WAVERLY, Iowa — The decades old rivalry between Wartburg and Luther colleges is often played out on the athletic field.
In those competitions, either Wartburg or Luther must concede defeat. However, the two Lutheran-affiliated institutions have agreed to an unprecedented “split” in their recent contest over which could most reduce their energy consumption.
The Wartburg-Luther Energy Challenge was a student-led initiative with support from faculty and staff at both schools. Each college tracked its February 2009 electric and natural gas consumption and compared those figures with usage from the previous year.
The institution that reduced its consumption the most would win bragging rights.
Luther bested Wartburg in natural gas usage, while Wartburg won in electricity reduction.
The colleges were unable to declare an overall winner because there were many unexpected variables in measuring energy consumption and making comparisons with the previous year’s figures.
Both colleges made major changes to infrastructure during the past year — Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center becoming fully operational and Luther College’s Sampson Hoffland Laboratories opening in August — which made it difficult to make quantifiable comparisons, explained Dr. Tammy Faux, Wartburg assistant professor of social work and sustainability officer.
It was difficult to compare “apples to apples,” agreed Caleb Mattison, Luther’s sustainability officer. But the Energy Challenge did motivate students to significantly reduce energy use.
“The competition with Luther did fuel a good part of the promotion for the challenge,” said Jenny Kordick, a senior at Wartburg. “The decreases in energy use are great! I am very impressed with how everyone came together on this. Hopefully it will help us get more support for next year — student support in particular.”
Wartburg students implemented changes that resulted in an electric bill reduction of 3.62 percent. Luther’s electric bill was 1.8 percent higher than in 2008.
In the heating competition, Luther students were victorious, reducing the institution’s gas consumption by 11 percent. Wartburg saw a slight increase of 1 percent in its gas usage, after adjusting for heating degree days.
Wartburg experienced more than an 11 percent increase in its water usage when compared with the previous February. Luther didn't track water use.
“This year was a pilot for this competition, and both schools learned a lot about how complex it is to track energy use and our carbon footprints,” said Faux. “The Energy Challenge was a positive month-long event because it really got people talking about energy use on both campuses. People were looking for changes they could make in their own energy consumption.²
Faux and Mattison said Wartburg and Luther students were the driving force behind the competition.
“Probably one of the coolest things that I noticed throughout this whole campaign was the excitement and extra effort to be sustainable that the Energy Challenge evoked,” said Wartburg senior Jen Wendland.
“For instance, multiple classes were held in the dark, many people were walking around shutting off lights and lowering the thermostats, and people were being more conscious about the amount of waste that they were generating.
"Overall what excited me most was the amount of conversation that I heard about problem areas and issues regarding Wartburg and sustainability.”
Likewise, the administration at both colleges offered support.
“As institutions of higher learning, it is our responsibility to promote the values of sustainability,” said Gary Grace, Wartburg vice president for administration. “Friendly competitions with like-minded peers and colleagues at Luther offer a visible platform to assist in this education."
Ultimately, splitting the win benefits both institutions, said Mattison.
“We consider this entire month a success,” he added. “Our primary goal was to raise awareness about conserving energy. Conserving energy is a win-win. It reduces the colleges’ operating costs while reducing our carbon footprint and environmental impact.”