RLC joins “Compete to Reduce” contest to focus on energy-saving

INA, Ill. (April 1, 2015) - Rend Lake College faculty, staff, and students alike are joining forces to help reduce the amount of energy the campus uses in a nationwide contest called Campus Conservation Nationals (CCN). After forming a team and gathering data, RLC is embarking on the “Compete to Reduce” part of the contest next week.

During this section of the contest, RLC students will monitor the college’s energy uses while also spreading the word about simple changes to reduce the college’s carbon footprint. Every day, students will visit the college’s Physical Plant to meet with Maintenance Technician Charles Massie to gather the correct data. The contest officially starts Monday and will continue through April 26.

RLC students visited Charles Massie, SEATED, yesterday in the Physical Plant on the Ina campus to record the college's energy usage for the day. Pictured is, FROM LEFT, RLC Sustainability Professional Tyson Ellis, Mikala Chamness of Royalton, Esther Wysong of Thompsonville, RLC Maintenance Technician Charles Massie, Ashley Zinzilieta of Benton, and Julia Herzing of Scheller. Click on the image for a larger view.
(ReAnne Palmer / RLC Public Information)

“Over the last couple weeks, we’ve been in the baseline period, which is what we will compare our numbers to during the competition to see our savings,” said Tyson Ellis, RLC Sustainability Professional. “I heard about this event at an IGEN (Illinois Green Economy Network) conference and I thought it would be a good event for our campus. As a community college, it is our moral and ethical responsibility to enlighten our communities and their residents.”

This year, RLC will be competing against colleges and universities across the nation, but also some closer to home, including Heartland Community College, John A. Logan College, and Lewis & Clark Community College. In total, there are over 175 schools participating in the CCN competition this year across the United States and Canada.

“We’re focusing our contest efforts on awareness,” said Ellis. “A lot of us aren’t aware exactly how much waste we produce in our lives, whether it is energy or water. The first step toward change is awareness, and that’s our goal with this contest.”

Ellis also listed several things the staff and students at RLC are doing to help eliminate some unnecessary energy usage, such as turning off lights, computers, and other electronic devices; unplugging items not in use, such as chargers or shredders; print on both sides of a sheet of paper; and encourage others to participate in conservation on campus and at home.

CCN is the largest electricity and water reduction competition for colleges and universities. Now in its fifth year, CCN gives common voice and motivation to students across the country to reduce consumption and mitigate the impacts of climate change. CCN is organized by the U.S. Green Building Council, Lucid, National Wildlife Federation, and Alliance to Save Energy.

On Friday, May 8, CCN will announce the results and prize winners of the 2015 competition. There will be several grand prizes, including an electricity and water monitoring dashboard, sponsored by Lucid, to bring data to the campus in an engaging and interactive format.

For more information about the Compete to Reduce contest, visit www.competetoreduce.org.