How to Chomp Down on Energy Over the Break!
Amish,Michael Kenneth
Dear Green Teamers,
While we all prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday break, remember that we can collectively save a whole lot of energy by adding these office energy-saving tips (that you can do every night before you leave too) to our to-do lists. For example, the Department of Energy estimates that a computer in sleep mode uses about 70% less energy than a computer without power management features, and a monitor in sleep mode uses 90% less energy. To save 100%, you could just shut it down!
Tips for Energy Conservation:
-
Turn off lights to rooms when not in use.
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Shut down your computer and other equipment at the end of the day and when you will be gone for extended periods.
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Turn off your computer’s screen saver (screen savers are not energy savers!) and instead, turn off the monitor when you leave the office for meetings, errands, end of day etc.
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Turn off commonly used office equipment (printers, copiers, coffee makers) at the end of the day.
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Unplug equipment that is not used regularly. Consider using "smart" power strips to reduce the power consumed by task lighting, computer accessories, fans, space heaters, and other miscellaneous plug loads. Many electronic products continue to draw “phantom
power” from the wall even when they are powered off.
·
As backup, enable
power management settings on your computers. If changing these settings requires administrative rights, contact your IT group for assistance.
·
Enable
sleep mode on all copiers and all printers after five minutes or more of inactivity.
·
All lights are turned off when not in use during the day and at night, including in common areas such as kitchens, conference rooms, storage closets, and bathrooms. After checking with your building manager, contact our office
to get “Chomp”
prompts on light switches, where applicable.
· Send an e-mail to your staff before holidays and breaks containing this energy-saving checklist!
And have a happy and safe holiday break!
-M
Michael Amish
Office Of Sustainability
PO Box 113111
University of Florida
