To: UT Faculty and Staff
From: Dave Irvin, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Services
Subject: Winter Energy Conservation
As the holiday season draws closer, Facilities Services requests your continued support for campus energy conservation efforts. With fewer visitors on campus during holidays and other campus closures, we have a tremendous opportunity to realize additional energy and cost savings.
When you leave campus for extended periods, please turn off any lights and electronics (including laboratory equipment) that are not absolutely necessary. Computers that are not needed to support continuous research should be powered down and unplugged.
While working on campus, please adopt the following additional energy conservation practices:
- Cook and reheat food with microwaves instead of conventional ovens.
- Keep outside doors and windows closed to conserve heat.
- When possible, take the stairs and limit your use of elevators.
- Set computers to sleep mode when not in use for ten minutes or more. For more information on energy settings, visit the ENERGY STAR website.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday and following weekend (November 22 through 25), Facilities Services will be setting back or turning off heating and cooling systems in campus spaces that do not house research laboratories, animal care facilities, server rooms, or other temperature-sensitive operations. To save energy, thermostats in offices and classrooms will be set to 55 degrees Fahrenheit wherever feasible.
These same energy-saving measures will be in effect during the winter break and following weekend (December 22 through 30). In affected offices, temperature set points will be adjusted back to 68 degrees Fahrenheit when employees return on December 31. In affected classrooms, thermostats will remain at 55 degrees Fahrenheit until the first day of classes, January 9.
If you experience any difficulties during the holidays or other campus closures, please do not hesitate to contact the 24-hour Facilities One Call at 946-7777.