For My Green Grant proposal, I suggest that Union hold a competition to see which residential building can use the least energy and water per capita over a given month and reward the residents of winning building with an addition to their declining balance. A similar competition is run at the University of Connecticut called EcoMadness. Prizes are rewarded to the building with the lowest per capita water usage, the lowest per capita energy usage, and the greatest percentage reduction in both energy and water usage.
As a result of EcoMadness 2016, the winning residential building at the University of Connecticut for lowest per capita water usage decreased their water usage by 20% in one month. The winning residential building for the lowest per capita energy usage decreased their energy consumption by 32% in one month. If the Green Grant were to be used to hold a competition at Union and yield similar results, that would be an enormous decrease in energy and water usage in just one month.
Your idea that Union holds a competition is a great one. I honestly think that students would definitely participate especially if prizes are included for the winners. It is also great to see that other schools have begun to follow such a trend and even better to see that water usage can be decreased by nearly twenty percent in just one month.
I think the competition is a great way to get everyone involved, especially if there is a good incentive to be green! I think this is especially convincing to win a grant if it has been successful at other schools!
Jane this is a very good idea. I like the way that there is . an incentive for the students to save energy. I think that declining would be a great incentive. I think that we should also have motion sensor lights installed in every building to reduce energy usage.
Great Idea!
The idea to reduce energy for a month already exists on campus. Every November, the month most people keep their lights on the longest because of Daylight savings time and people’s acclimation to the darker months, Union College campus participates in the “Do it in the Dark!” challenge. This competition exists between all buildings entered by students who take on the building as building captains, and the winning building wins a free meal careered from an off campus restaurant of the buildings choice.
A competition sounds like a fun way to get as many union students involved with sustainability as possible. I would be curious to hear what types of prizes you could make that would hold the same incentive and be a sustainable addition to the winning group.