to become more 'green'
The School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) has taken major new steps to improve its environmental performance, supplementing greening efforts that have taken place over the past five years.
Since 2004, the school has purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) to enable wind energy to be added to the electrical grid to cover 20% of its annual electricity use. For the next two years, beginning this year, 100% of the school's electricity will be generated from wind power.
Old T12 fluorescent tubes in all light fixtures maintained by the school will be replaced with higher efficiency T8 bulbs, and motion sensors will be installed in appropriate places in Sage-Bowers and Marsh Hall. This work should be completed by either this spring or summer. Last spring, Yale, at the behest of the school, undertook a complete review of all lighting to assess where efficiency could be improved and the potential for using motion sensors to reduce energy use.
"Everyone can make a big difference in conserving energy by making sure to turn off lights and computers when they are not in use and shut windows when they leave their offices or rooms," says Alan Brewster, deputy dean at F&ES.
Policies for the purchase of equipment, especially computing equipment, meeting the highest possible standards of energy efficiency, have been implemented. The school purchases only "Energy Star"-certified printers and scanners. As old computer monitors need to be replaced, flat screen LCD monitors that use one-third the energy of traditional monitors are purchased. (So far about 90 have been replaced.) The school continues to work with computer vendors to develop options for more efficient desktop and server units, and is exploring the substitution of more efficient laptop computers to replace desktop units in several offices.
To conserve water, all flush urinals in the past year have been replaced with waterless urinals, eliminating an estimated 45,000 gallons per fixture per year. All of the bottled water coolers throughout the school have been replaced with filtering water coolers that use city water. (This also avoids the substantial costs and energy use related to transporting the water over long distances to F&ES.)
The annual Dean's Picnic has become a waste-free event, with all plates, utensils and other items being compostable or recyclable.
The business office and facilities staffs have worked with Yale's procurement department to help them develop a "green" purchasing website, and its availability and usefulness were presented to all staff at a meeting. Some routinely ordered office supplies are frequently purchased using the information generated by this site.
T H I S
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Campus Notes
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