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Welcome to the 2012 Green Cup Energy Challenge!

Registration

Important 2012 Dates

Registration Begins	January 30
Registration Ends	February 24
Green Cup Challenge	March 2 - 23
Videos Due	March 16
Final Results Announced	Early April

Note: The Challenge will be for 3 weeks with an optional 4th week for schools not on Track E spring break. See Instructions for details.

Factoids

According to Energystar.gov, America's K – 12 schools spend more than $7.5 billion annually on energy, but as much as 30% of that energy ($2.25 billion) is used inefficiently or unnecessarily. The GCC has shown that, through awareness and small behavior changes, those wasteful patterns can be reversed.

Schools who take the Challenge work together to reduce electricity consumption over a period of three weeks. You will track and compare your savings during the Challenge, but your energy conservation will continue long after the results are announced. You are a winner just by participating!

The Green Cup Challenge raises awareness about energy conservation and provides concrete actions to take. Experts agree that the best way to save energy is to use less. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. The GCC teaches students that they have the power to save energy in their schools and homes, and that their actions can translate into positive change in the world.

Check out the Chicago Schools "Go Green" page

During the Challenge, students and school staff work together to implement energy-saving strategies; they take weekly readings of school electric meters, and compare the usage to a baseline from previous years’ consumption. Data are entered weekly into spreadsheets on the GCC website, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities.

The annual GCC video contest has also become a popular showcase for students’ talent and environmental passions. By participating in the Challenge, students and staff learn that simple things like turning off lights, powering down computers, unplugging electronic gadgets and machines when not in use, and setting thermostats to 68 degrees Fahrenheit add up to huge energy and cost-savings for schools.