Emory & Henry to Participate in Campus Conservation Nationals 2012

Emory & Henry College was the statewide winner of a national recycling competition in 2010.

Students will compete to reduce energy consumption on their campus

Emory & Henry College will participate this spring in a nationwide competition among colleges and universities to reduce electricity and water use in residence halls.

Emory & Henry will join more than 100 universities and colleges in Campus Conservation Nationals 2012, which will run from Feb. 6 to April 23. All institutions will compete in an attempt to achieve a cumulative national goal of reducing energy use by one gigawatt-hour.

Jesse Freeman, Emory & Henry’s energy manager, said the College has become, in recent years, a leader in environmental protection through its planning and management, which bodes well for the college during this competition. “This competition is an opportunity to organize students and staff to make immediate and lasting impacts on a school’s carbon emissions and campus culture,” Freedman said.

Four years ago, Emory & Henry President Rosalind Reichard signed an agreement to reduce carbon emissions at the College, joining hundreds of other college and university presidents who have pledge to do the same on their campuses.

The College also was the first college or university in its region to seek and obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for building construction and renovation. Currently, three E&H buildings are LEED certified and a fourth LEED certified building is scheduled to be built next year.

In 2010, Emory & Henry also was the statewide winner of a national competition in recycling sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The College topped the list of 17 Virginia schools participating in the competition.

The competition is the creation of The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council through its Students Program. The effort is made in partnership with Lucid, Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation. The competition is sponsored by United Technologies Corp, Sloan, Sterling Planet and Constellation Energy.

Using technology designed by Lucid, called Building Dashboard, that tracks energy savings, participating schools will be able to instantly compare performance, share winning strategies and track standings among the leading schools and buildings.

“Campus Conservation Nationals encourages students to recognize the significant impact that sustainable behaviors can have on a campus and in a community,” said Pat Lane, USGBC Students program lead at the Center for Green Schools. “This will be the largest national competition of its kind and will have far reaching impact showing students that a collective effort, along with a desire to better the built environment can lead to positive and lasting change.”

CCN offers valuable educational opportunities, such as enabling students to teach themselves conservation behaviors, as well as environmental and economic benefits. Above all, CCN is designed to empower the future generation of energy and environmental leaders, and foster a culture of conservation within campus communities. To learn more about the competition, join the network or follow leading schools, visit www.CompeteToReduce.org.