Energy Challenge halfway complete

The third annual Energy Challenge is almost halfway over and the Geology Building leads the academic competition, Zeta Tau Alpha leads the greek competition and Collins Center leads the residence hall competition.

The challenge is a four-week-long energy and water conservation competition between different buildings. During the challenge, IU’s Physical Plant Utilities Utility Information Group reads utility meters of the academic buildings, greek houses and residence halls throughout the week. Participants can view the results at any time on the Energy Challenge Web site, energychallenge.indiana.edu.

Eigenmann Hall, the current second-place holder in the residence hall competition, is seeing such success due to small changes in residents’ daily routines, said Sarah Powers, resident assistant for Eigenmann’s Environmental Issues community.

“For example, when I used to leave my room I would keep a small light on, but now I have every light off when I’m not there,” she said. “Everyone is seeing how easy it is to save water and energy.”

Powers said the Environmental Issues community is also trying to advocate energy and water conservation in the residence hall.

“The environmental issues floor has also ensured that every floor is aware of the challenge and each resident knows how they can cut back,” she said. “We’ve posted signs about energy and water use in all Eigenmann restrooms, the place most likely for residents to read.”

Mckenzie Beverage, Energy Challenge intern at the Office of Sustainability, said she wants to stress to students that the competition is not about deprivation.

“This competition is about implementing small behavioral changes into our daily lives and making them habit,” she said. “The results of the competition prove that these small individual actions, when performed in concert, become collective action.”

Beverage said several actions that might seem small all add up to help conserve energy and water.

“Not taking the elevator several times a week, turning off all appliances and unplugging them and turning the water off while you brush your teeth all make a difference no matter how small they seem,” she said.