Here are some tips to help you save energy at UVM ...
In office buildings, turn your thermostat to 68 degrees F during the heating season and to 78 degrees F during the cooling season. This helps reduce the amount of energy used to keep your office at a comfortable temperature. Layer on clothing or keep a sweater handy for that extra bit of warmth and comfort.
Conserve energy by making sure your storm windows are closed. When storm windows are left opened on a warm day, condensation can freeze the windows in place. If your storm windows are stuck open, please submit a work order to the Physical Plant and make sure the area around the window is clear of personal belongings.
All too often lights are left on in classrooms and lounges overnight even though there is no one around. This is a waste of energy that can easily be prevented if people remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room. Motion detection lights, lights that turn off automatically if there is no movement in the room for a set number of minutes, are another solution to the problem. However they are expensive and most rooms on campus do not have them yet so please, remember to turn off the lights.
If all 8,000 computer monitors on the UVM campus used Sleep Mode the University could save 1.6 million kWh every year. That is equal to saving 64,000 gallons of gasoline and $160,000 in energy costs.
Mini-refrigerators are a major source of energy consumption in the residence halls at UVM. Starting in fall 2003 students can get energy efficient mini-refrigerators through the UVM Bookstore, you can even order online. To learn about other Energy Star appliances, click here.
Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL saves at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. If every household in the US replaced one standard light bulb with a CFL the pollution reduction would equal removing one million cars from the road, (source: energystar.gov).
Enough energy is saved by recycling one aluminum can to run a TV set for three hours or to light one 100 watt bulb for 20 hours, (source: The Recycler's Handbook by The Earth Works Group). For more about recycling at UVM go to www.uvm.edu/recycle.