Dave Lettero lives "off the grid."

A 2002 Penn State graduate, Lettero is the site manager and only resident of the Center for Sustainability -- 8.5 acres of Penn State land hidden off of a gravel road in fields across from Beaver Stadium.

By living off the grid, Lettero is taking an alternative approach to resource use and responsibility in modern society.

The center is a site where innovative technology and sustainability intersect. This creates a space where Lettero said he is able to account for his ecological footprints through his resource consumption and where he hopes to show ways other people can live sustainable lifestyles, too.

"The idea about it was to see if I could reduce the space in which I live my life," he said.

Lettero said the center is composed of various sustainable buildings and projects within a 2.5-acre fenced "homestead" area, where he has lived alone since July.

His home is a modified yurt, a traditional Mongolian structure. It is a circular building about the size of a shed

built with two wooden walls, two roofs and a skylight window. The space between the two walls and roofs are filled with polyicynene foam to insulate the structure more efficiently than traditional homes.

"So the only heat loss is when the door is opened and from the glass above," he said.

The center is a place where Penn State students design and implement projects, and where community members learn about sustainability.

"I think environmental issues are complex but they touch everybody's [lives]," said David Riley, acting co-director of the center and architectural engineering professor.

He said the center uses technology on-site, including solar and wind power to provide the electricity needed to heat and light the yurt and to power other projects.

Andy Lau, also acting co-director of the center and an engineering professor, said another project used at the center is biointensive gardening, a process to grow more food on land without pesticides or chemicals.

"As little as this place is recognized, there are a lot of people that come down," Lettero said. "I give tours and explanations of this place daily."

Even with a commitment to sustainability, Lettero said life at the center has been tough.

Lettero said even a shower is a lot of work when living off the grid. He said he filters water and boils it before it can be used.

"I value a hot shower more than anything these days. I never would have thought of it that way before," he said. "The thing that I'm learning is that it's very hard to take care of our resources."

Stereotypes about sustainability are a problem, too.

"I'm basically just your average person. I'm not your environmentalist guy that's always been a vegetarian," he said.

He added that he not only likes meat, but he likes computers and the radio, as well.

"It's a shame people get turned off so soon," he said. "It doesn't just make sense for the environment, but the manufacturer and the consumer's pocketbook."

While Lettero has had to make life adjustments, he said he still enjoys the experience and wants to provide the momentum needed to establish the center as a permanent fixture at Penn State. He said the center is about a decade old but still struggles with funding and staffing problems.

"I think this project is trying to make sense of materials, technology and ideas that have been around for 30 years but have been misunderstood," he said. "Sustainability to me isn't a defined term, but it's about finding balance -- and we're moving toward it."