Energy saving tips

June 24, 2013

Cornerstone

While UAF has its own combined heat and power plant, the campus electricity demand exceeds the CHP's capacity to generate electricity at reasonable prices. Each year UAF purchases about 15 percent of its electricity from Golden Valley Electric Association at a much higher cost than we pay to generate electricity from coal, so it pays for us to be vigilant about our electricity usage year round. With this in mind, please use these simple tips to power down and help UAF save money:

• Try to take the stairs rather than the elevator, at least when you are going up one level or down two. As well as saving energy, it's also a great way to help get fit and healthy.


• Please consider switching off lights if:
  
  
  
  • you are the last to leave a communal room,
  
  
  • you leave your office for more than 15 minutes, and/or
  
  
  • there is sufficient daylight for you to work without the lights on.
  
  
  
  


• Turn off lights in rest rooms when not in use.


• Determine if desk lights are necessary and turn them off when not in use. For example, if you plan to work on your computer for the next hour, you may not need your desk light on. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in desk lamps.


• Turn the brightness of your LCD computer monitor down to 50 percent (or as close to that as is comfortable).


• Ensure that the standby/sleep/suspend function has been enabled on your computer. This can more than halve the power used by a computer overnight compared with just logging off. To change the power management features in Windows XP go to the control panel, select 'power options' and select the 'power schemes' tab.  Choose the minimum power management scheme.  Then select the 'turn off monitor' option to a shorter time, say 10 minutes.


• To save even more power, turn off your computer and monitor every night and weekend.


• If your computer uses two screens, shut off one when not actively using it.


• Set printers and copy machines to enter power save mode sooner.


• Manage coffee machines so they do not run for several hours with no use.


• Turn off side-by printers when not in use.


• Unplug all external devices when not in use, e.g.,r iPods, cameras, phones, batteries.


• Turn off all energy consuming office and research equipment when not in use, e.g., copiers, refrigerators, environmental rooms, fume hoods, etc.


• Turn off hot water heaters in office water dispensers during the summer. Use a microwave to heat water, and food or drinks.


• Shut off shredders, common use printers and copy machines at night and on weekends.


• For computers with speakers, keep the speakers off until needed and shut off after use.


• Reduce the number of personal refrigerators and microwaves; share with your colleagues.


• Make sure all windows are closed properly.


• Unplug cell phone chargers when not being actively used.


• Do not use portable electric heaters.

See UAF's current daily electrical usage with Facilities Services  utilities reports .