Morrison Residence Hall was declared the winner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star National Building Competition on Tuesday.
The victory established Morrison as a model for buildings nationwide that strive to be more energy efficient.
With a few small improvements and raised awareness about conserving energy, Morrison attested that energy efficiency is an attainable goal for any building, big or small.
Morrison’s four-year energy project was part of a campaign by the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee. It included installing solar panels on top of the residence hall.
A portion of funding for the project came from an annual $4 per semester “green energy” student fee that was approved in 2003. This fee, which is still active today, raises about $184,000 a year for renewable energy efforts.
In all, more than $320,000 was invested in the project. The EPA competition proved that these energy investments paid for themselves, with change to spare. In one year, Morrison saved $250,000 on its energy bills. That’s more than enough to cover the amount of funds brought in annually by the student fee — and well worth the investment.
More importantly, the competition made UNC students more aware of what they could do to save energy. Students living in “Motown” are to be commended for cooperating with the committee’s efforts by making small changes to their daily routine, like turning the lights off when they leave a room.
And while the other buildings in the EPA competition may not have come out on top, they did discover some of their own ways to reduce the cost of energy bills. That in itself is a victory.
“While one building has come out ahead in this competition, every building that improves its energy efficiency is a winner,” said Bob Harper, a trainer on TV’s “The Biggest Loser,” in a video announcing the winner of the competition.
