Efficiency-wise, things are looking brighter in the residence halls. On the evening of Sunday September 28th, student volunteers went door-to-door in their dorms, switching out inefficient incandescent light bulbs for Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Students explained the benefits of CFLs and encouraged their friends to help them win the Dorm Energy Competition.
“The CFL exchange tonight went fantastically,” said Sorin Sustainability Commissioner John Hennessey. “In fact, we used up all 30 of our bulbs in the first 25 minutes!” The only complaint from the students was that there weren’t enough bulbs for the whole dorm.
In just two hours, about 40 students distributed over 1,000 bulbs. The result: over 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions will be avoided each year that the bulbs last. CFLs are 75% more efficient than incandescents and last about 7 years with typical dorm room use.
Volunteers also placed CFL Recycling Bins in strategic locations in their residence halls. Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, burnt out bulbs should be sealed in a plastic bag and placed in the proper recycling containers.