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Students Lead Campus Energy and Water Conservation Competition

NC State students living on campus challenged themselves to conserve resources this fall during the Energy and Water Competition. Kicking off during NC State Energy Week and concluding on Oct. 30, the competition was sponsored by the Sustainability Stewards student leadership organization with a grant from the NC State Sustainability Fund.

An annual event for the Sustainability Stewards, the competition is designed to increase awareness about resource conservation on campus. Tips like turning off lights and electronics when not in use and using cold water for laundry were shared in multiple educational events.

“This competition promotes the importance of reducing our consumption of energy and water,” said Payton Bell, a team coordinator of Sustainability Stewards resource and conservation group. “It allows for positive competition and teaches students valuable tips on how to conserve.”

Fellow Steward Harrison King notes that the competition also fosters a sense of community, in addition to its environmental goals. “Many first-year students are coming in unfamiliar with NC State, and the Energy and Water Competition allows them to grow a community in their [residence halls] that’ll make a positive impact on the environment.”

Through the support of University Housing and NC State Energy Management, water and electricity consumption data was collected to measure reduction levels. This year’s competition focused on the Tri-Towers: Carroll, Metcalf and Bowen Residence Halls.

This year’s winning residence hall was Carroll Residence Hall.  As a reward for their outstanding efforts, Carroll students received custom t-shirts from the Sustainability Stewards.

3 Carroll Students holding up T-Shirts for winning the Energy and Water Competition

While all Tri-Towers buildings saw reductions in utility consumption, Carroll residents consistently outperformed those in Bowen and Metcalf in both electricity and steam usage reductions. Additionally, Carroll ranked in between Bowen and Metcalf for water conservation. To ensure fairness, data was normalized to account for the varying number of students in each building.

The impact of the Energy and Water Competition goes beyond just this semester. As Sustainability Steward Carlos Sanchez noted, “The long-term impact of this event is the simple skills that students will possess to help save water and energy.”

Campus and community members can join in conserving energy and water year-round with these easy ways to save:

  • Hit the switch when leaving an empty room, as lighting can account for 15 percent of energy use. Maximize natural lighting by opening blinds or use task lighting with LEDs.
  • Pull the plug on electronics not in use, as many devices still consume energy even when off.
  • Shut the sash of lab fume hoods, a major energy drain on campus.
  • Mind your monitor and turn it off when not in use, as it uses over half the energy of a typical computer.
  • Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth to save water.
  • Fix leaks fast to conserve gallons of water. Report leaks on campus to 919-515-2991.
  • Shorten showers to save approximately 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
  • Wash wisely by using cold water and only washing full laundry loads to conserve energy and water.