Conservation Tips
Quick Tips for your office for saving energy
Lights
- Replace desk/lamp light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs (CFL). CFL bulbs provide comparable light to a standard light bulb, use 75% less energy and generate less heat. These bulbs also last 10-13 times longer!
- In areas that have more than adequate lighting (i.e. corridors or near windows), turn off every other light and/or remove unnecessary bulbs.
- Try task lighting to reduce overhead lighting.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room for more than one minute.
Windows and Doors
- Keep shades and curtains open or closed to either allow sunlight to heat during winter or to prevent heating during summer.
- Turning down thermostat rather than opening windows if space gets too hot.
- Inspect around frames of exterior windows and exterior doors to see if light is visible from outside. Report to Energy Conservation Hotline 735-6202.
- Also report any missing or damaged weather stripping.
Building Schedules/ Comfort Standards
Provide us with the normal hours of operation for your building so that we may correspond HVAC operational hours to your building schedule to take advantage of after hours and night setbacks.
View our Comfort Standard page for information on building temerature standards throughout campus.
Computers
- Screen savers DO NOT save energy but giving your computer a nap does. Put your computer into ''sleep mode'' (blank screen) by enabling power saving features. Your monitor and hard drive will go into a low power mode when not actively in use. For help with enabling power features: call ITS at 735-HELP
For instruction on how to enable PC power managment/monitor sleep mode: configuring monitors - Turn OFF your monitor when going to lunch or a meeting.
- If possible, turn off your computer during the evening and on weekends.
- Use the ''print preview'' option to find errors before printing.
- For more information review Campus Green Computing Guide or the Greening of Campus IT presentation.
Note: Saving paper saves energy!!
Smart Power Strip Policy
- The Energy Conservation Office is prepared to selectively subsidize the cost of Smart Power Strips on campus to reduce phantom electricity consumption when devices are not in use.
- Smart Power Strips will be provided on a case by case basis either through energy audits or by request when it can be proven that a significant amount of electricity will be saved.
- Primary targets for electricity savings are entertainment rooms, conference rooms or areas where multiple appliances are used together.
- Ex. Entertainment System: Plasma TV, DVD Player, VCR
- Ex. Computer System: Computer, LCD Monitor, Printer, Speakers
- Current Smart Power Strips cost $30 so they should only be used where we can save this amount of money in a period of 1-3 years
Faxes, Photocopies and Printers
- Enable power-saving features on all equipment.
- Re-use one-sided office paper.
- Use a fax ''post-it'' instead of a cover sheet.
- Utilize the duplex option to save paper and cut supply costs.
Vending Machines
- Use programmable vending machines to power down when buildings are closed. Check out "Green Vending Machines. Vending Machines has moved to the CU Bookstore please contact Pam Mills for information.
- If you have vending machines in your building that you would like to program for power management, we would be happy to assist you. The first step is to provide us with your building schedule so that we can program the machines to operate only during normal building hours. Please E-mail us with "Vending Machine Programming" as the subject of your e-mail.
Other Good Habits
- Use paper with post-consumer recycled content and recycle all office paper!
- Use power strips (they save energy) but turn equipment on and off individually.
- Buy office equipment wth the ''Energy Star'' label. Energy Star products meet or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) energy efficiency criteria.
