The purpose of Efficiency club’s “Power Strip Project” is to provide campus residents with the means and education to halt standby power wastage using economic power strips. Laptops, microwave ovens and cell phone chargers are examples of devices that cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged. These products draw standby power 24 hours a day, often without the knowledge of the consumer.

“Standby power can account for 10% of an average household’s annual electricity consumption.”
–BC Hydro

Cheap, effective power strips break the circuit when switched off and stop the flow of electricity to draining devices. Our simple but effective strategy this year was to:

• Step 1: Coordinate marketing, educational and event organization details with RezLife’s “Aim to Sustain” campaign in the Totem Park and Place Vanier Residence communities.
• Step 2: Order Power Strips and marketing materials at discount rate from local vendors (NCIX, A-Z Banners).
• Step 3: Pick up power strips from NCIX in Richmond using a pick-up truck.
• Step 4: Distribute power strips and educate students on their use at a booth in Place Vanier and Totem Park on November 21st, 2014.

This year’s edition of the power strip project was operated according to plan, on time and within budget. A total of 238 power strips were handed out and the program grew over 50% from last year. Marketing and awareness efforts were coordinated with resident advisors along with the “Aim to Sustain” campaign to better prepare students for a lifetime of energy consciousness. We hope to grow this program next year alongside the AMS and RezLife while seeking other funding sources. We also intend to procure BC Hydro energy data pertaining to the project when made available (within the next few months) to evaluate our specific impact in energy savings and use to apply for funding next year. Ultimately, the power strip project is one where students actively participate in combating global climate change with simple, effective, tangible solutions. The Efficiency Club is proud to run this program and wish to continue to forge a great relationship with AMS Sustainability while developing new energy saving projects.