(Go Green Article Feb. 2009)
With growing awareness about energy conservation, many people are familiar with simple ways to make a difference—unplug unused equipment, turn off monitors and lights when not in use, and turn down the heat. But did you know that simple choices when walking into and out of University buildings can have a significant impact?
For instance, have you ever considered the energy required to operate an automated handicap door opener and the additional heating or cooling loss that can take place?
- Automated openers hold a door open for up to four times longer than a standard, swinging door.
- This is the equivalent of leaving a 13-watt compact fluorescent light bulb on for nearly 8 hours.
So, if you have the option, manually open the door instead.
There’s also a better choice when deciding between using a revolving door and a standard, swinging door. Choose the revolving door every time. Revolving doors help avoid heating and cooling lose by keeping the outside and inside environments separated.
- Calculations show that a single person walking through a revolving door in the winter saves enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb for 23 minutes.
- If everyone used the available revolving doors at the University, annual saving would add up to more than $5,000.
The opportunities to conserve and save are all around us. Individually, we just need to make a few simple choices to “Go Green!”
With growing awareness about energy conservation, many people are familiar with simple ways to make a difference—unplug unused equipment, turn off monitors and lights when not in use, and turn down the heat. But did you know that simple choices when walking into and out of University buildings can have a significant impact?
For instance, have you ever considered the energy required to operate an automated handicap door opener and the additional heating or cooling loss that can take place?
- Automated openers hold a door open for up to four times longer than a standard, swinging door.
- This is the equivalent of leaving a 13-watt compact fluorescent light bulb on for nearly 8 hours.
So, if you have the option, manually open the door instead.
There’s also a better choice when deciding between using a revolving door and a standard, swinging door. Choose the revolving door every time. Revolving doors help avoid heating and cooling lose by keeping the outside and inside environments separated.
- Calculations show that a single person walking through a revolving door in the winter saves enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb for 23 minutes.
- If everyone used the available revolving doors at the University, annual saving would add up to more than $5,000.
The opportunities to conserve and save are all around us. Individually, we just need to make a few simple choices to “Go Green!”