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RESIDENCE HOUSES

Miscellaneous Energy Conservation Items

Lighting, heating & cooling, computers, printers, monitors, and many other items consume a big part of Vanderbilt's energy budget - and yet there are so many additional activities on campus that consume energy. Decreasing demand for power can be achieved by modifying practices in many areas. Consider:

Laundry
Refrigerators
Dishwashers
Elevators
The End Result

Laundry

90% of the energy used by a washing machine is from heating the water1. Set washer loads for "cold" or "warm" wash instead of hot. Hot water washes use 50% more energy than warm water washes2, and hot water washing is also harsher on your clothes and can cause colors to bleed and fade.

Please do your part to reduce energy demand in the afternoon (when demand is highest) by doing laundry in the evening3.

Wash only full loads in clothes washing machines, and use clothes drying racks if possible1.

When using a clothes dryer, clean the dryer lint filter prior to each use to increase dryer efficiency by up to 30%2. Don't let dryers run longer than necessary to dry the clothes.

Want to get some more great energy conservation tips for domestic living? Watch this video from the Great White North's David Suzuki.

Compact Refrigerators:

If you are going to purchase or rent a refrigerator for your room, get an EnergyStar-rated fridge. Compact refrigerators with the EnergyStar seal utilize 20% less energy than standard compact refrigerators4.

Keep the refrigerators running efficiently by following these steps:

Set the refrigerator temperature at 36° to 39° F and freezer at 0° to 5° F5.
Check refrigerator and freezer gaskets annually for leaks and wear, and replace as needed6.
Regularly clean out "dust bunnies" from underneath and behind refrigerators6. Refrigerator coils that are covered with dust lose their efficiency. Also, regularly inspect the freezer for ice build-up and defrost as needed6.
Open doors on refrigerators as little as necessary6.

If you like old-school, campy, animated Public Service Announcements, you'll love this old PSA on refrigerator settings from Armed Forces Network.

 


Dishwashers

If your residence house has a dishwasher, run the dishwasher with a full load. Most of the energy used by a dishwasher goes to heat water. Since you can't decrease the amount of water used per cycle, fill your dishwasher to get the most from the energy used to run it. Avoid using the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features; instead, use your dishwasher's air-dry option7. And use the dishwasher at night!3

Are you an "Average Joe"? Or Average "Jane"? You can do a lot to conserve energy on campus. See what "Average Joe" is doing to conserve energy at the University of Georgia campus by watching this video.

Elevators

Use 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 year8, around the same amount of power that the average residence consumes annually in Nashville9.
Elevators use electricity going up and going down; elevators are not "zero-net energy" machinery8.
Elevator use generates heat. Using elevators in hot summer months increases demand on air conditioning systems8.
Vanderbilt has hundreds of elevators, and as you know, there are significant health benefits to using the stairs!

The End Result

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 20% over the next two years!

You can make a difference! A recent EnergyStar study demonstrated that occupant behavior change six key areas can lead to a 15% decrease in energy use10!

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 the Vanderbilt campus!

And Mr. C says "Thank you for your support!"

(click on Mr. C to hear the Vanderbilt fightsong)

 

References

1 EnergyStar web page "Clothes Washers and Dryers Best Practices and Energy Saving Tips", 2008.
2 Nashville Electric Service, PowerNotes, July 2007.
3 Video from www.davidsuzuki.org (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__StthsI93o)
4 Energy Star web page "Refrigerators & Freezers" August 2007.
5 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) web page "Energy Saving Tips", 2008.
6 New England Gas Company, "Energy Saving Tips", 2008.
7 EnergyStar web page "Dishwashers", 2008.
8 Sachs, Harvey M. "Opportunities for Elevator Energy Efficiency Improvements", American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, April 2005.
9 Nashville Electric Service web page "Residential Rates", 2008.
10 Energy Star web page, "Best Practices to Improve Energy Performance", 2005.

Residence Houses
Heating and Cooling | Lighting | Computers and Equipment | Miscellaneous Items


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