Over this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, Texans won’t have to pay state or local sales tax on select ENERGY STAR products, including air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers and even light bulbs. Take advantage of the fourth-annual Texas ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday this May 28-30, 2011, and get a break from state and local sales taxes on the purchase of eligible ENERGY STAR appliances and products.
In April 2009, two teams of student scientists from the UT Chapter of SEA started a competition to reduce energy usage in the Seay Psychology Building and the Chemical & Petoleum Engineering Building. Read the report.
Ideas of Texas is an opportunity to contribute ideas to enhance teaching, research, and student life, increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve our effectiveness. Visit the Web site, where you can share, review, and vote on ideas to advance the mission of the university. (EID required)
September 8, 2009 edition of the Daily Texan includes article (pdf) on university’s efforts to support the City of Austin’s drought management restrictions, including turning off landmark fountains.
On average, an American household uses about 260 gallons per day, but this amount climbs to around 1,000 gallons per day during peak water use season with some households using as much as 3,000 gallons a day. Visit EPA’s WaterSense site for water saving tips.
How do you save energy during a heat wave?
Keeping cool in hot weather usually takes energy – turning up the air conditioner, driving to a swimming spot, and more. But using more energy can affect the environment, too. Share how you keep from losing your cool.
Share your answer: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2009/07/27/qotw-save-energy/
PowerfulAdvice, a service of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, provides education and information on energy conservation as a means to lower electricity bills, encourage efficient use of energy and reduce the strain on the state’s electric grid during summer heat. Check out the PowerfulAdvice Web site at http://www.puc.state.tx.us/ocp/conserve/index.cfm
With campus buildings unoccupied or at a low level of use during the summer, it’s a great time to minimize wasted energy and maximize savings!
In a typical school, lighting accounts for 30% of all electricity used. Turning off lights is one of the simplest ways to save energy over a break – even just a long weekend – and everyone can get involved with helping flip the switches.
As with homes, heating and cooling typically demand the greatest use of energy on campus. If only a few rooms of a building are being used during the summer months, try to contain these areas – the whole building does not need to be cooled! (Thermostat temperature and cooling practices should ultimately be determined by the energy or facilities manager.)
Desktop computers add a significant load to university energy budgets. Turning off one typical computer and monitor over a 7-day break saves $2.70 on average. While this may seem inconsequential, savings add up quickly when multiplied by the number of computers in use on a campus. Visit the Green IT@UT Web site to read about IT conservation initiatives on campus.
Summer break is a great time to get rid of appliances that aren’t needed. Take home personal items such as mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffee makers—at least for the summer. Even if an appliance is turned off, it still draws a small amount of energy called “phantom load.” While small (usually around 1-5 watts) for each individual appliance, phantom load can quickly add up. Almost any product having an external power supply, remote control, continuous display (including an LED), or that charges batteries, draws power continuously. Plug appliances into a power strip and cut the power off with one switch.
For those interested in a detailed analysis (spreadsheets: BEWARE!) of DSEMC campus-wide lighting, water and steam projects . . .
We have used a measurement and verification program* based on industry standards to measure and verify energy and water savings for phase 1 projects. For details about savings related to the specific projects, visit our Project Update or the individual Lighting, Steam or Water projects.
Reductions of CO2 emissions accomplished by our demand-side energy and water projects have been translated into equivalent usage in homes and vehicles as well as equivalent acres of pine and fir forests storing carbon (in the form of cellulose, lignin, and other compounds). Inputs for the conversions are CO2 emissions from the university’s electric power production and Environmental Protection Agency conversion factors. View this Greenhouse Gas Reductions chart to see the translations.
Each paragraph below contains a link to a larger supporting document.
DSEMC’s Measurement and Verification Program
The MV Documentation describes the bases, in terms of industry standards, for protocols used in measuring and verifying energy and water savings for the major UT conservation projects in 2008-09 (campus-wide lighting, water and steam upgrades). MV Documentation.
GHG Reductions
This table (see calculation doc below) translates the reductions of CO2 emission and water use accomplished by the major UT conservation projects in 2008-09 (campus-wide lighting, water and steam upgrades) into equivalent usage in homes and vehicles, and into equivalent acres of pine and fir forests storing carbon in the form of cellulose, lignin, and other compounds. Inputs for the conversions are CO2 emissions from UT Austin electric power production and the conversion factors found at http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/refs.html. GHG Reduction Calculation
Lighting Savings Calculation
The following document describes the methods of measuring and calculating energy savings from the lighting upgrades on the Main Campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in 2008-2009. Lighting Saving Calc. Overview
Lighting Savings Summary
This following tabulation summarizes building-by-building results of electricity demand and usage reductions accomplished by the lighting upgrades in 2008-2009 on the Main Campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Lighting Savings Summary Overview
Water Savings Calculation
Narrative describing methods of measuring and calculating water savings from the 2008 upgrades to domestic water fixtures (toilets, urinals, shower heads and faucet aerators) on the Main Campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus and installation of laboratory process cooling equipment (chillers) on the Main Campus. Water Saving Calc. Overview
Water Savings Summary
This tabulation summarizes building-by-building water savings accomplished by the 2008 upgrades to domestic water fixtures (toilets, urinals, shower heads and faucet aerators) on the Main Campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Not included here are the estimated savings from installation of laboratory process cooling equipment (chillers) on the Main Campus. Water Savings Summary Overview
Steam Savings Calculation
Methods and results of energy savings calculations for the steam system upgrades in 2008, which consisted of replacing malfunctioning steam traps (valves) and insulating steam pipes and tanks on the Main Campus and the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. Steam Saving Calc Overview
Okay, so there aren’t any bears in this story. But there are vampires, phantoms, idlers, and warts. In this case, however, we’re talking about vampire power, phantom loads, idling standby current, and wall warts. They all basically refer to the same thing: electronic devices with two sharp, pointy teeth that latch into your wall sockets and suck blood…err…electricity all day, all night, whether on or “off,” whether charging batteries or not. These devices include TV’s, VCR’s, DVD players, answering machines, iPods, cell phones, stereos, laptops, desktops, anything with a remote, anything with a charger, anything with a clock display. They are everywhere. Lurking.
also works by communicating between your computer and your accessory.| Vampire | Average (W) | Silver Stake (or what to do) |
| Desktop computer | 73.97 W when on and idle (21.13 W when asleep and 2.84 when off) |
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| Laptop | 44.28 W when on and charging (and down to 4.42 W with just the power supply plugged in) |
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| DVR and digital cable combo | 44.63 W when not recording with the TV off…but still a whole 43.46 W even when it’s turned off by remote |
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| Microwave | When it’s off with the door closed, it’ll use about 3W (with the door open, you’re looking at 25.79 W and when you’re cooking…a whole 1433 W) |
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| Cell phone charger | When you’re phone is plugged in but fully charged, you’re drawing 2.24 W (and when the charger alone is stuck in the wall you’re down to 0.14 W) |
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[Source: Standby Power, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]
The moral of the story….unplug your stuff.
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