Energy Tips
Campus-Wide:
Lighting
- Always turn lights off when rooms are not in use.
- Take advantage of natural light.
Computers and related Equipment
- Monitors are big energy consumers, so set yours to go to a low-power "sleep" mode when not in use. Do not use screen savers, which interfere with sleep mode. If your system does not have a sleep mode, turn off the monitor when you will be away for half an hour or more.
- Make sure energy-saving features are enabled on your computer and personal printer.
- Turn off personal printers at night and on weekends. It does not use more energy to turn equipment on and off!
Surroundings
- Avoid using electric space heaters. They use a lot of energy, cause breakers to trip, and are dangerous to leave unattended.
- Turn off or unplug equipment that are not in use, such as coffeemakers, shredders, fans, battery chargers, etc.
- Keep doors and windows closed in temperature-controlled buildings. Dress appropriately for the weather and have additional clothing available in case you are too cold in your space.
- Use window shades and blinds to regulate solar heat gain
- Keep hallway doors closed.
Temperature Control
- Report overheated or overcooled conditions to Facilities.
Lab Refrigeration
- Combine laboratory refrigerator and/or freezer contents and unplug empty refrigerators or freezers.
- Set temperatures as low as necessary for current lab work.
- Dust coils on back of refrigerators and clean the door seal.
- If the seal won't hold a dollar bill in place, ask your lab manager to install a new one.
Fume Hoods
- A typical fume hood uses more than 3 times the energy as the average US home.
- Operate hoods with the sash at proper height for safety.
- Close sashes to the minimum position when fume hoods are not in active use.
Lab Operations
- Wait until you have a full load before running automatic glassware washers or autoclaves.
- Turn equipment off when not in use, especially when you are leaving the lab for more than an hour.
- Keep the hallway door closed. This is not only a safety measure; it also helps keep the building air system in balance.
- Consider adding flow restrictors and/or timers to lab sinks to minimize water use (especially hot water use).
Dorm, Apartment, or Home:
- Replace Incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
- Add or replace door seals.
- Buy high efficiency heating systems with separate a system for hot water heaters, or have a system with additional insulated hot water storage.
- Programmable thermostats are the single best energy savings investment you can make.
- When adding or replacing an air conditioning systems, buy Energy Star rated units:
- Consider variable speed/multi-stage units;
- There are only a few hours per year when full speed/full capacity of air conditioning systems are needed;
- Multi-stage units use considerably less energy than single stage units when operated over a wide range of outdoor conditions.
For additional Energy tips, please go to our Brown is Green (BiG) site or visit our Energy Policy page.