Energy Tips

Staff Energy Saving Tips

Lighting

• Turn off lights when not in use. Lighting accounts for a large percentage of the overall Energy Costs.

• Reduce light levels in hallways to the lowest safe level. Turn them off on days when you get sufficient day/sky lighting.

• Turn off all exterior lighting during the daytime. Many classrooms have interior and exterior light switches next to each other at the front entrance. Make sure the exterior light is only turned on at night. Use labels to identify the interior from the exterior switch.

Computer/Office Equipment

• If you are not going to be using your computer for more than an hour, turn it off.

• At the end of each work day, all computers, monitors, printers, speakers, and copiers should be turned off. Computer Servers should be left on. Recent studies have shown that turning off your computer at night prolongs the life of the computer.

Heating and Cooling

• 1. Keep classroom thermostats set no lower than 73º for cooling, and no higher than 72º for heating.

• 2. Close those doors and windows when either the heater or air conditioning is operating. It’s a losing battle when you try to heat or cool the outdoors.

• 3. Turn off all thermostats at the end of each workday (even those connected to motion sensors).

• 4. Do not block vents or thermostats with shelves, books, or other bulky items. The heating and cooling equipment will not work efficiently if the air flow is restricted because it is blocked.

• 5. Do not place heat producing items (computers, ovens, refrigerators, etc.) in front of or underneath thermostats. The thermostat cannot do its job when these types of items are placed near it.