Saving energy during long holiday weekends and other extended breaks is now routine on the Davis campus, and, says Vice Chancellor John Meyer, the forthcoming campus closure presents an opportunity for additional savings.

He addressed the issue in a letter this week to the Council of Deans and Vice Chancellors, and campus information technology personnel.

"As you are aware, energy-saving measures that were piloted during November and December 2008 are now a matter of routine," said Meyer, who heads Administrative and Resource Management, which is the name for the newly combined Office of Administration, and Office of Resource Management and Planning.

"Whenever it is feasible to do so, the campus Energy Management Office in Facilities Management sets back or turns off heating and cooling systems in centrally controlled buildings that do not house research laboratories, animal care facilities, server rooms or other temperature-sensitive operations.

"During the campus closure (Dec. 28-30) and other time off that employees have scheduled around the holidays, we have an opportunity for additional energy savings. We are asking for active participation by all campus personnel to further reduce our energy consumption and the associated cost."

He described a multiple-pronged endeavor:

• Campus—Facilities Management will set back or turn off air handler units and exhaust fans in centrally controlled buildings. See a list of affected buildings.

• Managers—Ask your staff to take a few minutes before leaving for the day-holiday to turn off or unplug devices that will not be needed. Ask your IT staff to take a few minutes to turn off printers, servers and other devices that will not be needed. Your leadership will provide encouragement and endorsement for energy conservation and cost savings by all campus employees.

• IT administrators—IT staff who can centrally manage power consumption on computers and servers are asked to do so. If possible, shut down equipment that will not be used during the closure days, such as test and development servers. Configure PCs with maximum power saving options.

• Individuals—Every employee is asked to use the checklist below before taking their holiday leave. These measures are intended to prevent energy waste at idle workstations and also reduce the amount of energy that equipment consumes just by being plugged in.

"Thank you for your support of these energy-saving measures and for enabling and empowering your staff to fully participate," Meyer concluded.

Energy Saving Checklist

This checklist can be used on a daily basis, but is particularly important during weekends, holidays and other extended absences.

In your personal space:

• Turn off your computer, monitor, speakers, printer and other computer peripherals. (Before turning off your computer, it may be necessary to first check with your local or departmental IT administrator about whether shutting down will interfere with centrally managed power management, backup routines, system patching or system updates.)

• Unplug your unused devices, including phone chargers, AC power adapters, radios, space heaters and other small electronics. (If you use a power strip, simply turn off the power strip.)

• Turn off the lights when you leave.

• Use natural daylight and task lighting (desk lamps) where possible, instead of overhead (ceiling) fixtures.

• Adjust your shades. Drop and tilt your blinds to manage nighttime heat loss when you leave.

In labs:

• Switch off all equipment that is not in use, such as water baths, ovens, empty incubators, lasers, vacuum pumps, shakers, chilled centrifuges, ovens, GCs, etc.

• Close fume hood sashes. A single fume hood running 24 hours can use as much energy as a single family home. A research building’s energy consumption could be trimmed by 20 percent to 40 percent if this measure were conscientiously followed, according to MIT Tech Talk (June 6, 2007).

In common areas, the last person to leave should:

• Turn off copiers.

• Unplug paper shredders, televisions, coffeemakers, radios, microwave ovens, and other small appliances. Better yet, put these on a power strip and just turn off the power strip.

• Turn off lights in conference rooms, storage areas and restrooms.

More energy-saving tips, from the U.S. Department of Energy