See the results of the Campus Energy Contest; get tips for reducing energy use

Case Western Reserve University’s Office of Energy and Sustainability thanks all student residents who participated in the annual Campus Energy Contest this year. The office’s student ambassadors ran the contest from Oct. 31 to Nov. 18 with the goal of getting students living on campus to reduce their energy usage. In total, participants saved 3,905 kWh, which amounts to about $312 saved in energy costs over the 19-day contest. The top three energy-reducing buildings were:

1. Storrs House (7.9 percent reduction)
2. Sherman House (6.1 percent reduction)
3. Phi Delta Theta (3.9 percent reduction)

For winning the contest, Storrs House will receive a solar-charging picnic table. Four out of the 32 residence halls or houses increased their energy usage significantly during the contest. They were: Sigma Chi/Phi Kappa Tau, Kusch, Sigma Psi/Kappa Alpha Theta and Phi Sigma Rho. Even though the contest is over, individuals can continue conserving energy in their rooms by:

• Unplugging appliances with vampire loads (e.g. things that always have a small light on, such as coffee makers, fans, gaming systems, etc.);
• Switching off or unplugging power strips when not in use;
• Turning off the lights when leaving rooms; and
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

The Office of Energy and Sustainability also would like to remind students that small actions add up and make a difference. The office has shared the following statistics:

• It takes 2 kWh to power a phone for a year; that adds up to 125 million tons of CO2 globally.
• Using a small fan for a week uses 1.4 kWh; that’s almost enough to power your phone for a year.
• Screensavers use the same amount of energy as a computer that is in use; turning off your screen saves $50 in energy costs per year.
• Over 40 percent of the time, one out of four CWRU students forget to turn the lights off when leaving their room.

Learn more about sustainability at CWRU.