Ball State students are making an energy plan designed to save the school energy and money. The plan is part of a competition hosted by the National Electrical Contractors Association called the Green Energy Challenge.
This is the fourth year Ball State has had a chapter of NECA participating in the Green Energy Challenge. In 2014, the chapter placed number 11 out of the 15 teams present at the competition.
The Ball State chapter's project includes restoring the Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchard Greenhouse on campus, which houses over $1 million worth of plants.
Ball State's team is putting in lights that are more energy efficient and giving the school an estimate of how much it would cost to install solar panels, said Steven Lozevski, a senior studying construction management. The team will also get an estimate of how much it would cost to add a backup generator because the green house needs one.
“Within six years this should be able to pay for itself," said chapter president Garrett Homan, a senior studying construction management
Because of his involvement, he has landed a full-time job with a NECA affiliate after graduation.
On Oct. 3, all NECA student chapters will meet in San Francisco for the final round of judging. The top three contestants will receive a monetary award of up to $4,000.
Homan is confident that the money spent on restoring the greenhouse will be put back in the school’s pocket.
Ball State’s NECA chapter is made up of seniors Garrett Homan, Steven Lozevski, Noah Waymire, Matt Freeman, Ryan Sawyer and Juan Costillo. The group has two remaining members: sophomore Quinten Pattison and junior Johnny Mahaffey. Dr. James Jones is their faculty adviser.
ELECTRI International Foundation and the National Electrical Contractor’s Association sponsor the Green Energy Challenge. It is open to any student interested regardless of major.
“The Green Energy Challenge needs students in interior design, architecture and other related or interested majors too,” Homan said.
Ball State’s student chapter meets at noon on Wednesdays in the Applied Technology building.
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