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Residence-Wide Energy Challenge (RWEC) 2011
Results of the 2011 RWEC
Congratulations to those students in Moulton Hall for their commitment to energy conservation. Moulton Hall is the 2011 Residence-Wide Energy Challenge Champion!
Special mention goes to the RWEC individual champions who went above and beyond to participate in the Challenge:
- Kumar Jadoo
- Ryan Cadwell
- Sonya Dhanjal
- Elaine Chan
Thank you to all who participated in the 2011 RWEC for helping to make McMaster sustainable
A full overview of the program, entitled the RWEC 2011: An Inaugural Report, has been prepared by members from the IRC, Housing & Conference Services and the Office of Sustainability. This report is meant to provide an overview of the program, including steps for implementation, the results achieved and recommendations for future expansion.
Challenge Overview
To help promote sustainable living practices and encourage energy conservation, McMaster's residence students are engaging in a friendly competition to determine which residence can reduce their energy consumption by the greatest amount.
The residence that decreases energy consumption the most from the baseline (determined based on energy consumption during the week of February 10th - 16th, 2011) will be named the 2011 Energy Challenge Champion. A virtual plaque will be displayed naming the 2011 winning residence to highlight the success of the students living in the winning building. Awards will be presented by representatives from Housing & Conference Services, the Inter-Residence Council, and the Office of Sustainability during Residence Recognition Night on Thursday, March 24th.
Students who go above-and-beyond promoting and taking part in this challenge will be awarded a special prize for their efforts and commitment.
Current Residence Standings
Amount conserved across all residences: 113,550.2g CO2e
Amounts conserved by individual buildings:
Bates Residence
Amount conserved: 9,633.0g CO2e
Percentage change: 4.5%
Brandon Hall
Amount conserved: 3,961.0g CO2e
Percentage change: 2.4%
Edwards Hall
Amount conserved: 3,417g CO2e
Percentage change: 4.1%
Hedden Hall
Amount conserved: 14,539.2g CO2e
Percentage change: 3.7%
Les Prince Hall
Amount conserved: 11,976.4g CO2e
Percentage change: 3.4%
Mary E. Keyes Residence
Amount conserved: 11,943.3g CO2e
Percentage change: 2.0%
Matthews Hall
Amount conserved: 9,409.7g CO2e
Percentage change: 4.3%
McKay Hall
Amount conserved: 7,236.0g CO2e
Percentage change: 3.2%
Moulton Hall
Amount conserved: 14,223.8g CO2e
Percentage change: 7.3%
Wallingford Hall
Amount conserved: 2,476.2g CO2e
Percentage change: 3.2%
Whidden Hall
Amount conserved: 10,880.0g CO2e
Percentage change: 5.3%
Woodstock Hall
Amount conserved: 10,482.5g CO2e
Percentage change: 4.0%
Days left in the Challenge:0
For specific details on calculations for building standings and reductions please click here.
Other universities who also support Residence Energy Reduction Challenges:
Program Dates (2011)
RIS Building Conservation Updates:
-
Week One
Friday March 4th (data for Tu/Wed previous)
Monday March 7th (data for Th/Fr previous)
Tuesday March 8th (data for Sat/Su/M previous)
Week Two
Friday March 11th (data for Tu/Wed previous)
Monday March 14th (data for Th/Fr previous)
Tuesday March 15th (data for Sat/Su/M previous)
Week Three
Friday March 18th (data for Tu/Wed previous)
Monday March 21st (data for Th/Fr previous)
Tuesday March 22nd (data for Sat/Su/M previous)
Challenge Start Date:
- Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Challenge End Date:
- Monday, March 21, 2011
Winner Announced:
- Thursday, March 24, 2011
March 1, 2012
Share Your Energy-Saving Tips and Ideas
McMaster is looking for your feedback and ideas on how to conserve energy. Share your energy-saving tips with the FLIRC's in your building, IRC representatives, and/or Residence Life Staff members (CA's, HPA's, HA's, HCA's), or send an email to sustainability@mcmaster.ca
Thank you for sharing your energy saving tips!
Here are some of the tips submitted so far:
- Make notes to leave by light switches as a reminder to turn them off
- Have a laundry party where people can wash/dry their clothes together and share a machine
- Start a buddy system to keep roommates and friends accountable
- Remember to turn off your lights when you leave the room
- When washing clothes, wait for a full load of wash or use the small-load setting
- Did you know that many electronics consume energy just by being plugged in? Unplug cell phone chargers and coffee makers when not in use to conserve energy
- Use energy-efficient, compact fluorescent light bulbs. They require less energy and last 10 times longer than regular bulbs1
- Hang clothes to dry. This will reduce energy consumption and add moisture to dry winter air
- Use task lighting such as a lamp or reading light when possible instead of turning on all lights in a room
- Clean the lint filter after each dryer load to maintain full airflow and maximize drying efficiency1
- Place floor lamps or table lamps in a corner. Light will reflect from two walls, making the room brighter without turning on more lamps1
- Do all your laundry within a short period - by drying consecutive loads, the energy used to bring the dryer to the proper temperature harnesses heat efficiently1
- When saving leftovers, allow hot or warm foods to partially cool before placing in the refrigerator
- To reduce cooking time and energy use, use pots with tight fitting lids and the food will cook faster
- When cooking, use pans that match the size of the burner. Also, use flat bottom pans so heat spreads evenly1
- Remember to cook by time and temperature. Don't open the oven door to peek at cooking food
- Electric kettles are faster and use less energy than boiling water on the stove1
- Thaw frozen food in the fridge to reduce spoilage and help cool fridge
- Remember to unplug your printer when not in use. The average desktop printer consumes over $300 in energy each year (McMaster case study, 2010)
- LCD monitors use 40% less energy than equivalent-sized CRTs2
- Be sure to shut off your computer screen, as 60% of the power used by a computer is used by the monitor! (The other 40% is used to keep your hard drive spinning and to power the electronics.) 3
- Opening blinds is a carbon-free way to light your room
- Wash your clothes in cold or warm water. A whopping 85-90% of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water! 3
- Microwave ovens use up to 75% less energy, so whenever possible, use a microwave instead of your stove or oven3
- Do you have a power bar at your desk? Make sure you shut down the entire bar when not in use. Having hardware plugged in, even when turned off, still uses energy. This is known as ‘phantom energy’
- If you have a computer with an Energy Star rating, you still must activate the power management feature to fully utilize the energy savings 4
- Try changing your light bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs to save up to as much as 80-90% of the energy you use to light your room. Learn More 5
- Sources
- City of Toronto., 2010. Energy Saving Tips. [Online]. [February, 2011].
- Cornell University., 2005. Commuter Energy Usage Facts. [Online]. [February, 2011].
- Ontario Ministry of Energy., 2010. Energy Saving Tips. [Online]. [February 2011].
- U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star. Activating Power Management Feature on Individual Computers. [Online]. [February, 2011].
- Planet Green. Treehugger., 2010. How to Go Green: Lighting. [Online]. [February, 2011].
Individual Award Nominations
Nominations for individual student RWEC champions are to be submitted via email to IRC VP Communications no later than 4:00pm on March 21st. Please provide a short paragraph, minimum of 200 words, outlining how the student went above and beyond to engage in and promote energy conservation, and provide at least one specific example.