Turn off the light when you leave the room.
Lighting, heating & cooling, and office equipment consume a big part of Vanderbilt's energy budget, and yet there are so many other activities that consume energy. Decreasing demand for power can be achieved by modifying practices in many areas. Think of One thing you can do each day to save energy.
ElevatorsUse the elevator wisely and increase your use of the stairs. Consider these elevator facts:
Elevators generally use 3-5% of electricity consumed in a typical building, anywhere from 1,900 to 15,000 kilowatts per year1, around the same amount of power that the average residence consumes annually in Nashville2.
Elevators use electricity going up and going down; elevators are not "zero-net energy" machinery1.
Elevator use generates heat. Using elevators in hot summer months increases demand on air conditioning systems1.
Vanderbilt has hundreds of elevators. And as you know, there are significant health benefits to using the stairs!
Can energy conservation really make a difference? Absolutely! When energy curtailment notices have been sent out in previous years, the Vanderbilt community has come together to reduce energy consumption by 8-12%. Let's make this a year-long commitment and conserve energy by 15% or more!
You can make a difference! A recent EnergyStar study demonstrated that occupant behavior change in six key areas can lead to a 15% decrease in energy use3!
The six key areas in the EnergyStar study were: (1) turning off computers and peripherals, (2) turning off lights and harvesting daylight, (3) turning off task lighting (those little lights in library cubicles or desks), (4) using "sleep mode" on computers and monitors, (5) using EnergyStar-rated equipment & computers, and (6) having an energy conservation campaign.
But don't stop with these six conservation practices; opportunities to save energy exist throughout your workplace!
References
1 Sachs, Harvey M. "Opportunities for Elevator Energy Efficiency Improvements", American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, April 2005.
2 Nashville Electric Service web page "Residential Rates", 2008.
3 Energy Star web page, "Best Practices to Improve Energy Performance", 2005.
Patient Care Areas
Heating and Cooling | Lighting | Computers and Equipment | Miscellaneous Items
