Winter break at UMD this year was a little colder...both inside and outside. Despite a slightly colder winter break period than last year, the UMD campus was able to reduce its utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation over the eleven-day winter period of semi closure December 24-January 4.
Campus buildings were operated at temperatures lower than normal and with limited ventilation. In addition, the campus community was asked to participate by powering down computers, turning off lights, and unplugging unnecessary items.
The estimated heating, ventilation and electricity savings for the winter break totaled $18,399. That eleven-day savings in emissions of greenhouse gases equates to taking 34 cars off of the road for an entire year, or eliminating the annual energy use of nearly 16 homes.
Details:
- Natural gas use in the campus heating plant was reduced by 2,151 million cubic feet--which translates into 113 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
- Monetary savings in natural gas from the campus heating plant were $14,562-a reduction of nearly 13% over the same period last year.
- Electricity use was reduced during this period by 79,196 kilowatt-hours--a reduction of 6.3% compared to last year. This translates into a monetary savings of $3,837 and a reduction of 65 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
Heating and powering buildings is the largest source of greenhouse gases for many colleges and universities. In fact, buildings at UMD account for 90% of its emissions each year. With campus utility bills nearing $7 million annually, UMD staff are working to find the best balance of supporting campus operations and conserving energy.
