Summer is near, yet pleasant sunny days can also bring one not-so-pleasant thing: warm offices! Nearly half of UMD's buildings are cooled using our chiller plants, which are powered by electricity. To conserve electricity, you can both adjust your thermostat and dress properly to ensure a good, comfortable work day.

A few suggestions for staying cool and saving energy this summer:

• * Keep your thermostat at 72 degrees during the work week.
• * When leaving for the weekend, raise your thermostat to 75 degrees. Many offices will automatically be turned back during low-occupancy modes (overnight and weekends)
• * If your office is too sunny, draw the shades during the day.
• * Report air leaks immediately. Otherwise, money (via conditioned air) is literally leaking out the door.
• * If you open windows during the day, please close and lock overnight for safety.
• * Turn off lights and office equipment.
• * Shut down your computer and printer.
• * Unplug all unnecessary appliances, including phone and electronic device chargers.
• * Ensure all fume hoods are closed and turn off research equipment off, where possible.