Vanderbilt community members who are going to be away from their residence hall, office or home for an extended period of time over fall break should remember to power down before they leave. Doing so is a great way to reduce energy consumption and its impact on the environment.
October is Campus Sustainability Month and Energy Awareness Month, two national efforts to emphasize sustainability and energy conservation. Celebrate by taking some simple steps to help conserve energy while you are away:
- Turn off lights in your work space when you leave, even if only for a short period of time.
- Turn off lights to common areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, break rooms, classrooms and conference rooms when you leave and especially before leaving for the day. Many of these spaces sit empty the majority of the day.
- Turn off office equipment. If allowed in your area, computers, printers, copiers and scanners can be turned off when you leave for the day (or at the end of your work shift, if they will not be used again for several hours). Otherwise, activate sleep modes and energy-saving settings. Instructions for modifying power settings can be found on the SustainVU Energy Saving Tips page.
- Set thermostat settings to 76-78 degrees (for cooling settings) or 68-70 degrees (for heating settings). Remember to adjust thermostats in spaces unoccupied during the break.
- Close window shades or blinds during the hottest part of the day or when you leave for the weekend to keep heat out and cool air in.
- In laboratory spaces, close fume hood sashes when not in use or when the lab is closed over the break. A single fume hood running 24 hours can use the same amount of energy as a single-family home in a year.
- If your office or area seems unusually cold or hot, or if you have trouble regulating the temperature, please call VU Plant Operations at 343-9675 or VUMC Plant Services at 322-2041 to let them know.
For more information on energy conservation, please visit the SustainVU website, contact sustainvu@vanderbilt.edu or call 322-9022.