Campus Energy Wars 2007

Do you ever consider how much energy is required to keep our campuses running? Or what the environmental impacts of producing that energy might be? During the month of February CSB/SJU joined other Minnesota private colleges in an event called "Campus Wars" to encourage community members to become aware of their energy use and to reduce overall consumption from historic averages.

The results for CSB/SJU were calculated based on three years o fhistorical data (when available) and reflect total energy use on each campus without any effort to exclude new buildings or ongoing construction projects.  We should also note that the month of the competition was, on average, 12-degrees F colder thant he past three years: this likely accounts for much of the increased energy demand.  Electrical demand is based on kWh consumed and heating reflects gas used at CSB and coal at SJU, in both cases for the entire month.

CSB/SJU Results

Electrical consumption: CSB down 2.1% SJU up 9.2%

Heating consumption: CSB up 9.7% SJU up 12.4%

Thanks to all who participated in the competition by reducing their demands, talking about energy use, and supporting eveone involved. As we plan for next year's competition all the schools will have this experience to build on and a better data set to start from. Meanwhile, please apply the lessons learned during the competition in your regular routines so we might continue to reduce the impact of our energy use on the environment that supports us all.

Campus Energy FAQ

• How much energy does CSB/SJU use? Where does it come from?
• What are the environmental impacts of our energy use?
• How can CSB/SJU reduce our collective energy use?
• What alternative energy applications might work on campus?
• Who can I contact with questions about campus energy use?
• How can I report situations I see at CSB or SJU where energy is wasted?
• What are the presidents saying about energy conservation?