Sustainability at Plymouth State

PSU’s 2nd Annual “Do it in the Dark” energy saving competition between residence halls is underway.  This year the competition is two months instead of one, running from October to December.  Energy saving updates will be announced every two weeks, and the residence hall that saves the most energy during the competition will receive ½ price laundry for one month.  To help save energy, turn off lights when you leave a room, shut off power strip at the end of the day, and unplug any unused appliances

DID YOU KNOW?

1 kilowatt hour (KWH) equals 1000 watts of energy used. This is the equivalent of one 60 watt light bulb (the bulb in your desk lamp) running for 16 hours.

Residence Hall current energy usage:

Belknap Hall is holding steady to .61 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 5,854 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Blair Hall is holding steady to .53 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 4,228 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Grafton Hall is holding steady to .58 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 6,351 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Langdon Woods is holding steady to .82 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 10,015 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Mary Lyon Hall is holding steady to .65 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 10,882 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Pemi Hall is holding steady to .65 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 6, 428 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Samuel Read Hall is holding steady to .36 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 3,153 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Smith Hall rose slightly to .56 KWHs per square foot.  So far this month, 7,197 KWH of electricity have been consumed.

Take Action: Turn your computer off overnight and on weekends.  Be bold and turn it off between classes or over lunch. Be bolder and turn it off when away from it for more than a few minutes.

Unplug chargers and appliances (a.k.a. fans, TVs, curling irons, microwaves, etc.) when not in use, especially if they do not maintain memory settings.

Configure your computer to turn its monitor off after a few minutes and to enter sleep mode after 20 minutes or so.  You can also adjust the brightness of a computer’s settings.  Visit the ITS website for additional tips on configuring your computer: www.plymouth.edu/infotech/green.html

Turn off your lights every time you leave the room.  Use natural light when possible.

Choose energy efficient products labeled with the “Energy Star” rating when purchasing items such as refrigerators and microwaves.

Use the stairs instead of the elevator.