EcoWeb

About the project

Carbon Challenge

NTU has committed to cutting its carbon footprint by 48% by 2020.  The Carbon Elephant project has already started making strides towards this target with some big carbon cutting projects including installation of renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures.  The next challenge is to get staff and students thinking about how they can contribute to meeting the Carbon Elephant target.

The Carbon Challenge is an NTU-wide competition to find the School or Department that can become the most energy efficient.  A team of volunteers from each area within the University will take on the challenge to be in with the chance of receiving financial rewards for their work.

How does it work?

• Each area within NTU has a target of cutting their electricity use by 10% by the end of June 2013.  Those making good progress towards their target will be rewarded with the savings from their buildings' electricity bills.  
• The electricity meters in each building will be read every month, from October 2012 to June 2013 and compared to the same period the previous year. 
• For every Kilowatt hour of electricity saved, participating departments will receive the money back to spend as they wish.  This will be paid at the end of the year.
• What's more, the department(s) within the building that ends the year at the top of the table will be awarded a £5,000 bonus
• Participating buildings will be placed in a league table according to the progress they have made each month with spot prizes for the teams that have made the most impact on their bills.  

Where do we start?

Each School and Department have nominated a team of Carbon Champions.  The Champions' role will be: 

• to attend workshops run by the Carbon Elephant team in order to become equipped with all the tools and resources to make your department more energy efficient.  Workshops will take place every two months and will focus on various themes including IS equipment, lighting and shutting down for the holidays.
• to use the information from the workshops to identify areas where energy can be saved and work with their colleagues to implement any changes.

The Environment Team will be available to help and support the Carbon Champions, offering guidance, resources and advice. There will also be regular competitions and prizes for the individuals and teams that are making a real effort to become more efficient. More details will provided in our Carbon Challenge newsletter.

If you would like to become a Carbon Champion, or if you would like to know who is representing your School or Department, contact the Environment Team.