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Why should I care about saving energy?
Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, a by-product of all types of energy consumption. By using energy more efficiently we can help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reducing the rate of climate change and the damage to the environment. Conserving energy also reduces air pollution and saves money. The workplace is a major consumer of energy and has a big role to play in energy efficiency.
Adjust Thermostat Settings
One of your major uses of energy at home and work is your climate control settings. Set your thermostat to use as little energy as possible. We recommend 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter, or as close as you can comfortably get.
Lighting Matters
Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs; you can recognize them by their swirly bulb. Compact fluorescents are much more efficient than regular incandescent light bulb, which waste 90% of their energy as heat. Also be sure to turn off all lights when you leave a room, even for a short time.
Computers
Computers are also major energy hogs; you can set your computer monitor to automatically turn itself off if left unused for a certain period of time. Also be sure to turn your computer off if its not in use. One note for UT employees, however - you may need to keep your computer on all the time, as many UT computers have to be left on overnight for software updates.
Stop Phantom Loads
Watch for phantom loads; appliances like TVs and cell phone chargers use electricity all the time, even when they're not on. This is because they are converting electricity from AC to DC all the time. Phantom loads can account for up to 5 percent of your home electricity use.
It's easy to take action: just unplug them when not in use. This is easy if you plug all of the phantom loads into a power strip; then just turn off the power strip when you leave.
Use Lower Temperature Water
You can save energy by using lower temperature water for showers, dishes, and laundry. You can also set your water heater to a lower temperature, which will reduce energy use throughout your house.
Buy Local Food
The average piece of food travels 2000 miles to get your plate. To save energy associated with transporting food, you can make an effort to buy food only when its in season, and you can shop at your local farmers market. For farmers market locations, visit Austinfarmersmarket.org
Make Your Home More Efficient!
Austin Energy Provides rebates, low interest loans, and even free energy efficiency upgrades for your home. Click here for details.
Buy Renewable Energy
Austin Energy has a Green Choice program, where you can power your home on wind energy, instead of coal and natural gas
| For UT Employees: Adopt a Common Space |
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Adopt a Common Space
Why should I care about common areas? In any given week, workspaces are typically empty for three times as long as they are occupied. For common lights or equipment that no one takes responsibility for, 75 percent of the energy used is wasted because no one is there!
What to do:
- Encourage staff to adopt common areas (break rooms, restrooms, copy rooms, etc.) and make sure the lights are off when it is not being used. This sets a good example, and your other co-workers may follow suit. Encourage environmentally-minded coworkers or members of your green team to adopt various parts of the building.
- Create posters indicating that the area has been adopted and encouraging others to help by turning on the lights when the area is not in use. Here is a poster you can use.
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