SAVES 2 at Technical University of Crete
Guest article by Stelios (dormitory coordinator, TUC)
Technical University of Crete (TUC) has participated in the Student Switch Off (SSO) campaign since 2014. The specific purpose of this project is to engage students who live in the university’s dormitories (SSO campaign) and in private accommodations (SSO+ cmapaign), to reduce their energy consumption and to raise their awareness concerning climate change.
The dormitories of TUC accommodate 74 students in single rooms and we are delighted to announce that in the next months the new dormitory will be completed with 120 new single rooms. This is a significant step, due to the fact that in our days many students face financial problems in Greece.
For the student ambassadors (trained 4 in this academic year), it is both easy and fun to be part of SAVES2 campaign. In order to participate in the photos competitions, they have to join our Facebook page (Student Switch Off – TUC). To encourage the students to participate in our competitions, we offer ferry tickets to the winners, sponsored by ANEK LINES (between Crete and mainland Greece). Moreover, through our Facebook page, the ambassadors have the opportunity to find smart and easy ways to reduce their energy consumption in their flats. To complement this, energy meters were installed in each dormitory room and communal space for optimum energy consumption monitoring. In this way, the students living in dormitories have the chance to observe their daily and the monthly energy, through TUC’s website. This is a great way for them to know their consumption in order to save energy if it is needed.
The first meeting with the ambassadors has already taken place. We informed them about the campaign and suggested tips to decrease their energy consumption. After that, we had a pleasant discussion about TUC’s dormitory and the problems that they face daily.
Finally, all the ambassadors look really enthusiastic and to support our efforts. We look forward to a great year!
