The Iowa State Alumni Center has been selected to take part in “Battle of the Buildings,” a competition sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star.

The ISU Alumni Center, home of the Iowa State Alumni Association, is one of 245 buildings selected for the competition.

“The whole purpose is to be aware for facilities to save energy and better utilize electricity,” said Gustavo Tello, EPA information specialist.

The 245 buildings taking part in the competition come from 33 states. The competition started May 4.

“We had to send in an application,” said Carole Gieseke, communications director of the Alumni Association. “The buildings ranged from retail stores to schools and even hotels. It is just a little bit of everything.”

The Iowa State Alumni Center is the second most energy-efficient building on campus.

“We are the only building on campus that is heated with a geothermal system,” Gieseke said. “It is very efficient since it uses the heating and cooling factors of the ground.”

The point of the competition is to learn how to be energy-efficient in a certain time period.

“They are telling us that 30 percent of energy is wasted,” Gieseke said. “We are trying to figure out how to not waste that.”

The Alumni Center staff brainstormed all different types of ways to save energy.

“We have light sensors that turn on when you enter a room and off when you leave,” Gieseke said. “We are trying to do more saving energy with computers and cell phones such as shutting off power sources in walls. That is a huge energy waster.”

Another feature of the building the staff is focusing on is the heating and cooling systems in the Alumni Center.

“It is basic stuff that we are trying to improve,” Gieseke said. “We’re excited being a part of the competition.

The finalists will be announced on June 15 and the winner will be announced on November 2.