Kilowatt Smackdown Takoma Park - Green Impact Campaign

October 3 – November 18, 2015

Takoma Park, MD

The student energy assessment competition to help local, small businesses save on energy.

The Takoma Park competition is now closed. Check out the final results here!

green impact campaign small business

Small Businesses

Receive an energy assessment from a trained student to learn ways your business can save on energy.

Students

Conduct energy assessments for local businesses and compete against other schools for prizes.

Student Sign up

To learn how to sponsor a student prize, download our PowerUp Prize Sponsorship PDF.

Kilowatt Smackdown – Takoma Park, MD

Overview

With the support of the City of Takoma Park, Green Impact Campaign (GIC) and Nextility, two DC-based energy organizations, are coordinating a community initiative to help Takoma Park small businesses save money on energy while reducing their environmental impact.

The effort — Kilowatt Smackdown— will include a community-wide competition between student groups at DC and MD’s major universities to complete free energy assessments for businesses from early-October to mid-November. The outcome will be custom, actionable plans to save money and energy for each business. Over the remainder of the year, Kilowatt Smackdown partners will help small businesses with resources to complete these low- to no-cost recommendations, aid businesses in choosing a lower-cost, green energy supplier, and determine if their buildings are suitable for free solar energy systems.

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How Does it Work?

Student groups from the following universities are invited to participate in the competition:

Green Impact Campaign and Nextility will train students to conduct energy assessments using their various assessment tools.

The Kilowatt Smackdown energy assessment helps local businesses save on energy in two ways without cost to them:

Lowering their energy usage through energy efficiency measures
Lowering the rates for the energy businesses do use through supplier choice

Energy Efficiency

Through GIC’s mobile platform, the Green Energy Management System (GEMS), students will conduct short energy surveys that will prescribe energy efficiency recommendations for businesses to easily and cost-effectively lower their energy usage and environmental impact.

Energy Supply Savings

Nextility analyzes business’ actual utility bills to find savings by choosing a lower-cost energy supplier for the business. For businesses interest in getting renewable energy through the utility, Nextility can also connect them with green energy at low rates. Regardless of what businesses choose, Nextility protects rates from fluctuation, tracks savings, and sends renewal reminders to businesses.

After each business has received and reviewed its energy assessment, Kilowatt Smackdownn partners will provide the following support:

Green Impact Campaign will provide each business with a custom report on actionable ways to save energy – including cost and savings estimates. GIC will also assist businesses interested in becoming certified as a green business through Montgomery County’s Green Business Certification Program.
Nextility will help businesses secure lower energy supply rates and green energy through the utility. Nextility can also provide solar assessments for qualifying buildings.

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Schedule

Now – October 3 – Students are invited to sign up for the competition, receive training, and develop their competition plan
Saturday, October 3– Competition period begins
Wednesday, November 18– Competition period ends
Thursday, November 19 – Competition winners determined and announced
Mid-November – Year’s End – Implementation partners will work with participating businesses to assist them in completing the recommended energy efficiency upgrades and lowering and greening their energy supply

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Student Prizes

Scholarships

The top three students that complete the most energy assessments during the competition period will be awarded the following scholarships, presented by the City of Takoma Park:

1st place – $3,000
2nd place – $1,500
3rd place – $500

Paid Internships & Informational Interviews

The top performing students will be given the opportunity for an informational interview or paid internship at the following organizations:

PowerUp Prizes

Throughout the competition, students will be able to win small and large weekly “PowerUp Prizes” provided by sponsoring local businesses, which may include:

Gift cards to local restaurants
“Green” resume writing workshop presented by 20 Minute Resume
Tickets to sporting and music events
And more!

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Get Involved

Small Businesses

To receive a free energy assessment, gain access to other free energy saving services, and support local students, click the button below.

Students

If you are interested in participating in the competition, click the button below. After signing up, GIC staff will contact you to provide you with the tools and training you’ll need to begin.