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2010 Green Cup Challenge™ |
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At the end of January, Holy Spirit Prep will compete in the 2010 Green Cup Challenge™ (GCC). The GCC is the first and only national student-driven interschool energy challenge. It supports student greening efforts including recycling and water conservation, raises awareness and helps schools reduce their carbon footprint. Participating in the Green Cup Challenge™ is an excellent way to decrease Holy Spirit Prep’s carbon footprint, while also making students, faculty and staff more energy-conscious year round. The Green Cup Challenge began in 2003 at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire as a campus-wide energy conservation competition designed to raise awareness about energy consumption. In 2006, the GCC expanded from an inter-dorm competition at one school to an interschool competition among a few schools. By 2009, the GCC had expanded to 120 public and private, day and boarding schools across 24 states. Last year, the schools which participated in the Challenge reduced their aggregated carbon emissions by 2.5 million pounds, the equivalent of taking 220 cards off the road for one year! This will be Holy Spirit Prep’s first year competing in the Challenge. The GCC will begin on Monday, January 25 and end on Monday, February 22. One of the main activities at the lower school that will happen during the Green Cup Challenge is a lighting retrofit. Based on a 2009 energy audit by Georgia Power, approximately 40% of Holy Spirit Prep’s carbon dioxide emissions have been from lighting use. The goal of the 2010 Green Cup Challenge is to achieve an average 7% reduction in campus electricity use and related greenhouse gas emissions. Schools that have participated in the GCC for several years may only achieve a 2-3% reduction, while new participants may reduce by upwards of 12-18%. This means, that all schools will be working collectively to achieve an aggregated electrical energy reduction of 7%+ (www.greenschoolsalliance.org). The school that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by the largest percentage will be recognized with a certificate. With the lighting retrofit at the lower school, we hope to surpass 18% in energy reduction during this year’s Green Cup Challenge. This will also translate to lasting savings for our school. According to Georgia Power, we will save over $15,000 per year in electric costs by replacing the existing T-12 fluorescent fixtures with more energy-efficient and brighter T-8 fixtures. Replacing these lights will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 238,588 pounds, which is the same environmental impact as taking twenty cars off the road, or planting 2,775 trees! Joining the Green Schools Alliance this year has meant making stronger, more lasting behavioral changes in our school community. Our hope is that after the Challenge we will continue to compete against ourselves in an effort to use energy more efficiently and in short, to become better stewards of God’s creation. For more information about Holy Spirit Prep’s efforts in environmental sustainability, including a copy of our school’s energy audit, please click here. |
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© Holy Spirit
Preparatory School 2010
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