Energy Efficiency

Burning fossil fuels to produce electricity and power cars accelerates climate change, a serious threat to all life on Earth. Generating electricity to build and maintain buildings accounts for nearly 40% of the total energy use in the United States. Implementing green building practices and technologies that are already available could significantly reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

What Does the Zoo Do?

The Zoo is committed to increasing energy efficiency, including:

Upgraded light fixtures that contain energy efficient light bulbs and sensors that automatically turn off the lights when no one is in the room
Highly efficient replacement boilers and water heaters
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems that employ energy management equipment and software
Renewable energy sources such as solar panels, geothermal wells, and biomass
Have converted the train, shuttle, and other diesel vehicles to biodiesel

Go Green Challenge: Energy Efficiency in Your Home

It’s smart to be energy efficient. Just by making a few simple improvements, you can make your home a little greener and save 10 to 50 percent on your home energy bills. Learn more.

Get more energy-saving tips from Duke Energy and be sure to check out Kids With Energy

For more information on greening energy-consuming appliances and electronics, check out ENERGY STAR

Learn more about renewable energy sources from Green Energy Ohio

Solar Energy

What do green leaves, crocodile scales, and solar panels have in common? They all harness the sun’s energy. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity without releasing climate-changing carbon dioxide into the air.

Clean Energy

Solar, or photovoltaic, cells are made of silicon, a semi-conducting element. The cells absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity without releasing carbon dioxide into the air like burning fossil fuels does. Carbon dioxide is the primary culprit of climate change, which is already having devastating impacts on wildlife and ecosystems around the world.

It Makes Cents

Not only is solar energy clean, it comes from an unlimited, renewable, and free resource (at least for the next five billion years before the sun begins to fade). Generating solar energy reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, which are limited, non-renewable, and costly.

Sunny Days at the Zoo

The solar panels in the Go Green Garden generate about 25% of the energy needed to power the Membership and Ticketing building. That’s enough energy to power 100 standard incandescent light bulbs or 400 compact fluorescent light bulbs. Solar panels on the roof of the Harold C. Schott Education Center also produce clean energy. (Photo: Shasta Bray)

Go Green Challenge: Go Solar

Harness the clean, renewable, and free energy of the sun to heat and power your home. As the world turns its attention to solar power, the initial costs of purchasing and installing solar panels in homes is becoming more and more affordable, and tax credits may be available. Find out how at Dovetail Solar and Wind and Melink Corporation

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy comes from the natural heat of the Earth, and can be used to generate electricity or heat and cool buildings without burning fossil fuels and accelerating climate change.

Core Power

To produce electricity from heat radiating from the center of the Earth, wells are drilled and water is pumped through pipes hundreds or thousands of feet into the ground. There the heat turns water into steam. As it returns to the surface, the force of the steam turns the turbines to create electricity.

Hot and Cold

Geothermal energy can also naturally heat and cool buildings. Geothermal heat pumps, which use very little electricity, circulate water through a continuous loop of piping that goes just several feet underground where the temperature is about 55°F all year round. In winter, the water picks up the heat in the earth and carries it to the surface where it heats the building. In summer, the water picks up heat from the building and takes it underground, thus cooling the building. (Illustration: Marcus Jackson)

Biomass Energy

The Zoo is currently engaged and jointly funded by the Ohio Department of Development and Duke Energy to explore the feasibility of generating biomass energy from elephant waste. Energy derived from converting our organic waste stream, including manure, food waste, paper, and horticulture waste, into electricity will support the energy needs of the elephant house and Education Center.