Last review: 05/27/2010
Conservation Ideas - Building Occupant
- Avoid using incandescent lights when possible. Compact
fluorescent use 1/3 the energy and last several times longer.
- If you have incandescent lighting, you conserve energy
instantly when the bulb is turned off. For fluorescent lighting,
it is recommended to turn the lights off when the area will not
be used for at least 15 minutes. Turning fluorescent lighting on
and off must be balanced economically with shortening the life
of the ballast and lamps.
- Turn off all lights at night, including task and office
lights. Check into scheduling janitorial hours to overlap some
working hours. Lowering the total operating hours of a facility
can be a great conservation measure.
- Encourage a winter dress code of sweaters and slacks. If
staff require extra heat, use radiant electric heaters. Turn
heater off when away from the desk. A 1,500-watt heater running
continuously for 3,000 hours will use $225 if the cost is $0.05
per kWh. (Space heaters are also a safety hazard when left on
unattended.)
- Turn off computer monitors or use the low power standby.
This will save $31 per year per 19” monitor. Some computers have
a sleep component that works with the screen saver modes after 5
or more minutes. Unless your agency updates programs at night,
turn off the computer as well as the monitor at the end of the
day.
- Move as far away from windows as possible. Windows draw heat
from people in winter making them feel colder.
- Close blinds when not using a facility to cut down on heat
loss. Open blinds for light and warmth on sunny days. In warm
weather, close blinds to aid cooling.
- Have your pop vending machine operator turn off the
advertising lighting in the machine. This will save between $50
and $110 per year, depending on your cost of electricity.
- Make sure the office copier is turned off at night. Large
machines can use $100’s worth of energy keeping the copier’s
heaters ready for use. New copiers with Energy Star features of
low power standby are the best choice when replacing machines.
Be sure the Energy Star features are activated. Fax machines
come with power saver modes as well.
- Set hot water heaters at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid
health risks associated with Legionnaire’s Disease never go
below 115 degrees on potable water systems.
- Encourage the office to operate one up-to-date energy
efficient refrigerator in a common breakroom area.
- Eliminate unnecessary hot plates, coffeepots, and other small appliances and turn off all tools, office machines and portable appliances when not in use.
