Unplugged Energy Competition

Why Is Energy Conservation Important?  To generate electricity, most power plants burn coal, crude oil or other fossil fuels. When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth’s natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction.  More information can be found at SaveOnEnergy.  With less than 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. consumes almost 17% of the world’s energy. For more information review this University of Michgan Factsheet.  In 2020, the U.S. residential and commercial sectors combined used about 219 billion kilowatt-hours (KWH) of electricity for lighting which is equivalent to running 139 million refrigerators. For more information visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration's website.  Non-renewable energy emissions contribute to climate change and harm human health.  Approximately 75% of the electricity used in most American homes is used while the product is turned off. So don’t forget to unplug devices when not in use. Check out more surprising facts about energy consumption here.

What We’re Doing About this at Cal State East Bay

SustainEastBay and Student Housing & Residence Hall have partnered together to host ‘UNPLUGGED’ an energy competition for the residence halls, to increase energy conservation efforts in the Res-halls through outreach and education. The goal of this competition is to motivate people and to foster a community that recognizes the economic, environmental, and social importance of conserving electricity. We hope to instill a sense of awareness among students, so they can make conscious decisions to reduce their energy footprint. By the end of this competition, students will

1. be more mindful about their energy usage
2. be willing to adopt more sustainable habits to conserve energy. 

The competition will run through the Spring semester:

The residence hall with the lowest percentage of energy use per resident will win prizes for the entire hall and major bragging rights! Practice energy-saving behavior throughout the UNPLUGGED competition and help your residence hall win. 

What can you do to conserve energy?

At home: 

• Always cook with a lid.
• Only Use Your Dishwasher with a Full Load.
• Keep your fridge and freezer at their ideal temperature. For your fridge this is between 2°C and 3°C and your freezer should be at -18°C.

In your residence hall:

• Turn off unnecessary lights.
• Unplug devices when not in use.
• Take the stairs, if possible. 
• Keep the Thermostat at low temperature. 
• Wash at a cold temperature. 

For more tips and tools to help save energy, please visit @SustainEastBay on Instagram. To get involved with future Cal State East Bay sustainability efforts, contact sustainability@csueastbay.edu.