Energy Challenge emphasizes sustainability

All across campus IU students are competing against each other — and themselves.
Tomorrow marks the fifth running of IU’s Energy Challenge.

Beginning March 23 and lasting through April 20, the Energy Challenge will again aim to conserve energy and water.

In fall 2008, its first season, the challenge included 10 residence halls. In 2009, the competition expanded to include 18 greek houses.

In 2010, the first eight academic buildings joined the challenge. In the Fall Energy Challenge this past semester, the Energy Challenge grew further with 19 academic buildings competing. For the fifth running this spring, 19 academic buildings, 17 greek houses and all 12 residence halls will participate.

In the fall 2010 challenge, the winners in each category were Alpha Omicron Pi for the greek houses, using 23 percent less energy than expected; Willkie Quad for the residence halls, using 24 percent less power than expected and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs for academic buildings, using 24 percent less than expected.

The contest is measured using new usage baselines that have been figured for each academic building, residence hall and greek house. Baselines are an average of each building’s water and electricity usage during the past three years. This means that residence halls, greek houses and academic buildings are competing against their previous records for the best percentage, said sophomore Will McHenry, the Energy Challenge coordinator.

“Buildings are competing to see who can reduce the most,” McHenry said. “So a newer residence hall like Union Street, which is pursuing LEED Silver certification, can still compete with, say, Collins, which is the oldest residence hall on campus, because students are competing against their own energy records from the past.”

McHenry was recently appointed as Energy Challenge coordinator by the Office of Sustainability. He replaced Mckenzie Beverage, who coordinated the Spring 2009, Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 Energy Challenges. Beverage graduated in December from the Master of Public Affairs program in SPEA.

The Fall Energy Challenge has proven to have a lasting impact on students and
faculty.

“Data suggests that the Energy Challenge has had an impact on student and faculty habits towards more sustainable living patterns,” McHenry said.

Usage data from November 2010 and February 2011 have been recorded and compared to average usage data for these time periods during the last three years. On average, academic buildings and residence halls consumed below these baselines. This suggests that the challenge alters the behavior of students and faculty.

In total, the four Energy Challenge competitions since 2008 have conserved 541,206 kwh of electricity and 1,286,199 gallons of water. This is enough electricity to power 541 average American homes for one month and enough water to fill at least two Olympic-sized swimming pools. Approximately 842,166 pounds of CO2 emissions have been avoided and $199,469 in utility savings has been achieved, according to the Energy Challenge website.

The important thing about the Energy Challenge is that students and faculty carry the habits they gained during the challenge on through life, McHenry said. He said it teaches students and faculty about how their energy usage compares to others’ and exactly how much energy they are consuming and its impact.

“This prepares students and faculty for a more sustainable lifestyle in the
future.”