Top Three Actions:

• 1. Switch to a Smart Power Strip (and turn it off)

• Save 3 kWh / day by plugging items into a power strip and turning it off before leaving / sleeping. No power strip? Simply unplug your electronics instead. Check out our guide to purchasing a smart power strip.

• Why do these actions matter?

  The best way to reduce your energy use in Cornell's residential buildings is to reduce hot water use and manage your plug load carefully.

• Cornell produces our power on campus, which means energy is wasted when we heat water that isn't used efficiently. By lowering your water temperature in the shower and laundry room, and reducing the overall amount of time you're running water, you're reducing the amount of energy needed to heat up all that water. If every student who lives on campus reduces their hot water usage by 3 minutes a day this action alone could save 1.2 million kWh every month.
  
  Plug loads and vampire loads are major energy users in residential buildings. Even when "turned off" most devices like TVs, DVD/Blu-Ray players, video game consoles, and cell phone chargers are drawing energy. By grouping those items together, plugging them into a power strip, and turning off the power strip before you leave your room or go to sleep --- you could save around 15-20 kWh per week, which over the course of the year is the equivalent of carbon sequestered by 1.5 acres of forest.

Top Three Actions:

• 1. Reduce heating needs, lower temps 1-2 degrees

• Set your room temperature just 1-2 degrees cooler during the winter months to save 1% of your office's energy use.  Purchase a Cozy Toes heater for your feet to keep your body comfortable and reduce ambient heating needs.

• Why do these actions matter?

  The best way to reduce your energy use in Cornell's offices and administrative spaces is to control your temperature, take care of your windows, and manage your plug load carefully.

  By lowering the temperature set points in your office and reporting heating/cooling issues to facilities ASAP, you're helping Cornell document and prioritize efficiency updates or building malfunctions that may be causing unnecessary energy use. In addition, make sure all radiators are clear of books, tables, and belongings since radiators cannot work properly without convection.

  During cold weather months, taking care of your windows is key. You want to keep cold air out and warm air in. First, ask facilities staff to remove window A/C units to help seal up your space. Then, keep windows closed to avoid ramping up the building's heating system to accommodate the heat escaping from the open windows. Next, close shades and curtains at night to keep warm air in, and reopen them during the day to maximize natural lighting and promote well-being in your space. Lastly, consider asking your facilities staff to install shrink wrap for older windows, which improves comfort and greatly improves energy efficiency.

• Plug loads account for around 30% of an office's electricity use. Work with your team to set energy saver settings on copiers, computers, and monitors. Identify and unplug electronics that are no longer needed. "Vampire loads" account for about 10-25% of office energy use -- meaning items are still drawing power when not performing useful work (e.g. TVs, coffeemakers, plugged in laptops (fully charged), desktop computers in sleep mode, microwaves).

Top Three Actions:

• 1. Shut the Sash

• Reduce your lab's air ventilation by 2/3 by shutting the sash every time it's not in use.  Did you know fume hoods account for half of all campus energy use?

• Why do these actions matter?

  Cornell's biggest energy users are our lab buildings.  Over half of total campus energy use comes from lab spaces - specifically, laboratory ventilation.

  The best ways to reduce energy use in Cornell's lab buildings are to lower fume hood sashes, exit labs and work outside labs whenever possible, and proactively manage ultra-low freezers.

  Laboratory ventilation is responsible for about HALF OF ALL ENERGY USE on campus. That's huge. One fume hood = 3 households' annual energy usage, and we have thousands of fume hoods on campus. Ventilation keeps us safe, but we need your help to reduce wasteful ventilation in fume hoods.

• First, close the fume hood sash every time it's not in use to reduce air ventilation by 2/3. Since occupancy sensors cannot kick the lab into 'unoccupied mode' when a fume hood is open, this action is especially critical in reducing a lab's energy use. Second, hibernate your fume hoods anytime they will be unused for 2-3 weeks or longer.

• This saves 200 kWh per week per hood ($100 per week, $5000 per year, based on 5ft hood). Email energy-sustainability@cornell.edu to take the fume hood out of service within 48 hours and to restore it within 48 hours. No charge, no problem.

• Cornell labs are equipped with occupancy sensors that can kick labs into ventilation and lighting 'vacancy modes' once they are unoccupied (and fume hoods are closed), so one of the best things you can do is simply exit the lab and work, eat, and meet outside of labs whenever possible.Labs can achieve huge energy savings by raising temperatures in ultra-low freezers from -80C to -70C.