Spring Energy Challenge winners announced

Kelley School of Business, Briscoe Residence Center and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority are the winners of the 2011 IU Spring Energy Challenge.

Students, faculty and staff were encouraged to reduce electricity and water consumption during the four-week challenge. Seventeen academic buildings, 17 Greek houses and all 12 residence halls participated in the fourth spring running of the competition.

Kelley conserved the most electricity and water, consuming 24.1 percent below its baseline. Kappa Alpha Theta consumed 23.5 percent below and Briscoe consumed 15 percent below its baseline. 

“The baselines for this spring’s competition were figured solely using usage data from competition years,” Energy Challenge Coordinator Will McHenry said in a press release. “While there is still more that can be done to conserve, the fact that our residence halls, Greek houses and academic buildings have saved so much against these already reduced baselines is a testament to the efficacy of the program in influencing participant behavior.”

The total savings for the academic buildings, residence halls and Greek houses amounted to 317,000 kWh of electricity in this spring energy challenge. Overall, the five energy challenges have saved 3,070,850 kWh of electricity and 6,061,365 gallons of water, saving the University approximately $227,469.

— Claire Aronson