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 Light 4 Light Program: Give a light, get a light and so much more.
Throughout the fall, students across Yale College are hearing knocking at their doors. Opening them, these unsuspecting Yalies meet fellow students, dressed in green shirts, offering to give them a free compact fluorescent light bulb in exchange for a conventional 60-watt light bulb.
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| STEP Coordinator, Rachel Winer, JE '06, (right) accepts an incandescent bulb from a student at Timothy Dwight College in exchange for a CFL with nearly 5X greater efficiency. |
This bulb exchange is called the Light 4 Light Program, initiated by the Yale Student Taskforce for Environmental Partnership, better known as STEP. Through this initiative, STEP has already distributed about 1400 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to students and plans to distribute a total of 2000 by the end of the semester. If there is still a demand, which seems likely based on the positive response already received from students, STEP may request more CFLs.
These 13-watt CFLs produce the same amount of light output or lumens as typical 60-watt incandescent light bulbs, but offer nearly five times greater efficiency. That type of efficiency translates into significant long-term energy savings and monetary savings for the University. STEP paid $3 for each CFL. With their lower electricity needs (savings of 47 watts per bulb) and based on operation of 10 hours per day at 7 cents per kilowatt hour, these bulbs will pay for themselves within four months. Reduced electricity use also translates into indirect reductions in greenhouse gas emissions—advancing Yale’s recent commitment to a long-term Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy, which includes a 15 percent reduction in residential college energy use over a three-year period.
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| Students interact during the Tuesday night exchange. |
Besides simply switching light bulbs, STEP coordinators take advantage of this face-to-face contact with others to both educate and engage them in other sustainable actions. For instance, while visiting dorm rooms, Charles Alvarez, SN ’09, also helps students set the power management features on their computers. STEP also passes out stylish magnets giving all the details on what you can and cannot recycle on campus [if you would like one, go to http://www.yale.edu/step, and click on your college shield to find and email your college’s STEP coordinators].
As Susanne Kenagy, DO ’06, one of the founders of STEP explained: “People may not have the knowledge [on actions they can take]. Once they have it, they apply it on a regular basis.” STEP chairs concurred that it makes them feel good to see what a big difference they can make by devoting one hour each Tuesday night to the light bulb exchange. At the rate they are going – STEP will cut energy use in Yale College by about 260 thousand kilowatt-hours.
Even with all these savings, Maren Haus, the STEP Program Director, admits: "The best part about the exchange is that it's fun. The STEP Coordinators seem to genuinely enjoy door-knocking and distributing the CFLs. It's a time to visit friends and meet new students and a great way to share information and provide tangible ways for students to help make Yale a sustainable university. When you can make work fun and do good work at the same time it's a win win situation."
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| Maren Haus, STEP Program Director, readies the CFL shipments for distribution to students. |
STEP hopes that the Light 4 Light initiative will do more than just increase energy efficiency in Yale College dorms. This student taskforce hopes to also impact students’ future decision making. Maren explained that STEP plans to follow-up with students, solicit their feedback on the exchange and on the CFLs, and ask them whether they would purchase CFLs in the future as result of the Light 4 Light Program. If the friendly and gracious Tuesday night dorm room reception is any indication, STEP’s efforts are bound to extend beyond New Haven. |
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| Where you can buy a CFL nearby... |
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Rite Aid, (203) 777-7248, 66 Church St, New Haven;
(203) 777-3080, 60 Whalley Avenue, New Haven |
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Turtle & Hughes Industrial Supply, (203) 497-1500, 13 Hamden Park Drive, Hamden |
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Lowe's, (203) 468-3068, 115 Foxon Blvd, New Haven |
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Home Depot, (203) 799-1900, 440 Boston Post Rd, Orange |
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Sam's Club, (203) 795-8100, 2 Boston Post Rd, Orange |
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STEP implements environmental education campaigns in the undergraduate residential colleges in an effort to increase the scope and effectiveness of environmental awareness at Yale. The primary goal is to foster a community ethic of environmental stewardship from the time students first arrive on campus. Their focus areas include recycling, paper, energy, water, dining, and other appropriate topics. Some of their projects have monetary savings for the University. For more information, go to STEP.
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