The results of Penn’s Power Down Challenge 2011 are in—and the energy-saving outcomes are impressive. The three-week competition, which lasted from Nov. 1 through 20, challenged 15 campus buildings to reduce energy consumption and raise awareness about what the Penn community can do to conserve energy.

The Quad (pictured) and Franklin Building won the College House and Campus Building competitions, respectively. In total, the 15 participating buildings saved 113,778 kilowatt hours over 20 days, which is the equivalent of planting more than 2,000 trees, or taking 280 cars off the road for the entire length of the competition.

At the current rate, the buildings saved Penn nearly $10,000. If all buildings on campus followed suit, Penn would save about $2.2 million per year. For more information on the Power Down Challenge, go to www.upenn.edu/sustainability/powerdown.html.