Facilities Planning and Management is taking steps to minimize the University’s utility usage over winter break.

Students in residence halls are tasked with closing and securing windows, unplugging all electronic items including refrigerators, keeping the doors open, and lowering thermostats as recommended. These simple steps not only reduce utility usage, but lower our carbon footprint by not consuming energy on buildings that are unused while students are away.  Many of these rooms are unoccupied until the start of the spring semester.

For buildings on campus that house instruments, libraries, or labs, FPM sets temperatures to 70 degrees to ensure that those items are unaffected by cold temperatures. Other office buildings and administration buildings, temperatures are reduced overnight and weekends when the facilities are unoccupied. Reducing thermostats 7–10 degrees for 8 hours can equate to 10% savings in heating costs. For some locations where there are local thermostats that can be adjusted by occupants, FPM request that when you leave your office or building for the day, please readjust the thermostat.

With the hybrid model of coming into the office and working from home being more of the normal schedule, FPM asks that faculty and staff also consider the items in their offices that may continue to use energy while they are away.  Many items, while not in use, have a plug load, meaning they continue to use electricity. Just a little savings can go a long way when everyone participates in assisting in electricity reduction.

For those who would like more information on plug load, Stanford University compiled this report and findings.

— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management