Boston College Facilities Management, in conjunction with Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) and ResLife, is sponsoring the 4th annual residence hall energy competition throughout the month of February. The competition tracks the energy usage of Upper, Lower, and Newton campus residence halls this month and compares them to each respective residence hall's energy usage of February of last year. The residence hall that exhibits the greatest percentage drop in energy consumed will be awarded a private BBQ party sponsored by the UGBC and facilities management in late March.
An addition to this year's competition is the online dashboard that tracks the progress of each lower residence hall. The dashboard also includes several features that equate the energy use of each residence hall to relatable units, such as a how many hours of blow-drying and how many driven miles could be powered by the energy being used by the residence hall at that moment. "It is an innovative way of looking at what energy means," said Deirdre Manning, director of sustainability and energy management. "It also helps in educating students about the environmental impact of electrical use."
The dashboard also converts the energy usage of the residence hall into a monetary figure. Due to the fact that many students move into apartments or homes following their time at BC and will then have to face a monthly utilities bill, this figure will give students a concept of the cost of energy use. "It is a user-friendly piece of software," Manning said. "We are setting students up for a lifetime of energy conservation." The dashboard can be accessed at bc.edu/dormenergy.
Though only the nine largest residence halls on campus are featured on the dashboard, all campus residence halls are included in the competition. For the residence halls that are not featured on the dashboard, students can contact their resident directors to receive updates as to the progress of their residence hall within the competition.
Students can participate in the competition by making efforts such as shutting off lights when they are not in use and not leaving radios or television on for extended periods of time. "Studies have shown that 40 percent of residential energy use is discretionary, meaning lights and televisions. The other 60 percent is necessary energy, such as heating," Manning said. "Knowing that 40 percent of energy is discretionary, students can control whether they choose to use energy or not."
Chris Denice, president of the UGBC and CSOM '09, said that he hopes that the competition will help to instill long-term energy saving habits in students. "The goal is to educate students about energy conservation and eventually modify how we consume electricity," Denice said. "I hope that with a successful contest this February, the investment will prove worthwhile and more residence halls can be put on the system in the near future."
The theme of this year's competition is "NRG Games - Ever to Conserve."
Manning and Denice felt that BC is performing well in terms of adherence to the sustainability movement. "BC is becoming a green school faster than I anticipated, and it deserves recognition for that. I think BC students should be commended for taking the lead for the environmental movement on campus over the past few years," Denice said.
"Each year we've done better than the last year - UGBC provides programming, athletics is aiding in recycling, and student and faculty awareness has gone up," Manning said.
All new residence halls built on campus as a part of the University's Institutional Master Plan will include several features that make them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. "All the residence halls will take advantage of daylight and feature low flow faucets and toilets," Manning said.
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