UNC Wins Green Dorm Award
A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill dorm has been rewarded for improving their energy efficiency. The Morrison Residence is the winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star National Building program. The competition challenged 14 buildings to reduce their energy use over the course of a year.
Students living in Morrison Hall competed by floor to save the most energy by unplugging electronics that weren’t in use and turning off lights. WRAL reported that residents tracked their progress on a touch-screen computer in the lobby. The building’s temperature control and ventilation systems were also optimized to be more efficient. In the end, the dorm cut its energy consumption by 35.7 percent and $250,000 in utility bills.
Second place went to a Sears store in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The Tucker Residence Hall at North Carolina State University also participated in the program, and was able to reduce their energy consumption by 10.3 percent.
Also Read:
The Top Green Colleges and Universities in America
Energy-Efficient Schools Initiative Featured at Clinton Global Initiative Meeting
Campus Water Conservation Efforts Catching on for Blog Action Day 2010