Blue River Valley High School Announced as the
2013 Energy Independence Challenge Winner
The IND Solar Farm project partners have announced Blue River Valley High School as the winner of the 2013 Energy Independence Challenge sponsored by General Energy Solutions USA. Teams of 2-4 students were challenged to submit a proposal for how their school can be more efficient in its use of energy. Proposals were submitted from high schools within a 100-mile radius of the Indianapolis International Airport. All proposals submitted showcased unique, creative approaches to reducing energy consumption.
“General Energy Solutions USA is proud to be a presenting sponsor of the Energy Independence Challenge. We look forward to helping students build a brighter, greener future for their schools and local communities,” said Jack Chen, Managing Director of General Energy Solutions USA.
The Grand Prize was awarded to Blue River Valley High school seniors Cameron Kinnaman, Micah Holtgraves, Mindy Wesley, and Tate Hooker. The group from Henry County will be presented with a $15,000 check at the October 18th commissioning of the IND Solar Farm to implement their proposal. Their proposal “Changing Gym Lights to Change our Minds,”incorporates a comprehensive campaign to promote energy awareness within the school and the replacement of current Halide gymnasium lighting with LED lights that are 63% more energy efficient and last five times longer thancurrent bulbs. Their proposal states, “We hope to help students and people in the community see that energy efficiency makes a huge impact in the environment as well as their electric bill.”
“I am excited that we were able to find a way for our school to save energy, money, and natural resources,” said Cameron Kinnaman, Blue River Valley High School team member. “Blue River Valley has given to me over the past 13 years and this is our way to give something back. We wanted to help other people in our community go green and we thought using the high school gymnasium would be a great example.”
Honorable mentions included two teams from Scecina Memorial High School, one additional team from Blue River Valley High School, and a team from Cardinal Ritter High School. Their proposals includedan energy efficiency incentive program, upgraded efficient school appliances, fitness bikes producing electric energy, and community gardens.
“This group really wanted to challenge how the students at Blue River Valley, and the community that supports us, views energy,” said Ben Buehler, Blue River Valley High School Science Teacher who served as the winning group’s advisor. “They realized that awareness can cause small changes in how energy is used and those small changes can have a big impact. By making this change in the most public area of our school they are hoping to start a conversation about easy and responsible ways to save energy, save money, and reduce pollution.”
Project partners of the IND Solar Farm and Energy Challenge served as the judges for the competition. These companies include Telamon Corporation, Johnson Melloh Solutions, the Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis Power & Light, and General Energy Solutions USA.