Selkirk College Saves Energy by Turning down the Heat on Sweater Day
By Kirsten Hildebrand
This winter, the heat at the Castlegar, Silver King and Tenth Street campuses was turned down by two degrees to conserve energy and show Selkirk College’s commitment to lowering our carbon footprint.
Students and staff were encouraged to wear a sweater to show their support for energy conservation at this second annual event.
“This small adjustment in our temperature on campus resulted in big savings,” says Sustainability Coordinator Laura Nessman. “In Castlegar, we saved 8.2 gigajoules (GJ) of energy. That is nearly 25% savings for just that one day.”
That amounts is approximately 0.41 tonnes of C02, which is equivalent to:
• A home’s energy use for two weeks
• Commuting daily from Nelson to the Castlegar campus for one month
• Eliminating beef from your diet for eight months
“These changes to our heating practices can have significant savings. Imagine if we lowered the heat by only one degree, throughout our entire heating season,” says Nessman.
During Sweater Days on each campus, Fair Trade hot chocolate and tea were offered as well as chances to win prizes by playing Spin the Wheel of Sustainability. Trivia questions were related to energy conservation and climate change to help increase awareness.
Selkirk College appreciates the efforts of everyone on campus in supporting sustainability. FortisBC was also on board and donated some excellent prizes.
