College Journey to Journalistic Career

The Importance of Conserving Energy

Kate Robison

  The University of Mississippi is taking steps towards their economical green goals, but more can be done; universities and colleges around the world are also going green!

  The University of Mississippi has taken several steps towards conserving energy of campus. The Green Fund on the Ole Miss campus offered grant money to someone who could come up with ways to save money on the Ole Miss campus, explains Stan Whitehorn the operations manager of the J.D. Williams library.

  Over the summer e-film, window tinting was placed on the southern facing windows and the east facing windows on the front of the library.

  “These windows receive the most ambient solar heat.”

  “There has been a drastic decrease in the ambient solar heat entering through these windows,” explains Whitehorn.

  Buffy Choinski, the head of the science library at the University of Mississippi wrote on her blog (http://www.libraries.olemiss.edu/blogs/sustainability/um-libraries-window-film-project).

  “Staff members who work next to these windows reported immediate decrease in glare from outside and an increase in comfort level in their offices.’

  “UV radiation readings taken before and after the installation of the film show a dramatic decrease in UV entering through the windows,” writes Choinski.

  “We are currently monitoring energy use by the building. Once we have 3 months of data, we will compare it to energy use over the same period of time the previous year to see if there is a measurable difference. A decrease in energy consumption used to cool the building will translate directly into money saved.” Explains Choinski.

E-Waste containers have also been placed around the Ole Miss campus in hopes of having a greener campus. Why are we concerned with e-waste?

“US Environmental Protection Agency notes that the use of electronics has grown considerably over the past 20 years and that recycling diverts valuable, and sometimes toxic, components of electronics from the waste-stream into remanufacturing. The National Resources Defense Council outlines various ways that individuals can take a conservative approach to dealing with e-waste,” Choinski writes on her blog.  

  Energy Star taught universities and schools to save energy and money; these are some of the results.

  The Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, with Energy Star, is saving more than $14,000 a year by enabling 800 computer monitors to put them to sleep when not in use.

  Tulane University did a similar project that if their management power system is enabled on students’ computers “EZ Wizard” $13 per computer a year will be saved. If 6,000 computers activated this $78,000 a year could be saved.

  A "Switch Off" campaign is going on in the United Kingdom. This contest has helped raise awareness on energy conservation. Students compete against each other in energy saving games and the winners are rewarded with prizes and a party.

  In 2010/2011 these universities saved a total of $365,375 USD, reduced their electricity by 7%, and saved 1,500 tones of C0^2.

  A few of these ideas have been implemented here at the University of Mississippi, but the National Grid US website has an article titled “Managing Energy Costs in College and Universities”. In this article they lay out some easy quick fixes such as turning computers and office equipment, lights, laboratory vent hoods, chilled-water drinking fountains off; and turning building management systems and water heaters down along with encouraging energy-saving behaviors. 

https://storify.com/krobison21/conserving-energy-on-campus#publicize