TAMIU Concludes Week-Long Energy Challenge Celebrating Energy Awareness Month

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)  has celebrated Energy Awareness Month with a week-long Energy Challenge for students that ends Saturday.

The initiative, part of TAMIU’s  partnership with its energy and sustainability expert, Schneider Electric, promotes energy efficiency at the University’s Residential Learning Community, encouraging students to reduce energy consumption by five percent. Students can track energy savings in real-time through initiatives that teach them how incremental changes have a huge impact on the environment and their environmental footprint.

Among Energy Challenge activities: a “Lights Out” activity utilizing natural light; “Sustainable Snacks” made without using energy from microwaves or using refrigerators and  “Eco-Friendly Laundry Habits.” 

On Thursday,  an outdoor “Watt-Free Workout” class that does not use electronic gym equipment and an “Unplugged Board Game” night will take place.

On Friday, students will enjoy an “Efficiency Fall Festival” where there will be an unplugged outdoor live music performance by a local musician.

The Energy Challenge concludes Saturday, October 19 when students are asked to “Turn Up the Heat” in their living space by one degree.

The Energy Challenge is part of the University’s larger “Maroon is the New Green” initiative that promotes energy efficiency methods on campus. Students can tag their Energy Awareness observance on social media with #MaroonIsTheNewGreen

The University’s Energy Awareness month observation is coordinated by the University’s Housing and Residence Life and the office of the TAMIU vice president for Finance and Administration in partnership with Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation.

TAMIU is the first higher education institution to adopt Schneider Electric’s Conserve My Planet IGNITE program which engages students, professors and staff in innovative ways, encouraging them to take an active role in using energy more efficiently on campus and at home. The competition leverages tools and data analysis from Schneider Electric allowing TAMIU to implement challenges in energy efficiency and sustainability subjects, supporting skill development and awareness of environmental issues.

“At TAMIU, ‘maroon is the new green’ is more than a slogan, it’s a commitment from our students, faculty and staff to reduce our environmental footprint by fostering greater energy awareness,” said Dr. Pablo Arenaz, TAMIU president, “We’re grateful for our ongoing partnership with Schneider Electric to help our community learn new ways to support this commitment, while providing the technology and infrastructure to make our vision a reality.  In this, our 50^thAnniversary year, it’s important that we embrace a future that solidly commits to a better, brighter future for our shared environment.”

For additional information, contact TAMIU’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or click on tamiu.edu

For more on how Schneider Electric helps higher education institutions tackle their top priorities with energy efficiency, visit http://www.schneider-electric.us/enable