Dear Cornell Staff and Faculty, 
 

Whether you are working on campus or remotely, we encourage you to power down your workspaces over winter break. Please join your colleagues in saving energy within your offices, labs, and common areas before you leave campus. Each year, your participation in Cornell’s Winter Energy Setback avoids powering unused electronics, heating unoccupied buildings, and lighting empty offices. This collective action saves a huge amount of energy on campus, reduces our university’s carbon emissions, and minimizes our use of natural resources.
 

Please take the following key actions in spaces you occupy: 

• Switch off power strips and unplug any electronics plugged directly into the wall 
  Many devices use electricity even when “turned off,” including computers, TVs, printers, chargers, copiers, coffee makers, microwaves, lamps, and space heaters. 
• Close & lock all windows and close shades 
• Shut all interior and exterior doors
• Set your thermostat on the minimum setting (around 65°F), if easily adjustable 
  Do not turn heat off. 
• Turn off lights
• Shut the sash completely on all fume hoods that cannot be hibernated 
  Any fume hood not used for six weeks or more is a candidate for hibernation. Contact your facility coordinator to have a fume hood hibernated.  
• Report facilities issues like leaky faucets, running toilets, overly hot or cold rooms 
  Contact FCS Customer Service with questions: fcsinfo@cornell.edu 
• Remind colleagues and students to take these actions before they leave too 

 
Our collective actions help the campus run more efficiently. Last year, building energy reductions during winter break totaled 1,250,000 kWh, saving the university around $100,000. Over one week, our campus energy savings were equivalent to eliminating 115 homes’ electricity use for one year, growing 9,100 trees for 10 years, removing 128 gasoline-powered cars from the road for one year, or not consuming 61,800 gallons of gasoline. The impact is huge – over the past decade, campus participation in this program has saved the university over $1.3 million in energy costs.

Thank you for your continued efforts to save energy and reduce carbon emissions on campus.

I wish you all a warm and joyful winter break. 

Rick Burgess 
Vice President, Facilities and Campus Services 
Cornell University