Leaving Campus for the Holidays? Follow the Green Tip Sheet

Today and tomorrow many students are leaving for their holiday break. Below is The Green Minute that we published last week, which contains a helpful green tip sheet for the student leaving campus for the holidays.

For today’s Green Minute, we wanted to do something particularly focused on college students leaving for their Holiday break.

During this past Thanksgiving holiday break, one of our readers forwarded a “Green Tip Sheet” produced by the University of North Carolina’s Sustainability blog and their Sustainability Office. The tip sheet focuses on reducing energy on campus, primarily within student housing, during the Christmas/Holiday break.

Check it out and if you are a student, share the tip sheet below on your campus:

• Shut down desktop and laptop computers unless instructed otherwise by IT or administrative staff. If your computer, speakers, phone charger, etc., are all on one power strip, turn off the power strip after shutting down your computer.
• Unplug nonessential equipment such as copiers, fax machines, printers, scanners, and chargers. Most equipment draws electricity even when turned off or in sleep mode.
• Unplug all appliances, including coffee makers, microwaves, televisions, and radios. Like office equipment, many appliances use electricity even when turned off.
• Turn off office lights and as much public lighting as possible in hallways, bathrooms, break rooms, and conference rooms.
• Check windows to make sure they are tightly closed and locked.
• Check faucets in bathrooms and break rooms to make sure they are completely turned off and not dripping.
• If you work in a lab with variable air volume fume hoods, shut the sash completely (just as you should any time the hood is not in use).
• Call in any leaks or maintenance issues to your Facilities Services team

These tips will help keep your building safe and energy-efficient. They also apply at home.

Most of the tips on the list combat what we call in the energy efficiency business, Energy Vampires. Check out this Green Minute about the savings that can be made by just turning off the lights and unplugging anything with a plug.

by Pat Byington, Editor of The Green Register