Power of You campaign designed to raise on-campus awareness
What: The Power of You
When: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Where: Administration building foyer
Less means more, when it comes to saving on energy costs.
UBC’s Okanagan campus is partnering with FortisBC in an energy conservation campaign aimed at reducing electricity and gas energy use through a combined approach of building optimization and voluntary behaviour change – a campaign with the potential for approximately $100,000 in yearly energy savings.
“The Power of You” is the awareness component of the campaign aimed at reducing energy consumption in campus buildings – some newer, some legacy structures – by reminding people to take simple measures like powering down computers and shutting off lights.
Established to complement upcoming building controls and infrastructure energy conservation measures taking place in legacy academic buildings on campus, the Power of You will invite the campus community to make energy reduction a part of their daily practices at UBC.
“Sustainability is a key commitment in UBC’s Place and Promise strategic plan,” says Michael Shakespeare, associate vice-president of administration and finance. “We are committed to energy conservation and we believe it is the responsibility of every student, faculty and staff member to do their part.”
Since 2007 the university has reduced energy intensity by 26 per cent on the Okanagan campus.
“We can always do more as we become aware of the role each individual can play,” says Shakespeare.
“Whether purchasing energy-efficient equipment for offices, or labs powering down office equipment, our collective actions can result in measurable impacts,” says Leanne Bilodeau, director, Sustainability Operations.
“If we powered down all the computers and monitors on campus every night for a year, there would be enough energy saved to power 133 homes for 12 months,” says Bilodeau.
In addition to academic facilities, The Power of You will engage students in a campus residence energy challenge to encourage cold-water use for laundering. Special water meters are set up in the Nicola Residence to measure the amount of hot water used by clothes washers during a baseline and after a “do it in cold water” student awareness campaign to assess outcomes.
A campus event to launch the Power of You featuring energy-saving demonstrations, locally grown food and a FortisBC presentation of The Rossland Energy Diet, where an entire community took on the challenge of reducing power use, takes place Tuesday, October 1 in the Administration Building foyer of UBC’s Okanagan campus, 1138 Alumni Ave., Kelowna.
A team of nearly 30 Power of You Volunteers will help welcome staff, faculty, students and community members to the campus event. Over the coming year, as energy conservation measures such as occupancy sensors are implemented in legacy buildings, the Power of You volunteers will help the Okanagan Sustainability Office deploy the strategy including monthly activities to engage and remind people that the Power of You is exactly that – you can make a difference in energy consumption with your individual action.
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