By Nadine Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 24, 2012
“Get creative and start thinking!”
Have an idea on how to save energy on campus? UFV’s bright idea contest wants it. The bright idea contest is now accepting suggestions and the most promising five entries will be explored further by UFV’s energy manager and facilities team.
The ideas selected will be up for numerous prizes, including vouchers for restaurants, soccer tickets, greenUFV swag and more. Suggestions deemed suitable will be implemented at UFV, with credit given to the person who submitted the idea.
The contest was initiated in October by UFV’s energy manager, Sam Thomas. It was helped along by UFV staff and the faculty green team which is a group focused on helping UFV lessen its environmental impacts; currently the group is focused on reducing energy consumption on campus. The green team is also supported by BC Hydro’s Workplace Conservation Awareness program, a program designed to engage campus goers—students, staff and faculty—in reducing consumption on campus.
Thomas says the importance of reducing our energy waste is often sidelined.
“The importance of conserving energy is often overlooked. Let’s face it, energy is cheap in BC, so it can be difficult to see the value in using less,” Thomas explains. “But for electricity the reality is that if we don’t use less, then BC is going to have to generate or import more to meet increasing demand.”
Thomas explains that this necessary excess energy will have to come from somewhere.
“Generating more means additional dams, more gas-fired power stations, or more imported electricity from places like Alberta that burn coal in their generation plants,” Thomas continues. “By conserving energy and using less we reduce the need for additional generation, which helps the environment [and] keeps the cost of electricity low for all of us.”
The contest was initiated to give students, staff and faculty an opportunity to have their say on what can be done to reduce energy waste on campus, but Thomas hopes the contest will also encourage a conservational attitude on campus.
“By starting to think about what can be done by others, or with technical improvements, we’re hoping people also start thinking about things that they can be doing also,” Thomas notes, “such as turning out lights and shutting down PCs at the end of the day. Even the smallest actions make a difference.”
The contest closes November 30.
For more on UFV’s bright idea contest, or to submit an idea, visit the UFV Energy Management website.
