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University of Mary Washington and NORESCO Partner to Encourage ``Green'' Behavior on Campus

Business Wire, April 18, 2008 – FREDERICKSBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A student-led environmental campaign at the University of Mary Washington has sparked a dramatic shift in energy-saving attitudes and behaviors on campus. The campaign is a direct result of a partnership between the university and the energy services company NORESCO to encourage and sustain “green” behavior by the university’s residential students.

“The work that our students have done to educate one another about the benefits of energy conservation has been inspiring,” said Richard Hurley, acting president of the university. “This program has provided guidance for our students, who overwhelmingly support energy conservation at UMW, and the environment and the university have both benefited from the results.”

According to NORESCO, the custom-tailored behavior change program is among the first in the nation that seeks to influence energy consumption by changing students’ internal motivations while also initiating and sustaining a culture of efficiency.

“This program is unique because it asks resident assistants to educate students about saving energy and because it targets specific energy-wasting behaviors identified from the students themselves,” said Scott Finlinson, manager of organizational efficiency at NORESCO.

Last year, NORESCO surveyed UMW students, finding that 89 percent agreed that UMW should conserve energy and 85 percent responded that they should help. The survey also compared the prevalence of energy-saving behaviors to identify those with both the largest potential to save energy and the largest potential for change. Results showed that students wasted the most energy by taking long showers, leaving computer equipment on when not in use and running fans and air conditioning units when no one was in the room. NORESCO then designed and provided training for resident assistants to educate others about changing these three specific behaviors. Resident assistants launched the campaign to change attitudes and behaviors by talking with their residents, modeling the behaviors and posting flyers to remind students to conserve energy, among other activities.

NORESCO has found that the campaign led to significant improvements in reported energy conservation behaviors. Compared to initial surveys, follow-up surveys in March recorded a 29 percent increase in the number of students who turned off computers, a 33 percent increase in students who turned off fans and air conditioners, an 11 percent increase in students who turned off printers and speakers and an 18 percent increase in the number of students who engaged the hibernate or sleep function on their computers. Shower times reported on the surveys decreased 3 percent, while shower frequency decreased 7 percent, an unexpected finding since shower frequency was not mentioned during the training. Likewise, NORESCO found increases in other positive behaviors that were not targeted by the campaign, including recycling, turning off the water while brushing one’s teeth and turning off lights and televisions when not in use.

“The fact that University of Mary Washington students were educated about three behaviors but reported increased conservation in all measured areas shows that the environmental campaign is permeating campus culture,” Finlinson said. “Additionally, we are working with students who are using this assessment as the basis of academic projects. Therefore, students are learning about energy conservation from one another both in and out of the classroom at UMW.”

NORESCO estimates that behavior changes involving water, electricity and natural gas conservation eliminated 197 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the environment. The total carbon dioxide emissions reduction is equivalent to 45 acres of pine forest storing carbon for one year. NORESCO also estimates that the volume of water used for showers has dropped at a rate of 2.7 million gallons annually, based on changes in shower behavior. According to NORESCO, the results are especially significant for Virginia where 61 percent of the state’s electricity is produced by burning coal, natural gas and petroleum.

UMW originally partnered with NORESCO in 2005 to identify ways in which the university could conserve energy in its daily operations. As a result, UMW entered into an energy service performance contract with NORESCO for an energy-efficiency project that included lighting, water and heating system improvements. University officials and NORESCO estimate that these improvements are saving the university $430,000 a year, which pays for the cost of facilities improvements that were made. The infrastructure improvements also are reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide equivalent to planting 445 acres of trees.

The University of Mary Washington also has undertaken other energy conservation initiatives. Last year, the new North Building at the university’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies was among the region’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings. In the fall, the student-run Ecology Club worked with NORESCO on a light bulb exchange program. The university bought 2,000 compact fluorescent bulbs, which last longer and use much less energy than traditional bulbs. Students traded 1,600 bulbs for incandescent bulbs that students were using, thereby setting the stage to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 68 tons and save 107,360 kilowatt hours annually. In addition, UMW Dining Services is implementing a new APEX Warewashing Program, which will improve dish washing efficiency and decrease the use of water and electricity. It also is a non-caustic formulation that is environmentally friendly. Dining Services also is educating students about eliminating food waste in the dining halls.

To date, NORESCO has instituted its custom-tailored behavior change program at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the University of Mary Washington. In the future, NORESCO plans to expand the program to other colleges and universities, K-12 education systems, office environments and public housing communities.

NORESCO is one of the largest U.S. energy services companies specializing in the development, design, construction, financing and operation of energy and environmental efficiency projects, performance contracting and central energy plants. Its clients include various departments of the U.S. government, school districts, universities, state and local governments, public housing agencies, and industrial and commercial businesses. During the past two decades, NORESCO has implemented more than $2.5 billion in energy projects at more than 2,000 sites throughout the United States and abroad.

The University of Mary Washington is a coeducational public institution with its residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., 50 miles south of Washington, D.C., and a second graduate and professional studies campus in nearby Stafford, Va. The university, with a total enrollment of nearly 5,000 students, is known for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts program and dedication to life-long learning and professional development.

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