Green Cup The Greek Energy Savings Competition 2012 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference Sara Seacat and Manon von Kaenel, PowerSave Green Campus Project Coordinators Patrick Smith, President of Greening the Greeks UC Berkeley powersavecal@gmail.com
Outline Background Motivation Implementation Results Challenges and Successes Future Improvements Accomplishments
Background
The Team
UC Berkeley
Background: OUR PROJECTS
Energy DeCal • Semester class taught by interns
Photos (from left to right): A walkthrough audit of the Clark Kerr Housing kitchens with DeCal students; a green department certification meeting, a Blackout Battles icon
Green Departments • Green certification program for campus departments
Blackout Battles • Bi‐annual energy saving competition in the dorms
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Motivation Most freshman move out of dorms… what do we do? Why Greek houses? • 10% of student population • Reinforce behaviors taught freshman year • New audience • Receptive to energy and money saving • Ability to collaborate
What is Green Cup? WHO: 24 Greek houses compete for a $2500 retrofit HOW: Compare gas and electric savings Technical changes: given a $200 budget to purchase small improvements
Behavioral changes: trained sustainability chairs from each house ^^ Green Cup logo
Implementation Planning • Recruiting, liaisons, securing grant funding (The Green Initiative Fund), creating baselines
Competition • Publicity, audit/retrofits, surveys, prizes
^^ Planning: 4 months Competition: 2 months
Implementation PLANNING Funding
Recruiting and liaisons
$8400 grant from The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) grant $2500 in retrofit prizes $200 retrofit for each house
Kelley Doyle, President of Greening the Greeks Fraternity and sorority sustainability chairs Elizabeth Chan, thesis on behavioral changes
Creating baselines From 2008‐ 2010 house utilities bills for Nov/Dec
Implementation COMPETITION Promotion
>> Sustainability pledge
• Low‐cost outreach
Behavioral • Educated sustainability chairs • Sustainability pledge
Technical • $200 budget retrofit
<< A fraternity member installs a CFL in his house
On‐site Implementation Methods Actions Challenges
• Presentations at meetings • Personal example • Barrage of emails
• Performed energy efficiency audit for PSGC materials • Exchanged all incandescents for CFLs and caulked/weatherstripped
• Fraternity brothers were initially resistant • Behavioral changes are difficult to make • Sustainability was a low priority
Results of Green Cup 2011 SAVINGS OUTREACH SAVINGS OUTREACH Kilo‐watt hours 29,220
Therms 667
Dollars $ 5,600
Greek Members
Sustainability Pledges
Training
2500
500
20
WINNERS 1st: Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)
•
2nd: Kappa Alpha Order
44% reduction in electricity
•
22% reduction in electricity
Challenges and Solutions Understand audience , working with a Greek system
• Student‐run system requires good relationships • Communicate that saving energy reduces bills
Varying levels of participation
• Flexible incentives & deadlines • Collaborate with other sustainability efforts • Give simple but concrete tasks (e.g fill out survey, create an Amazon wish list)
Future Improvements Greater visibility
Publish guide to help with retrofits and home improvement
Walk‐through and recommendations
Separate fraternity and sorority energy saving competition
Reduce prize money from $2500 to $1000
^ Sustainable living guide posted in fraternity and sorority houses.
Accomplishments Targeted a highly varied audience spanning a range of interest and age groups
Successful collaboration with Greening the Greeks • Opened doors for future collaboration for water competition Monetary savings greater than money we invested; significant grant money remaining
^ Fraternity member and PSGC intern Anton Walker installs low- flow shower heads
Acknowledgements • • • • • • •
UCB PowerSave Green Campus Project Coordinators: Charles Dhong, Anton Walker and Morwenna Rowe Funding : Katherine Walsh, The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Account Manager: Lisa McNeilly, Director Office of Sustainability Greeks: Kelley Doyle and Patrick Smith, Presidents of Greening the Greeks Behavioral Efficacy Study: Elizabeth Chan, B.A (2012) Housing Projects: Residential and Student Service Programs Alliance to Save Energy and Campus leads – Danielle Lauber
Contact Information Manon von Kaenel and Sara Seacat PowerSave GreenCampus Interns UC Berkeley powersavecal@gmail.com calpowersave.weebly.com Patrick Smith, President of Greening the Greeks pat.smith@berkeley.edu