A competition, called the townhouse and Apartment Electricity Competition, orchestrated by Saint Michael's College Sustainability Coordinator Heather Ellis, has students living in the townhouse-style residence halls competing to lower electricity usage, while learning about cost savings. The competition, running from March 28 to April 18, is moving towards conclusion and the prize to the winning house of students, ‘a local food dinner and bragging rights.’
Measuring baseline electricity usage and weekly usage during the competition
Ms. Ellis sends out an email weekly to all townhouse and apartment residents, some 485 students living in 119 residences, giving them a baseline per capita usage of kilowatt hours and the usage for the week. Students can monitor how they are performing in their efforts to reduce usage, and can compare to other users.
The weekly notices also inform students of what their monthly bill would be were they paying by the month instead of through their room-and-board lump sum. These reports are open to all participants so they can measure their rank against the other townhouse/apartment residents.
‘This 3-week competition,’ Ms. Ellis said, ‘is to educate the students about electricity usage and better prepare them for the future when they have to pay their own bills. Hopefully the numerous activities/programs will make them more aware of how to reduce those bills and budget for them.’
The students have the use of a Watts Up? Pro Meter to measure the efficiency of their appliances, and they have training for each living group from the Sustainability Coordinator. The consultations from Ms. Ellis help residents see how electricity is wasted when appliances are left running unnecessarily.
Students are also attending a presentation by Efficiency Vermont on how to reduce energy usage.
Learn What Matters at Saint Michael’s College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu . Saint Michael’s provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael’s College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America’s top college towns. It is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nations Best 371 Colleges, and is included in the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Saint Michael’s is one of only 280 colleges and universities nationwide, one of only 20 Catholic colleges, with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Saint Michael’s has 1,900 undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 100 international students. Saint Michael’s students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation’s top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2011 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Source: Colchester Public Relations Office, 4/13/2011
Saint Michael's stages competition to lower electricity use
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