The Alliance, Lucid, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC), and the National Wildlife Federation, have jointly launched the third annual Campus Conservation Nationals (CCN), the largest nationwide electricity and water use reduction competition among colleges and universities.

Students across the country will compete to save electricity and water in their residence halls between February and April 2013. The deadline to sign up for the 2013 CCN competition is November 1, 2012.

Strong Sustainability Partnerships

Participating schools can choose to compete against buildings on their own campus or against a select group of peer institutions, with savings from all participants accumulating to reach a national challenge goal. Using Lucid’s Building Dashboard®, competitors will be able to instantly compare performance, share winning strategies, and track standings among the leading schools and buildings. With generous support from United Technologies Corp., founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC, CCN is an opportunity for students and staff to make immediate and lasting impacts on a school’s carbon emissions and campus culture.

“We are delighted to once again support Campus Conservation Nationals,” said Alliance Power Save Campus Project Manager Ellie Kim. “The initiative is an ideal complement to our own college-level energy efficiency program’s goals, which encourage students to take the lead in saving energy and money on campus and help prepare them for careers in sustainability."

The Numbers Prove It - Students Are Saving

During the CCN 2012 competition, over 208,000 students living in 1,200 buildings at 100 colleges and universities collectively reduced resource use by 1.7 MWH of electricity and 1.5M gallons of water, saving schools $157,925-worth of electricity.

“Campus Conservation Nationals provides the perfect venue for students to demonstrate how their collective drive, paired with individual action and responsibility, can have a significant impact on their campuses and communities,” said Pat Lane, USGBC Students program manager at the Center for Green Schools. “We are excited to build upon the success of previous years and empower a new corps of student organizers to be green building leaders.”

“The growth of CCN, and the incredible results from 2012, clearly demonstrate the desire and ability for people to change their behavior when it comes to using resources. With the right information and tools, we’ve seen students able the make a significant impact on energy and water use, and more importantly inspire their peers to take action,” said Andrew deCoriolis, director of marketing and engagement at Lucid. “We know that CCN has a lasting effect on campuses and we expect to double participation this year.”

CCN offers valuable educational opportunities, enabling students to teach themselves conservation behaviors as well as community and campus organizing skills. Above all, CCN is designed to empower the future generation of leaders and foster a culture of conservation within campus communities. To learn more about the competition and sign up for CCN 2013, visit www.CompeteToReduce.org.

Media Contact:

• Michael Timberlake; (202) 448-8758