Simple Energy Saving Tips for the Office

Welcome to 2010! For this post I'm attaching an article I wrote for the January issue of the CHD Newsletter. Many people use the new year as a time to focus on making changes in their lives. This article focuses on energy conservation in an office environment. This information is universally applicable. Try instituting these simple changes in your life!

Always look for the win-win

A lot of changes are happening at CHD. The move will cause a change in all of our habits. It is during this time of change that I suggest we change our habits for the better. I would like everyone to focus on ways to conserve energy.

Energy conservation is a win-win. By conserving power we help the environment and save money. Conservation allows us to continue “working for healthy communities.”

Need some ideas of easy ways to conserve energy at work?

• Turn off the light when you’re not in a room. If you’re going to be gone for longer than 30 seconds, turning off the lights will save energy, even with the most inefficient bulbs. There’s even an old Mythbusters episode about this! Another thing to check is if the natural light in the room is enough to see by. Sometimes you don’t need to turn on artificial lighting.
• Unplug your cell phone when it’s done charging. Your phone will continue to draw power while it’s on the charger. The charger by itself draws power when its plugged in. It’s not much energy, but when multiplied by 24 hours/day 7 days a week, it’s a real energy drain.
• Turn off your computer when you leave at night. By this I don’t mean just logging off, but fully shutting down the system including turning off the power at the bar. According to Tech Services, for most people here this is a good option. The main exception is VPN users. Those with desktop and laptop systems may notice slower start-up times as the computers do their routine maintenance. Thin client users will not experience any slowing.
• Use your own power to go short distances. There’s no need to drive a car to go a few blocks, unless you transporting large or heavy equipment. Walking and biking are great ways to save oil and keep in shape. If you live close to the office you can also use your own power to get here! There are several of us who don’t arrive by car. We’ll gladly share tips with you on how to commute using people power!