Rendering of Enso Village sustainable garden

Sustainability

Kendal Corporation Commitment to Sustainability


At the Kendal Corporation, affiliated senior living communities have a history of prioritizing sustainability in design and operations. This commitment to environmentally conscious approaches reflects Kendal’s Quaker roots. In alignment with our Quaker-inspired values, we believe human beings are stewards of the earth and should protect and preserve it for future generations. As environmental threats to the planet become more visible and increase in depth and breadth, the pursuit of sustainable initiatives has evolved into a moral and imperative action for the organization. Kendal’s commitment to combating climate change recognizes the collective effort of many individuals and organizations. When we all take small steps to change the here and the now, we can ultimately design a better world for our children and grandchildren.

Senior Living residents and staff work toward sustainability goals by planting trees

Green Senior Living


From everyday initiatives such as composting and tree planting programs, to foundational choices such as the use of energy-efficient lighting in residences or clean water management techniques, Kendal practices its dedication to enviornmentalism.

Sustainability Is Key Focus for the Kendal Corporation and Affiliates

Environmental stewardship is one of the important Quaker principles that the Kendal Corporation utilizes to guide its leadership as it makes strategic decisions. Building on the premise that it takes a community to make a difference for the environment, Kendal affiliates across the nation have become leaders in a movement to have life plan communities embrace environmentally friendly design approaches and operations. Kendal retirement communities have implemented sustainable practices that reduce their carbon footprint and make the operations more energy efficient. Following are some highlights from affiliates across the Kendal System:

Following are highlights of recent sustainability programs and activities across the Kendal system:

The Admiral at the Lake (Chicago, IL)

  • Implemented a LED light conversion across the community
  • Installed more than 300 smart thermostats in independent living
  • Electric vehicle charging stations have been installed
  • Growing food in  community gardens
  • Beekeeping
  • Resident Composting  
  • Specialty recycling

Barclay Friends (West Chester, PA)

  • Community gardens
  • Composting
  • Recycling program
  • HVAC management thru a BAS
  • Lighting management in the new building thru a management system
  • LED retrofits whenever CFL’s and incandescent bulbs are replaced

Collington (Mitchellville, MD)

  • Campus Sustainability Plan created
  • Campus Net Zero Plan under development
  • Carbon Footprint Calculation
  • Energy Audit planned
  • Energy Monitoring
  • LED light bulb replacement project implemented
  • Electric Vehicle Charging stations installed
  • Electric Vehicle Campus fleet planned
  • Sustainable Food Projects
  • Local Food Gardens
  • Beekeeping
  • 120 acre campus certified as Level 1 Arboretum
  • Resident Composting
  • Water Conservation Plan

Enso Village (Opening in October, 2023 in Healdsburg, CA)

  • Community will be moving toward  having everything electric (except the commercial kitchen and pool) with a significant amount of power generated by solar panels – ties to municipal power plant that uses geothermal
  • Enso Village CEO Rosemary Jordan earned a Certificate of Completion from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in Sustainability Strategies
  • Car barn, an automated car racking system that safely accommodates staff and resident cars48 electric charging stations for resident cars
  • Integration with regional bike trails
  • Project has adhered to LEED gold, CalGreen and Title 24 guidelines
  • Use of “Green Bonds” for financing
  • Community built with materials that are Red List free
  • Goal will be to have Enso Village at net zero carbon early in its operation

Kendal at Hanover (Hanover, NH)

  • Energy Audit completed, data to be used to create Energy Master Plan
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Adoption of new guiding principle confirming commitment reducing our carbon footprint.
  • LED Replacement Project
  • Electric Vehicle Charging stations have been installed
  • Sustainable Food Projects
  • Native Plant Projects
  • Resident Gardens
  • Kitchen Composting
  • Resident Composting
  • Specialty recycling
  • Waste and Recycling focus on harder items
  • Created new sustainability coordinator position to support trash, recycling and resident composting efforts
  • Incorporation of sustainable landscaping practices including chemical free lawn care
  • Exploring options for use of electric lawn mowers
  • Use of green cleaning chemicals in housekeeping
  • Incorporating Buy Local practices into our dining program to reduce our carbon footprint and support local farms
  • Incorporation of Energy Recovery Units in our HVAC system to reduce heating and cooling costs

Kendal on Hudson (Sleepy Hollow, NY)

  • Energy audit
  • Electric Vehicle Charging Stations planned
  • Sustainability consultant advising on renovation project
  • Resident composting of kitchen waste
  • No Mow May program to help pollinators
  • Resident Composting with municipality
  • LED Replacement Project
  • Investigating installing a summer boiler
  • Participate in the demand response program, tying the generator to the entire campus
  • Native Plant Project
  • Pollinator Planting Project
  • Dining Staff growing herbs for cooking
  • Implemented the use of battery-operated leaf blowers and lawn mower
  • Installed (80) smart thermostats in the health center monitored by the BMS system
  • Grey water collection from roof tops into water barrels in all four buildings
  • Installed occupancy sensors in all campus ancillary rooms and 50% of offices
  • Minimize the use of herbicides and pesticides into the campus landscape management plan.

Kendal at Ithaca (NY)

  • Carbon Footprint Calculation
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Energy Audit
  • LED Replacement Project
  • Electric Vehicle Charging stations have been installed
  • Community Gardens
  • Invasive Removal
  • Native Plant Projects
  • Beekeeping
  • Kitchen Composting
  • Resident Composting
  • Specialty recycling
  • Collection of plastic for recycling as part of NexTrex program sponsored by Trex Corporation
  • Pollinator gardens
  • Facility electric vehicle for resident transportation, purchase of electric golf cart vs fuel-powered, will continue to convert fleet
  • Switched to 100% sustainable electricity purchase – mostly wind, with additional solar subsidizing the delivery cost of our electric power
  • Beginning to implement use of electric grounds equipment

Kendal at Lexington (VA)

  • Campus Net Zero Plan
  • Energy Audit
  • Energy Monitoring
  • LED bulb Replacement Project
  • Electric Vehicle Campus Fleet
  • Peak Shaving Project
  • Invasive Removal
  • Native Plant Projects
  • Resident Composting
  • Specialty recycling
  • Water Conservation Plan
  • Insulation upgrades
  • Planting of native grasses
  • No mow initiative
  • Upgraded HVAC controls
  • Collection of plastic for recycling as part of NexTrex program sponsored by Trex Corporation – have received 6 benches from program for use around campus

Kendal at Oberlin (OH)

  • Campus Sustainability Plan
  • Campus Net Zero Plan
  • Carbon Footprint Calculation
  • Energy Audit
  • LED Replacement Project
  • EV Chargers
  • EV Campus Fleet
  • 60 photovoltaic solar panels in one parking garage produced 27,491 kWh in 2022.
  • Local Food Gardens
  • Invasive Removal
  • Native Plant Projects
  • Resident composting
  • HVAC management via Niagara BAS
  • Full campus certified as a Level II Arboretum
  • Dark Sky initiative to include testing lighting to meet requirements of both the International Dark Sky Association and the Illuminating Engineers Society. 25 new lampposts installed
  • The long-term Master Landscape Plan includes various energy conservation initiatives that include low mow, no mow, prairie and tree selection. These initiatives support reductions in the use of fossil fuels to mow lawns, enhance the environment for pollinators and improve the shade canopy and carbon sequestration which reduces energy consumption.
  • Equipment purchases intended to reduce energy use include battery-operated lawn care equipment and golf carts and transitioning from single drive motors to variable drive motors.
  • Garage plan includes access to the electric and hybrid plug-in car charging stations.
  • Work continues to carry out the goals of the Landscape Master Plan, including planting sustainable meadows and low mow grasses, as well as indigenous plants and trees.
  • The Master Plan includes proper storm water management plan, in accordance with new City of Oberlin regulations.
  • Resident and staff participation on the City of Oberlin’s Climate Adaptation Task Force
  • Resident led recycling efforts

Lathrop Community (Easthampton & Northampton, MA)

  • Reducing the carbon footprint
    • Installation of higher efficiency chillerReplacement of Emergency Generator. Smart Street lighting installed at Easthampton campus, with plans for updating street lighting at the Northampton campus in the near future. Replacing older boiler units with on demand Hot Water units
  • Program to eliminate invasive species from both campuses