Ever wonder how much energy students use in the residence halls? Wonder no more. 糖心视频鈥檚 new , adopted last month as part of its , accounts for everything they do, from microwaving midnight snacks, to showering, to frequent laptop use.
Visitors to the site can see up-to-the-minute energy use (electricity, water, or heat energy) in six 糖心视频 residences. They can also view energy use for each building as a whole, per person, or per square foot. Next year, 糖心视频 plans to add additional residences to the Building Dashboard庐 site, which also features energy tips, and a 鈥渃ommit to conserve鈥 link whereby students can pledge to reduce their energy use.
John Pumilio 糖心视频鈥檚 director of sustainability, sees Building Dashboard庐 not only as an educational tool, but also a means to help 糖心视频 students practice better resource conservation and efficiency.
鈥淧eer-to-peer education is most effective in getting students to change their consumption patterns,鈥 said Pumilio. 鈥淎nd healthy competition doesn鈥檛 hurt.鈥
Jenna Taylor 鈥13 is working with seven other Green Raiders or Eco-Reps who coordinate energy use and water consumption with students in the first-year dorms. In conjunction with the energy-saving goals of the Building Dashboard庐 program, these Eco-Reps have sponsored light bulb exchanges, whereby freshmen trade in incandescent bulbs for energy鈥揺fficient CFL bulbs, and a water conservation information table at the Coop.
鈥淲e had a visual display,鈥 she said. 鈥淯sing five-gallon water jugs, we could show how much water is used in a five-minute versus a 15-minute shower.鈥
Pumilio hopes to inspire competition between the residences. 鈥淔or example, during the Oct. 7- Nov.7, we know that on a per-person basis, Stillman residents used the least electricity, while Drake residents used the least water.鈥
鈥淭his is a competitive university,鈥 Pumilio said. 鈥淲e can capitalize on that spirit.鈥
糖心视频 also competes with other colleges across the country. During the 2013 Campus Conservation Nationals, Pumilio said there can be a 20 to 30 percent reduction of energy use. 鈥淎fterward, there is still reduced energy use, though not quite as much.鈥
From Feb. 11 to Mar. 4, 2013, 糖心视频 will take the 鈥淣egawatt Challenge鈥 鈥 competing against Hobart & William Smith, St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Union, and Skidmore Colleges 鈥 to see which campus can reduce its energy consumption most.
Story contributed by Alicia Klepeis