This page contains specific recommendations made by the committee for conserving energy on campus.
Alternative Energy
Gustavus is currently planning on erecting one or more
wind turbines on campus to generate electricity. The current goal is to
dedicate the wind turbines at the
Nobel Conference
in 2007. More information can be found at the Gustavus Wind web page.
Other alternatives should continue to be pursued including alternatives to
natural gas heating and possibilities for storing energy generated from the wind
turbines. The University of
Minnesota-Morris is a good model for implementing alternative energy
technologies. Click here for information on alternative energy technologies and
to see what other campuses are doing.
Specific recommendations made by the committee regarding computer use, lighting, heating, and campus vehicles:
Electricity Conservation
The specific recommendations below are with regard to
computer usage and lighting on campus. More specific information pertinent
to each building can be found here. Temporal trends in electricity use at
Gustavus can be found here.
Computers
Computer use is responsible for approximately 20% of
campus electrical costs. We estimate that at least $80,000 could be saved annually and
over 1 million kg
of CO2 would not be emitted if the following steps were taken:
| All computers should be shut off at night (it doesn't hurt your computer). |
| All computers should go into a low-energy hibernation mode or be turned off when not in use during the day. |
| Computers should be configured to shut off easily and to start up as quickly as possible to encourage students and staff to shut them down. |
| NO screensavers should EVER be used (they don't extend the life of your monitor - they only waste electricity) - monitors can easily be set to turn off rather than go to a screensaver. |
| Students are encouraged to bring LCD (flat panel) monitors or use laptop computers. |
| All monitors purchased by the college should be LCD monitors. Heavy use monitors, such as those in computer labs, should be given priority over office computers when replacing the older monitors with LCD monitors. |
Lighting
Lighting is responsible for approximately 20% of campus
electrical costs. Gustavus, and specifically, the Physical Plant, has
done an outstanding job installing the most energy-efficient bulbs on campus.
There are few inefficient incandescent bulbs used on campus and the most
efficient fluorescent bulbs are routinely chosen.
Specific recommendations with regard to lighting:
| Students and employees are encouraged to use compact fluorescent bulbs in their rooms and offices. |
| Turn off the lights! Never leave lights on in your room or office while you are gone. If you take time to lock your door (to protect your personal belongings), why wouldn't you turn the lights and other electrical devices off to protect the environment?? |
| ALL lights in buildings should be shut off after building hours. Motion sensors could be used for safety concerns |
| Motion sensors should be installed in appropriate areas such as bathrooms, classrooms and hallways |
| Light-sensing switches are recommended for areas that receive sufficient natural lighting during certain daylight hours. The cafeteria is the best example. |
| Continue to replace all incandescent light fixtures on campus |
Natural Gas Conservation
Most of the heat on campus is generated at the steam
plant using natural gas to heat water. This method of heating is more
efficient than forced air, but precludes individual control. Specific
recommendations with regard to heating are: (talk with Warren more about this)
| The heat should be turned down in academic buildings and administrative buildings at night and on the weekends |
| The most efficient glass |
| Being located in Minnesota it is imperative to build the most efficient building possible for our climate. See the Buildings page for more specific recommendations. |
Campus Vehicles
Gustavus has xx cars in the car pool and xx vehicles used
by the physical plant. Our annual expenditures for fuel are: xx
gallons of unleaded gasoline and xx gallons of diesel fuel. What should
our goals be here?
| Biodiesel made from the cafeteria grease should used |
| Higher mileage vehicles should be offered as part of the Gustavus motor pool. |
| Hybrid and alternative fuel cars should be part of the Gustavus motor pool. Diesel and E85 vehicles are recommended currently |
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