Rachel Porth '12, D-E's lead student coordinator for the GCC and a member of the Environmental Club,  reported the following final results:  "Overall the Challenge saved one million kilowatt-hours and 1.5 million pounds of CO2.  We finished the month down over 5%, our best Green Cup Challenge (thus far). (D-E) saved about 9000 kilowatt-hours, (translating into approximately) 6 tons of CO2 and other types of pollution."

She continued: "D-E as a whole not only placed fifth in the mid-Atlantic division, but also reduced our energy consumption by 5.2% since last year. During the first two weeks of the Challenge alone our school saved 4700 kWh which is the amount of electricity that a typical house would use in six months. Not only did we compete on a national level, but we also had an interdivision competition among the Lower, Middle, and Upper schools as well. This year the Lower School came in first place, reducing their energy consumption by 7% with the Upper School coming in second and the Middle School coming in third."

Now in its fifth year, the Challenge is timed to take place during peak winter energy usage, January 18 to February 15, and is
a project of the non-profit Green Schools Alliance (GSA).  The competition is designed to raise awareness about energy conservation and provide concrete action towards reduction.

During the Challenge, students and school staff implemented a variety of energy-saving strategies; weekly readings of school electric meters were taken, and usage was compared to a baseline from previous years' consumption. Data was entered weekly into spreadsheets on the GCC website, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. At Dwight-Englewood School, tactics included keeping lights turned off in areas already well-lit by natural sunlight, such as the second floor hallway in the Klein Campus Center; unplugging phone, tablet and iPod chargers not in use; and not using trays in the Dining Hall to reduce hot water use. 

Student members with the D-E Enviromental Club took their weekly measurements of electrical output at meters throughout the school's 40+ acre campus. This year all students, faculty and staff were reminded through creative original videos and signage that the Challenge was underway.