Power OFF Challenge
Materials Handling Facility wins the 2011 Power OFF Challenge!
The winner of the third annual Power OFF challenge is the Materials Handling Facility (MHF)! Occupants of the MHF achieved a record-breaking 49% energy reduction last week, resulting in an overall average reduction of 23% over the three week challenge.
“I’m amazed,” says Dean McKinney, a Hazardous Materials Technician with Environment, Health and Safety in the Materials Handling Facility. “Everyone in the building really stepped up in the last week of the challenge demonstrating that small actions can produce extraordinary results.”
The Materials Handling Facility had a 9% reduction in the first week and a 12% reduction in the second week but the record breaking 49% reduction took place in the third week when McKinney worked with his colleagues to eliminate phantom loads and reduce energy consumption of fans. “Other than the clock and air compressor, we used power bars to ensure that all unused equipment was turned off,” says McKinney, “we also turned down the speed of our fans when we weren’t in the room. We are going to make these actions standard practice now that we know the impact they can make.”
Staff at the Materials Handling Facility hold all bragging rights until next year’s challenge. They also hold the record for the highest reduction ever seen in Power OFF history. $85.26 on behalf of McKinney and his team is being donated to the United Way representing 5 cents for every kilowatt hour (kWh) saved in their building over the course of the challenge.
Honorable mentions go to the Information Communications Technology building and the Health Research Innovation Centre (HRIC) which placed second and third with average reductions of 14% and 12% respectively. The HRIC also saved an astounding 73,184 kWh in total which was the greatest kWh savings achieved by any building in the challenge.
This year there was an overall decrease of 0.3% in total campus electricity consumption and the buildings that achieved reductions saved a total of 155,402 kWh, enough to power approximately five family homes for one year.
| Week 1 Results View results for Nov. 14 to Nov. 20 |
Week 2 Results |
Week 3 and Final Results View results for Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 and Final Challenge Results |
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