Last modified: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Collins LLC, Geological Sciences and Survey and Zeta Tau Alpha win the Energy Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Collins Living Learning Center won among the residence halls, Geological Sciences and Survey took first place for academic buildings and Zeta Tau Alpha was the No. 1 Greek house in the third annual IU Bloomington Energy Challenge.
Tom Morrison, Indiana University vice president for capital projects and facilities, announced the winners to a crowd gathered in Dunn Meadow on April 22, the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Morrison said the growth of the Energy Challenge to include one new residence hall, eight Greek houses and eight academic buildings is indicative of the competition becoming a part of the tradition of Indiana University.
In total, the residence halls, academic buildings, and Greek houses saved enough electricity to power more than 1,000 average American homes for a month and enough water to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools. Competitors diverted an estimated 1,596,952 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is nearly the same as taking 133 cars off the road for a year. These savings resulted in an estimated $66,425 in avoided utility costs for Indiana University.
The winning residence hall, Collins, will receive a celebratory cookout and an energy conservation prize, to be determined. For conservation efforts at the Geology Building, Geological Sciences and Survey received a trophy made from a former university electric meter, which will be housed in the winning academic building each year. The winning Greek house, Zeta Tau Alpha, received a $900 cash prize. The second-place house, Kappa Alpha Theta, received $350.
Last year's competition saved enough electricity to power 700 average American homes, fill nearly two Olympic size swimming pools, and take 96 cars off the road for one year. "Each year the competition grows in participation and savings," said Mckenzie Beverage, Energy Challenge coordinator and an IU graduate student in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. "It is an amazing show of the difference that small behavioral changes make. No action is too small, everything counts."
The Energy Challenge is one many ongoing sustainability initiatives at Indiana University. To learn more about sustainability-related programming and events, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/. For more information about the 2010 Energy Challenge and tips for conserving energy and water, visit https://energychallenge.indiana.edu.
