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Energy-Efficient Dorm Rooms at Three California Universities

To ensure that campus residents purchase the most efficient appliances on the market, students and staff at three California universities created ENERGY STAR Demonstration projects in the residence halls this last year. The three rooms — located at the University of California (UC) Berkeley, Humboldt State University, and California State University (CSU) San Bernardino — differ in their particulars, but each is a showcase of energy efficiency in a residence hall setting.

All three rooms feature ENERGY STAR qualified lighting, appliances, and electronics commonly found in student rooms, such as DVD players, compact refrigerators, and stereos. Regular tours are available or planned for each of the three ENERGY STAR Demonstration rooms, which also feature signage explaining the benefits of purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified products instead of conventional ones. Because CSU San Bernardino recognizes the potential energy savings and educational impact of the project, the ENERGY STAR Demonstration Room is shown to all prospective college students as part of the University's orientation tour.

These demonstration projects were made possible by close student-staff collaboration and by third-party administrative and financial support. The Humboldt State University and CSU San Bernardino ENERGY STAR Dorm Room projects developed as a direct result of the Alliance to Save Energy's Green Campus Program Exit ENERGY STAR.

Funded by the California Public Utilities Commission, the Green Campus Program is an educational effort on nine CSU and UC campuses that seeks energy savings through student-staff collaboration. Along with energy efficiency and conservation, the UC Berkeley "Green Room" also demonstrates sustainable practices, such as buying locally produced organic products and reducing material waste and water consumption. Berkeley's Green Room was made possible by a US Department of Energy grant and implemented by Strategic Energy Innovations, in collaboration with UC Berkeley students and staff, including Green Campus student interns. For details on the Green Room and other ENERGY STAR dorm projects, visit SEI's ENERGY STAR Dorm Room Project Exit ENERGY STAR and UC Berkeley's The Green Room Series Exit ENERGY STAR.

Plans for new ENERGY STAR Demonstration projects in residence halls are underway at CSU Chico and at UC Santa Barbara. Along with demonstration dorm rooms, ongoing projects related to ENERGY STAR at Green Campus schools include mailings of ENERGY STAR product information to all incoming student residents and replacing incandescent bulbs in campus residence halls with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).