Energy Saving Tips for the Office

• Turn off the lights when you leave for the day (or for a meeting).
• Turn off lights in conference areas and lunchrooms when rooms are not in use.
• Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting.
• Turn your monitor off if you won't be using your computer for 20 minutes or more. Your monitor can consume 2-3 times more electricity than your PC.
• Screen savers do NOT save energy. Instead, change the settings on your computer to turn the screen black when not in use.
• Liquid crystal display (LCD) screens use less than half the energy of the traditional cathode ray tube (CRT).
• Make sure to use the power management features on your PC. When in "sleep" mode it uses 70% less energy. A laptop uses half the electricity of a desktop computer.
• Unplug equipment that drains energy when not in use (i.e. cell phone chargers, fans, coffeemakers, desktop printers, radios, etc.).
• Keeping things plugged into a power strip makes it easy to turn electronics on and off with one flip of a switch.
• Dress comfortably for the weather. Adjust your layers before adjusting the thermostat.
• In winter, set office thermostat offices between 65 and 68 during the day/business hours, and 60 to 65 degrees during unoccupied times.
• In summer, set thermostats between 78 and 80 degrees during the day/business hours, and above 80 - 85 degrees during unoccupied hours. During summer months, adjusting your thermostat setting up one degree typically can save 2-3% on cooling costs.
• Promptly report room comfort conditions that are not normal. Rooms that are too hot or two cool may be due to faulty thermostats or other controls that are malfunctioning resulting in wasted energy as well as uncomfortable conditions for you.
• Use window coverings to help keep your space warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
• Share electronic files, voicemail and e-mail instead of creating paper memos.
• Use double-sided copying wherever possible.
• Look for the Energy Star logo when purchasing or upgrading equipment. Energy saving of 50% or more is often possible when using energy-efficient computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, scanners, copiers and multi-function devices that automatically power down during extended inactivity..Each 1000 watts costs $900 per year in electricity. If the extra cost of a "high efficiency" unit can be paid for in 5-7 years or less, this is your best choice.• Report drips of water from sink taps, pipes or toilets that keep running.
• Use the stairs in lieu of the elevator. It is good exercise and it does save energy.
• Consider using public transportation or car pools for travel to and from work.
• Educate and encourage others to be energy-conscious and to offer ideas about how energy can be saved.
• Use the Energy Conservation Form to submit ideas to Facilities Engineering.

The money we save on energy costs is money we can invest in our core mission of Patient Care, Education and Research. Each of us can do our part and what we do matters.