University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Energy Guidelines
Policy Number: LR 219.3
Effective Date: November 9, 2009
Policy
Lights Out
Turn off lights in any room when lights are no longer needed. Lighting accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of total energy use; when multiplied by the number of users, the potential for unnecessary expense is enormous. Make the most of natural daylight and use task rather than general lighting when possible.
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (the curly cue ones) in your task lighting. Incandescent lights (the regular bulbs) are the least efficient and, if used, should be turned off whenever they are not needed.
Turn off office and classroom lights when you are the last person out, even if you only plan to be gone for a few minutes. (Turning a light back on does not use more electricity than leaving it on.) Often, we’ll assume we’ll be away from the office for only a moment or so, but those moments often stretch to ten or more.
If motion sensors are not operating correctly, report the building name and room number to Facilities Management at 501-569-3390.
Computers, Photocopiers, and Printers
Turn off your desktop computer and all peripherals over weekends, as well as any office photocopiers and printers. Turn off the monitor when you leave your desk for a meeting or overnight. Monitors consume a significant portion of the energy used by PCs. Trends toward larger displays, more color and higher resolution has increased the amount of energy required to operate computers. If you are replacing a monitor, choose an LCD display. LCDs use much less energy than CRTs. If you must leave your computer on for off-campus access, use the power management built into your operating system to automatically reduce energy use. If each computer were turned off or powered down during non-use periods, the potential for significant savings exists. Or, use a laptop; a typical laptop computer has a power consumption of 30 watts. A typical desktop PC, with conventional display, consumes about 5 times as much. Printers are typically left on for extended periods of time but are active only for a small percentage of that time. This means conventional printers can waste a significant amount of energy. Laser printers consume the most energy. When purchasing, select a printer with power management capabilities. Printers with automatic “power down” features can reduce electricity use by over 65 percent. Please call Information Technology Services’ Help Desk (501-916-5688) for assistance.
Thermostats
UA Little Rock has many different heating and cooling systems, which makes it difficult to give general rules about thermostat use that apply across campus. However, an applicable general rule is that the building temperature should be set within 2 degrees of 76 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. Please dress appropriately for seasonal differences. If a thermostat in your area is not working correctly, please report it to Facilities Management at 501-569-3390.
Clear Vents
Clear furniture, carpeting, drapes, books, papers, and other items from the areas in front of vents and registers. As much as 25 percent more energy is required to distribute air if your vents are blocked.
Space Heaters
While it may be cool on winter mornings after an overnight HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) shut back, the use of space heaters is strongly discouraged. Standard electric space heaters consume 1500 watts at their typical highest setting; that is essentially the energy footprint of 10 desktop computers with monitors. Keep in mind that any costs associated with the operation of space heaters will lessen the amount saved through our HVAC shut back policy. So, if you are regularly uncomfortable during the hours when our HVAC systems are recovering, consider bringing a sweater to work.
Windows
If you are fortunate enough to have a window, please keep it closed. Do not use windows for temperature control. If the temperature is outside the range listed above under “Thermostat” and you are uncomfortable, please report it to Facilities Management at 501-569-3390.
Doors
Exterior doors should not be propped open and should always close and latch behind you.
Exhaust Fans
Close laboratory fume hood doors whenever the hood is not being used (and when possible, even during use). Turn off small exhaust fans when they are not needed.
Please email any thoughts you have on ways to reduce energy consumption to energyideas@ualr.edu. Any and all ideas are welcome.
Source: University-wide Administrative Memo, November 9, 2009
Revised:
Approved By: Chancellor Joel E. Anderson, November 9, 2009
Custodian: Office of the Chancellor