that Poly needs to address.”
Moving forward, Manager of Environmental Sustainability Laura Fleming hopes for a more proactive approach in considering alternative options, such as electric heat pumps.
Earlier this year, she noted, “It’s going to require getting a specific kind of engineer to help us determine whether or not this is even possible for the school. But it is something that we should be doing now, anticipating that at some point our gas heater will break.”
Since then, Poly has initiated the process of exploring alternatives. On Monday, April 13, Poly met with its architect, Kevin O’Brien, to review the school’s carbon reduction initiatives and discuss the feasibility of switching to electric pool heating when the current gas heater breaks. The pool was originally built around a gas heating system and may not be able to accommodate an electric heater, which would take up more space.
“If it’s taking up 50% of our [gas] energy, that’s a red flag for me, and that’s an issue that should be addressed,” commented senior Amelie Salette, a water polo player and leader of the Climate Coalition, an on-campus sustainability club. “At the same time, I also worry that our pool is used really frequently, and if there are any renovations to our pool, that means that a lot of athletic programs that are happening on campus will be disrupted.”
For now, Poly is making progress in electrifying the rest of its campus. In November 2024, Poly installed 432 solar panels on the roof of the gyms. In their first year of operation, the panels returned one-fifth of the initial investment cost through lower electricity bills. A proposed expansion would lead to a total of 2,330 panels across the north and south campuses, and significantly reduce Poly’s carbon footprint and electricity bills. The complete solar installation is projected to cost almost three million dollars, but, at current rates, it will save $13.4 million over a lifespan of 25 years in lower electricity bills.
“We could power all of our electricity needs at the school with rooftop solar if we chose to do that installation,” Fleming said. “I’d love to accelerate the transition to electrification overall and to evaluate options for the pool.”
Poly has also committed to replacing gas heating in classrooms with electric units as they expire. “Once the price to fix it exceeds the price of a new one, then we’ll change them out,” Systems Engineer Ruben Almonte explained.
“This is a scenario of opportunity for the school,” Fleming said. “We are making progress, but we need better mechanisms to track it, so we can assess where we are…We can always do more, but I think we should be proud of what we’ve done.”
