Electricity
A large university like UW Oshkosh uses a lot of electricity. But the campus is continuing to conserve electricity and to purchase it from green energy sources.
History
- We replaced old building chiller systems with a more efficient central chilled water plant.
- We utilize a computer energy management system to schedule electrical use more efficiently.
Results
- We won an EPA Energy Star award in 2005 for devising a method to place computers to sleep mode when not in use.
- From 2003 to 2006, we reduced overall electrical consumption by 5%.
New initiatives
- Update the campus audit of energy use.
- Provide energy use feedback to the campus community.
- Educate the campus on energy conservation.
- Replace all incandescent exit signs with LED signs.
Goal
Reduce overall electrical consumption 20% from 2005 levels by 2012 and to purchase electricity from renewable sources such as wind and biomass.
What YOU can do
- Tune in and turn off! Turn off lights and computers when not in use. Convince your friends to do the same.
- Check for "vampires" -- appliances such as computers that continue to use electricity even when turned off. Switch off the power bar you are using, or unplug the computer.
And the winner is...
The April 2008 Conserve Energy Dorm Competition winners are:
- Breese Hall: Lowest consumption of electricity per student.
- Stewart Hall: Lowest consumption of electricity per square foot.
Thanks for being leaders in energy conservation!
Want to know more?
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Here is a link to the section of our Campus Sustainability Plan on electricity: CSP IV A - Electricity
