The SEED Initiative in collaboration with the Office of Residence Life just finished up our energy competition, BlackoUT. After 30 days of grueling competition between the residence halls, only one hall could come out on top. And that hall, or collection of halls rather, was none other than… McComas Village!

Results were as follows:
1st Place: McComas Village- with 26% reduction
2nd Place: Ottawa East & West- with 20% reduction
3rd Place: International House- 3rd Place with 17% reduction

Total Energy Saved: 944,642.7 kWh
CO₂ Emissions Reduced: 494.1 tonnes
Equivalent to Planting 12,677.9 trees

In order to determine energy reduction, we used 2011’s energy consumption data for each hall. Each week we took meter readings to see how much was used in that week. With a few calculations we determined the percent change from 2011 to 2012. With this data, we could keep all halls on an even playing field even if they have dining halls, and/or are smaller or bigger than other halls.

Since the competition is over, does that mean you should go back to my old energy habits? Heck no! Make your new energy saving habits a part of your daily routine! Always turn out your lights when you leave the room and unplug electronics when they are not in use!

If you’re hall didn’t win this time, don’t be discouraged! You have another chance at claiming the energy title next semester with the national energy competition Campus Conservation Nationals. Want more information on CCN? Go to: http://www.competetoreduce.org/. McComas Village will get a fancy engraved plaque to showcase their domination until the end of CCN when the next champion will get the plaque. McComas Village also gets some t-shirts for their top energy saving gurus! Finally, SEED extends a huge thank you to everyone’s hard work on this competition including ResLife administrators, especially Erin Baker, hall staffs, RAs, and UT residents!

Brooke Mason is the Interim Sustainability Specialist for The University of Toledo. A 2012 Bowling Green State University graduate with a degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management, Brooke is obsessive about environmental sustainability. In her position, she works on initiatives ranging from energy conservation, to recycling, to transportation, and much more. She is passionate about working with and educating students about the topic of sustainability. Everyday Brooke works to ensure the current generation can meet their need without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. In her spare time, she loves reading novels, oil painting, and exploring the outdoors.
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 at 1:56 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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