Maroon articles about Battle of the Bulbs

"U of C takes steps toward sustainability amid criticism"

"Dorms slash energy use for Battle of the Bulbs"

If there was any other media attention that anyone knows of, please email eva@uchicago.edu.

Thanks!

Summary of Results

Here is the final spreadsheet for Battle of the Bulbs 2007 with participation rates, electricity-reduction percentages and the total amount of carbon saved. Thanks to everyone for participating. Here's to making Battle of the Bulbs a new U of C tradition!



The Trader Joe's "Organic milk and biscotti" study-break for BJ will be held at the beginning of Spring Quarter, at which point BJ will receive the "Green Cup" (an hand-cranked compact-fluorescent-light-bulb trophy designed by the RSO, Material Exchange).

Stay tuned for testimonials by participating dormitories...

MONTHLONG RESULTS

Here is the week-by-week breakdown for the entire month of February. Congratulations to the Shoreland for your 45% reduction during the last week!

CLOSING CEREMONY TONIGHT!!!!

8:30PM HUTCH COMMONS, REYNOLDS CLUB
FREE FOOD!

FIND OUT WHICH DORM WINS BATTLE OF THE BULBS

T-shirts!
Patagonia jacket/fleece raffles and prizes!

Don't miss it!

WEEK FOUR TARGETS: Do everything in the dark!

This week: use everything you've learned to save as much electricity as possible...which translates to: do everything in the dark!

WEEK THREE TARGETS: APPLIANCES

Electric Usage and Appliances - What Makes Up Your Electric Bill?
Estimated Average Costs for Operation of Various Appliances
Appliance Usage Information

Fact of the Day!

One third of the world's population has no electricity at all.

Tip of the Day! brightness

Turning down the brightness level of you computer monitor or laptop screen can reduce power usage by 20%.

WEEK TWO TARGETS AND RESULTS: BJ LEADING!

TO HELP YOU MEET THIS WEEKS TARGET, HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT COMPUTER ENERGY USAGE:
Apple Computer's Energy Efficiency Stats
Apple and the Environment: Information on environmental features of Apple products
Energy Efficiency for DELL Computers
"When to Turn Off Computers"

AND SOME ARTICLES ABOUT COMPUTER ENERGY EFFICIENCY
"Congress Wants YOU to Buy Energy Efficient Computers!"
Treehugger's tips for "Greening Your Computer"
"The Rise of Bright Green Computers"
"The Coming of Green Computers"
"Spinach to Power Green Computers, Phones"
"First Solar Computer Bag that Charges Electronic Devices!"

And, HOW TO RECYCLE YOUR OLD COMPUTER ON CAMPUS
http://ccs.uchicago.edu/recycling.shtml

Tip of the Day! computers

While your computer's screen saver is on, you are saving 10% of the energy used to power it; putting it to sleep saves 90%.

Fact of the Day! vampires

Many electronic devices use electricity even when turned of, especially TVs and stereos. These "vampires" draw electricity to power digital clocks and infrared receivers.

Tip of the Day! hot water

Reduce your overall energy use by avoiding using hot water. For example, wash your clothes with cold rather than warm or hot water.

Tip of the Day! elevators

Elevators consume a lot of electricity - about 350 Wh to move from one floor to the next. So next time you're going up a few flights, try walking instead!

Fact of the Day! kilowatt-hours

What is a kilowatt-hour (kWh)?

1 kWh is the amount of energy that is required to run a typical incandescent light bulb (60W) for about 17 hours.

1 kWh is equivalent to 860 Calories, or about one hour of biking or running.

Fact of the Day!

The United States uses 35% more electricity than the entire European Union, but its population is 35% smaller.

Tip of the Day!

Try using task-oriented lighting, such as table and desk lamps, instead of room lighting.

Tip of the Day!

You already know that you can reduce your electricity use by 5% by turning your lights off for five extra hours. Did you know you can also save electricity by hang drying your clothes? Drying one load of laundry in an electric dryer uses as much electricity as running your computer for 24 hours! If you usually use two dryers every time you do your laundry, try hang drying enough clothes to only need one dryer. If you already use only one dryer, try hang drying everything!

WEEK ONE TARGETS: LIGHT BULBS

TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING THEM. If you don't already use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), buy one next time you're at the hardware store. They use 75% less energy than a regular incandescent bulb and last 10-16 times as long! Although they cost more than incandescents (typically $1 or $2 more), because CFLs last longer they actually save you money, with a pay-back time of 500 hours! (Wikipedia)

Check out the WEEK ONE Information Board (click below to enlarge) to find out the TIP OF THE WEEK:


In honor of this week's light bulb theme, check out the following links:

WHAT IS A COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULB?
Wikipedia article on compact fluorescent light bulbs
Energy saving facts about CFLS from Energy Star

NEWS ARTICLES/OP-EDS ABOUT CFLS:
NY Times: Walmart to sell 100,000,000,000 CFLs by 2008
"How many light bulbs does it take to change the world? One."
"California may ban conventional light bulbs"
NY Times: "A LIght Bulb Goes On"
The Grist's Umbra Fisk's article: "Just Screw It"

NOTE: If you have a broken CFL please return it to the store you bought it from, or bring it to the Environmental Center (reynolds club basement, room 002a) so it can be disposed of properly.

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

Following a successful kick-off event, the battle has begun.

Check the information board to find out the ELECTRICITY REDUCTION TARGET, THEME and TIP of the week.

Find your IHC rep so you can sign up to participate. They will give you a door-hanger to indicate your participation. If your IHC rep has nothing to offer you, tell them they need to attend weekly meetings...

...then tell them to go to the Undergraduate Housing Office (located in the Parking Structure) to pick up their packet of materials so you can participate.

May the most efficient dorm win!

KICK-OFF EVENT TONIGHT!!

Come to the Battle of the Bulbs Kickoff Event:

Wednesday, JANUARY 31st
TIME: 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
PLACE: McCormick Tribune Lounge (in the Reynolds Club. When you walk in the main entrance, the Lounge is on your left.)

Free Food! T-shirts! Buttons!

And, of course, an explanation of the competition by Green Campus Initiative

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP: BATTLE OF THE BULBS KICK-OFF PARTY!

COMPETITION RULES and GUIDELINES

Hi all-

I've had some requests from RHs and RAs to post the "Battle of the Bulbs" proposal that outlines all the details of the competition. A similar document has been given to your IHC rep that outlines his/her responsibilities.

Here is the official project proposal:

GREEN CAMPUS INITIATIVE
“BATTLE OF THE BULBS” FEBRUARY 2007
PROJECT OUTLINE

Proposal
Green Campus Initiative (GCI) is coordinating a month-long interdormitory electricity reduction competition. The dormitory which reduces its electricity usage by the highest percentage at the end of the month will be declared winner. The dorm with the highest participation rate will also be rewarded.

Each week (on Thursdays) we will post each dorm’s weekly targets, the previous week’s electricity usage, and the reduction theme and tips of the week. This information will be displayed on “information boards” throughout campus (the dining halls, Reynolds Club, Admin building and the Reg) and online at bulbs.uchicago.edu.

Weekly targets and tips: To help students reduce their electricity use, GCI will provide weekly target reduction amounts for each dormitory (5% reduction each week) and tell them how to achieve the target. Check bulbs.uchicago.edu (starting Thursday, February 1) to find out the electricity reduction theme and tips of the week.

The goal will be to use the least amount of energy during the last week of the competition, at which point, we hope, everyone will “do it in the dark.”

Event Dates
Kick-off event: Wednesday, January 31, McCormick Lounge, 8:30-10:00pm
Awards Ceremony: Thursday March 1, Hutch Commons, 8:30-10:00pm
Tabling: Every Tuesday and Wednesday of February in the Reynolds Club. We will be selling our custom-made organic cotton t-shirts for $12 ($8 for IHC reps).

Participation and Prizes
Winning dormitory prize: To indicate this achievement they will receive an award sculpture created by the art and environment RSO: Material Exchange.
Dorm participation prize: The dormitory with the highest participation rate will receive a participation prize: TBA.
Everybody Wins: Carbon offset credits equal to the amount of carbon emissions collectively saved by the dorms will be purchased.
IHC Representatives: IHC reps who attend 100% of IHC meetings during the month of February and attend both the kick-off and closing event will be entered into a raffle to receive a basket of Patagonia goods (raffle will take place at closing ceremony).

Off-Campus Participation
Students, faculty and staff that live off-campus can also participate by pledging to follow our weekly electricity reduction tips. In exchange they will get a free compact-fluorescent light bulb.

Additional materials
T-shirts: T-shirts will be sold to raise money for GCI. They will be available for sale at the kick-off event and in the Reynolds Club during tabling hours (11-2pm) every Tuesday and Wednesday of February. IHC reps will get them for a discounted price.
Buttons: Buttons will be made with "do it in the dark" -type slogans and will be available at the events and during tabling.
Valentine's Day cards: We will work with clubs selling carnations on Valentine's Day to sell Valentines with a catchy slogan on them.

Key players and their responsibilities
Green Campus Initiative:
-GCI will be responsible for data collection, including:
-collecting the electricity data from Residence Halls & Commons each week
-posting new information boards in designated locations throughout campus -setting target reduction goals/tips by dormitory
-Organizing the kick-off and closing events
-Weekly tabling to advertise the competition, sell t-shirts and attract off-campus participants
Inter-House Council:
-Monitor house members' participation by taking down names of participants and giving them door hangers to indicate participation. Send updated list of participants to IHC president Dwight Carswell: carswell@uchicago.edu -Report dormitory electricity use to their houses at weekly house meetings. -Attracting attendance at major events (kick-off party and closing party) from house members
Dormitory Councils (ie Shoreland Council, Max Council, etc):
-Creating an atmosphere of rivalry and competition between dormitories -Collectively brainstorming ways for their dormitories to save more electricity
Student Government:
-Student government environmental committee will create a “Battle of the Bulbs” website recording the weekly electricity usages by dormitory.

Light's Out

The first day of the Battle of the Bulbs coincides with the Global "Lights Out" Campaign. This is an effort to encourage the entire world to turn their lights off together for just five minutes to promote awareness of global warming.

So join the rest of the world on Thursday from 6:55 to 7:00 PM by turning out all your lights, and doing it in the dark!

F.A.Q.

The battle begins in less than a week, and excitement is clearly building around campus. Hopefully you have heard some information about the battle already from your IHC rep, so get ready!

Here are some F.A.Q.s about the Battle:

Q: "What the heck is this all about?"
A: The Battle of the Bulbs is a month-long competition between the dormitories to see which dorm can reduce its electricity use the most, in comparison with February 2006.

Q: "How do I compete?"
A: Sign up with your IHC rep today! CORRECTION: At the KICK-OFF EVENT, your IHC rep will receive the materials needed for you to participate. Talk to them in person, or at your house meeting to sign a pledge. In return, you will receive a "door-hanger" that you can hang on your doorknob to indicate your participation. IHC will keep track of the total number of participants by dorm so we can track which dorm is winning the participation award.

Q: "Are there any rules?"
A: There are no rules, but there are weekly guidelines. Each week in February has a different reduction theme; and we outline the necessary steps you need to take to reduce your dormitory's electricity use by 5% for that week. Every Thursday evening, we will post the electricity reduction target for each dorm and the weekly results on a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will be available on this website and on the information boards located in each of the dining halls, the Admin building, the Reg and the Reynolds Club.

Q: "Are there t-shirts for sale?"
A: Of course. We have specially made American Apparel organic cotton t-shirts for sale, for a limited time only. Come to the Kick-Off event this Wednesday, January 31, at 8:30pm in the McCormick Lounge (in the Reynolds Club) to get your t-shirts, eat food, and find out more about the competition. We will also be tabling in the Reynolds Club every Tuesday and Wednesday of February, and some extra days at the beginning and end of the competition.

Q: "That's all well and good, but why do I care?"
A: Not only are you competing for your dorm to win a ridiculously cool prize, but you are saving energy and saving money. In fact, if energy use were to go down substantially in the long run, it could mitigate housing cost increases over the next several years. If all that's not good enough, you're being a responsible global citizen!

New Blog!

Introducing the Battle of the Bulbs 2007.

This is the blog which will have all the updates on the contest each week. Check back to see who's in the lead!

There will also be important power saving tips and other useful tools to keep you ahead of the competition.

If you want to get involved with the greenest and coolest student group on campus, the GREEN CAMPUS INITIATIVE, come to our meetings on Tuesdays, at 6pm in the basement of the Reynolds Club, room 002A. We can use your HELP with Battle of the Bulbs and Earth Week planning, starting NOW!

Stay Green!

The Bulbmaster,