Energy and Greenhouse Gases
The UTAS Environmental Management Plan sets the following target:
‘To reduce absolute energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission levels to 10% below the base level year (2008) by 2011’
Energy consumption cost the University of Tasmania around $5.6 million in 2008. Electricity usage contributed to approximately 90% of this energy cost. The Sandy Bay Chemistry building alone used 2016 MWh of electricity. This is equivalent to the annual electricity usage of 200 Tasmanian homes.
The Department of Climate Change estimates that office equipment accounts for around 9% of energy use within a commercial building.
Energy Management at UTAS
Energy management is primarily aimed at reducing UTAS’ energy consumption costs through strategies, systems, procurement and development.
Some of the common tasks and services provided by energy managers are:
- collating and analysis of energy data
- developing energy saving projects
- implementing energy saving projects
- developing procedures and policies to help save energy
- monitoring buildings and systems to ensure efficient operation
- providing technical review, advice and briefing for construction projects on campus
- liaising with the energy retail companies
- helping educate the UTAS community about energy consumption and ways to reduce it.
Did you know?
- Lighting is responsible for about 20% of a university’s energy consumption. Switch off lights and appliances when not required and help reduce light energy consumption by 10%. UTAS could save $100,000 per year.
- Switching off computer monitors switched when they are idle may save as much energy as it takes to power 24 Tasmanian homes for one year.
- Printers and photocopiers may sit idle for 95% of the time. Activating energy save mode rather than standby mode on just one printer or copier over a year could reduce energy consumption equivalent to a return trip by car from Hobart to Launceston.
- Reducing heating by one degree Celsius in winter across our campuses could easily save enough energy to power the whole of the Inveresk campus or the Centre of Art campus for one year.
By taking some simple actions, like turning off lights, printers, appliances and computer monitors when not in use, staff and students can make a difference to the energy consumption of UTAS buildings. Every kilowatt counts.
More Information
Contact
