OXFORD, Miss. – Ghouls, goblins and energy vampires are lurking everywhere, even where you least expect them.
Computers, printers and lights all want to suck your electricity. Office and home electronics feed on energy – day and night – even when they are not in use. What can you do?
If just 10 people put their computers to sleep when they are not being used, users can save $400 per year collectively and 6,500 pounds of carbon dioxide, said Jim Morrison, campus sustainability coordinator at the University of Mississippi. That is equivalent to not driving a car for 197 days.
“Our hope is that everyone will embrace the notion that we can collectively make a difference in terms of energy conservation,” Morrison said. “We all can help by doing little things in our daily lives such as turning off the lights when we leave a room or by asking ourselves why we even turned the lights on in the first place.”
Here are eight easy ways to save energy in the home, office or laboratory:
– Use natural daylight when possible. During the heating season, open blinds and curtains to allow in sunlight for solar heat gain. In the evenings, close them to reduce thermal heat loss.
– Most computer equipment comes with power management features. Program your computer to go into “sleep mode” during periods of inactivity. Do not leave your computer running overnight and on weekends.
– The best screen saver is no screen saver at all – turn off your monitor when you are not using it.
– Do not turn on the printer until you are ready to print. Printers consume energy even when idling.
– If you work at a computer, consider reducing the overall brightness level in the room to enhance screen visibility. Also, use desk lamps to reduce dependence on overhead room lighting.
– Turn off lights in classrooms, offices and restrooms when the rooms are not occupied. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs where possible.
– Turn off electrical appliances when not in use.
– In laboratories, keep fume hood sashes closed when not in use. Lowering the sash reduces the amount of conditioned air exhausted. Likewise, run kitchen vent hoods only when needed. Turn off all lab equipment when not in use.
For more energy conservation tips and a savings calculator, visit http://www.google.com/hauntedhouse08/ . For more information on sustainability efforts at UM or to learn more about getting involved, contact green@olemiss.edu .