Green Cup Presentation, CHESC 2012

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

More projects on calpowersave.weebly.com

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