Project Clearinghouse

Energy Conservation in Residence Halls and On-Campus Apartments

Sustainability Problem and Proposed Solution: 

We provided smart strips and educated students to reduce their energy usage to lower carbon dioxide emissions. This helps to achieve the UC Carbon Neutrality by 2025 goal and helps lessen the university's contribution to climate change.

Jump to: Contact | Project Description | Funding Sources | Metrics for Success | Results
Project Categories: 
Buildings & Facilities
Energy & Climate
Awareness, Education & Engagement
Purchasing
Social Justice
Project Status: 
Completed
Campus Organization: 
Sustainability Office
Project Location: 
On campus

Residence Halls and On-Campus Apartments


Stakeholder Contacts: 
Contact NameEmail AddressContact NumberDepartment
Ellen Vaughan
elvaugha@ucsc.edu
831.502.7086
Sustainability Office
Rona Berger
rberger1@ucsc.edu
Sustainablity Office
Kyra Fitz
ksfitz@ucsc.edu
6166354037
Sustainability Office
Funding Sources: 
Carbon Fund

Project Description: 

We distributed smart strips (power strips with enhanced power saving features) and provided an energy conservation education program for students living in residence halls and on-campus apartments. Our plan aligns with UCSC Campus Sustainability Plan Goal 4, which aims for 10% energy reduction on campus compared to a 2010 baseline through education and behavioral changes. We aim for the smart strip program to both directly reduce energy use in residence halls and on-campus apartments and to educate and engage students to conserve energy on-campus and in their future homes and workplaces. We completed our first objective in March 2019 by purchasing 100 smart strips. We then hosted energy conservation trainings and distributed smart strips and an energy conservation infographic to students in April 2019. We did this in conjunction with outreach for Cool Campus Challenge, a UC-wide sustainability competition that ran for the month of April. We are now training the 2019-2020 Carbon Neutrality Fellows on the energy conservation training so that they can continue educating students next school year.

Metrics for Success: 

We evaluated our success based on how many smart strips and infographics were distributed. We were able to distribute all 100 smart strips. We also asked students what appliances they plugged in to the smart strip to evaluate how useful they were to students. Most responded that they plugged cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, TVs, mini-fridges, microwaves, and speakers in to their smart strips. Most also said they had at least 2-3 devices plugged in to their smart strip at a time, indicating a power strip was useful for them as there would have otherwise been phantom power from these devices being plugged in separately.

Next Steps: 
We first purchased 100 smart strips and promoted the program to students. We then hosted energy conservation trainings and distributed smart strips and energy conservation infographics to students. At the end of the 2019 school year, we trained the 2019-2020 Carbon Neutrality Fellows on the program so that they can continue to educate students on energy conservation in the coming year.
Result Categories: 
Behavior Change
Technology
Education/Outreach
Results: 

We successfully distributed 100 smart strips to students. We trained students on how to properly use the energy saving features of the smart strips and sent them an energy conservation infographic to further their knowledge of energy conservation. We advertised our trainings and distributions to the campus community. We asked students for feedback on the program and received mostly positive ratings. Students were excited to receive a product that could help them save energy, and many expressed that they share the smart strip with their roommates and continue to use it.

Resources
AttachmentSize
Image icon IMG_4949.jpg1.81 MB
Image icon IMG_4948.jpg1.86 MB