Eneractivity Develops Social Networking Game that Teaches
Energy
Awareness to College Students
Eneractivity, a NJ-based energy-related software design
group, has
developed a computer game for college students that engages and
entertains while increasing energy awareness
College & University Pressroom
ASBURY PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Walk through a college dorm and you?ll undoubtedly see rooms
with
lights, stereos, appliances, and computers humming away. The
problem: no
one?s in the room. Poor energy habits among students cost colleges
millions annually and tax their carbon footprints. In an effort to
supplement energy awareness programs, Eneractivity has developed
an
innovative program to reach students with this vital message.
The ?College Dorm Game? combines the challenge and fun of a
computer
game with an effective learning tool to encouraging good energy
conservation habits.
The game environment is a cartoon dorm room, complete with dirty
laundry, unmade bed, scattered remnants of last night?s pizza
party, and
a host of energy wasting items. The player reduces the room?s
energy
consumption by turning things off, adjusting settings, or
destroying
objects before time runs out. Found objects like energy-saving
bulbs add
bonus points. Hidden slices of pizza add extra time. ?Implements
of
destruction? add to the fun by enabling the player to destroy
particularly wasteful objects.
Customizable with school colors, logos, and banners, the game is
configured for competition between dorms, floors, or any
grouping--even
other colleges. A database tracks usage and generates a
leaderboard for
students to compare scores.
To illustrate ?Return On Investment? to schools, Eneractivity
offers a
calculation based on the conservative premise that after playing, a
student will turn off one 75W lamp for 2 hours/day over a 200-day
school
year. Based on a national average cost of $0.16/kWh, for a
university of
5,000 students, that equates to over $24,000 in annual savings,
resulting in a return of over 300% for the university?just for
each
student turning one light off, each day, for 2 hours! Of course,
should
students become inspired to turn off more than just one light,
energy
savings would be enormous.
ENERACTIVE Solutions, an energy engineering company, and Goodman
Media
Design, an interactive software development company, formed
Eneractivity
with the idea of exploring innovative ways to increase energy
awareness
in the corporate, retail, and educational worlds.