Reduce your winter energy consumption with these sustainability tips

From: The Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities

Join the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities in conserving energy over the winter break. Achieving a carbon-neutral campus by 2030 is highlighted in Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment. The university community's collective support is critical to reduce the campus energy footprint.

Some considerations to power down and conserve energy in offices and work spaces before leaving campus for winter break include:

• Shut off lights when leaving offices, laboratories, and residence hall rooms.
• Turn down thermostats 5-10 degrees.
• Clean out, defrost, and unplug refrigerators in offices, labs, and living spaces if leaving for winter break. Microfridges in Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus residence halls, however, should remain plugged in and operational.
• Power down and unplug devices such as cell phone chargers, computers, printers, copiers, coffeemakers, lamps, microwaves, monitors, gaming systems, etc. Though powered off, any device that is plugged into an outlet continues to consume electricity.
• Turn off power strips.
• Close and lock all windows, especially in spaces not normally occupied to reduce heat loss. In addition to wasting energy, a forgotten open window can cause damage from freezing and busted pipes.
• In labs, shut off non-vital fume hood ventilation and close hood sashes.
• Turn off and unplug space heaters.

If you see any unsafe conditions on campus including leaks, opened windows and doors, or other causes for concern, please call the Division of Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities at (540) 231-4300 or report a maintenance issue online.