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Sustainability

Decade-long holiday energy savings top $2.76 million

January 12, 2015
Campus buildings that are unoccupied over winter holiday break are optimized for energy savings.
Campus buildings that are unoccupied over winter holiday break are optimized for energy savings.
Campus buildings that are unoccupied over winter holiday break are optimized for energy savings.

Why pay to heat a building to comfortable room temperatures when no one is inside? That’s the philosophy fueling a decade-long energy conservation program that has saved NC State more than $2.76 million since 2005.

In its tenth year, the university’s annual Winter Holiday Energy Saving Initiative — a campus-wide effort to reduce energy use while the university is closed for winter break — avoided $274,987 in energy costs from Dec. 24, 2014, through Jan. 4, 2015.

Facilitated by NC State’s Energy Management Office, the initiative reduces energy use by lowering building thermostat temperatures in unoccupied campus buildings to around 65°F. Exterior doors and windows are secured and non-essential lighting and electronics are turned off to further maximize savings.

“This year’s savings are a great example of what can be saved when campus works together,” said energy program coordinator Claudia Powell.

The Winter Holiday Energy Saving Initiative is one of campus’ most visible energy-saving programs, though opportunities to save energy exist year-round for NC State students, faculty and staff. Some of the most effective ways to contribute toward campus energy efficiency include:

  • Turn off and unplug office equipment and appliances that are not vital or not in use
  • Close all exterior windows and doors
  • Turn off lights in rooms that are not in use
  • Shut off all space heaters
  • In labs, shut fume hood sashes when not actively working at the hood

For more energy-saving tips, visit go.ncsu.edu/SaveEnergy