It's Electric!
What was one new thing that you learned about electricity at UVM? (Usage? Where it comes from? etc.) Describe one of the interactions that you had while conducting the energy surveys in your residence hall.
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 1:20 PM
26 Comments:
What did i learn while conducting my surveys? People were literally embarassed at how much energy they use in thier 11x7 bedroom. I ran into one girl, the same one who wouldnt allow me to put the compost bin in her floors common room, that had a power strip with 14 outlets! That is not safe. But other than that people were impressed with my little tool and were definatley interested in how they can reduce thier impact.
Cheers,
Jim
It was very interesting to hear what Rick had to say about where UVM is concentrating for energy conservation. Instead of building flashy and extensive wind turbines and solar panels, UVM is working on making each building more efficient and insulated. This makes a lot of sense to me, since the first step in environmental conservation is reduce.
I was very please to find that people in my dorm had minimal appliances in their rooms, choosing instead to use the common refrigerators and microwaves the house has. Only one resident out of 24 had a refrigerator in his room, and no one had a microwave! People in general are very conservation contuse and were very excited to hear about the up coming light bulb swaps.
-Mollie
I had no idea that there were so many energy conservation programs going on at UVM. I wish that these projects were more publicized and openly shared with students. I am happy that they are happening since I previously had the impression that little was going on.
Most of the residents were shocked by all the appliances that they had in their room. I agreed with them since I never really took time to realize it. Something that shocked me was that kids had multiples of things instead of having a common appliance (multiple printers, TVs, and microwaves).
One interesting fact that shocked me about energy usage at UVM is that we spend $5 MILLION in just lighting alone each year. I'm kind of hoping that I wrote the wrong number down in my notebook because that is just crazy. When you think about all the lights we use, it's amazing how much energy we can each save by just turning them off for a couple of minutes or so when they're not necessary.
I didn't get one of those KwH energy meter things, so while I was conducting my energy survey, I wasn't able to shoot out random numbers off the top of my head as to how much energy people were using, but none the less, I would say that I was able to get my point across successfully. I think people will start thinking about the small things they can do to conserve energy. And everyone loved getting the stickers. Stickers are so much fun!
I learned from Rick that UVM pays a HUGE annual bill for energy and yet BED gives them an incentive to put energy back into the grid through alternatives like the wind turbine, which also provide for demonstrative and research projects. I think as an environmental university we should be doing a lot more of the alternative energy, even if just for educational purposes and without the monetary incentive.
People in my dorm all seemed to have very similar appliances. Most rooms had two people and they usually shared a refrigerator and microwave or did not have one at all and simply used the one in our common kitchen. It was clean to see the trends of what students buy. I was also pleased to see most people use power strips though I dont think they turn them off often. Still its a good habit to get into. My overall experience was positive.
- Liz White
I was impressed with how technical and goal-oriented the plant and physical department was. I learned a lot more about what they do besides drive around campus in white trucks and vans looking purposeful.
I had one of the the meter things, but I couldn't figure out how to work it, so I just went around to rooms and looked to see what kind of appliances they had. Most people had cell phone chargers, TVs, microwaves, lamps, refrigerators, and some version of a sound system as the major energy users. I had a similar experience as Jim - people became a bit embarrassed as I went through the list and they realized how much they were plugged in! If anything, I think they're a little more aware of turning off lights.
~Elle
I had this ideal perception that UVM's energy came from clean sources, but what I learned from Rich's talk was that a lot of UVM's energy still comes from non-renewable resources like nuclear power. But I am happy that we're also using a lot of hydropower and steam power.
What did I learn from my surveys?- Maybe it was just the buildings that I surveyed, but I found that there was one kind of people that had few appliances in their rooms and then there is the other kind that has more than enough number of appliances. I'm surprised by the fact that some people who live in suites have multiple TVs and mini-fridges even though they don't need that many.
Daniel
What I found most intriguing about energy on campus was how many appliances students have in their rooms. It was quite nauseating walking into a room with two tvs, two printers, two fans, two floor lights. I wish students would use the ability to share we learned in kindergarten to reduce energy emissions.
From Rick, I found it appalling that as a University we made a conscious choice to put our wind turbine in a less efficient, more visibly pleasing location. One would think we would want to utilize our powers to the best of our abilities.
Bitsy
it was definitely a learning experience...even I had no idea how much energy I used!! People who did not have the energy efficient light-bulbs felt ashamed for not having them... also people who left on their computers all day.... what a waste!!! I think people are willing to make a change in their lifestyle once they become aware of the problems that they can easily mend.
I was amazed by how much of UVM's energy costs is spent on lighting, a lot of which could be reduced if people turned off their lights. I know lights are left on in the common room on my floor all the time. I also see lights left on in the hallways when the sun is shining and/or no one is there.
I didn't have a chance to do an official energy survey, but from walking around and seeing what people are doing, I notice that a lot of people are leaving computers or tvs on when they're not watching them. I also see lights left on over the sinks in people's rooms when they are not using them. In other suites, there are motion sensor lights, so this is not as much of a problem, but lights that are not motion-sensored are left on all the time. The "conserve energy" stickers do seem to have helped in common rooms.
-Steph
I learned a combination of what Kasey and Elle articulated. I was not aware of the extent to which environmental issues were addressed by different groups on campus. I did not know of the conservation groups, or how that the physical plant existed/how much they do.
In terms of what I learned in my interactions, I saw many computers on idly, a few fans still plugged in despite it not being hot outside, and some t.vs plugged in when not in use. I am proud to say that there were not many instances of multiples besides people having separate printers.
The greatest(and most understandable) waste of energy as I observed it was people leaving lights on in their rooms during the day when they could easily do work by natural sunlight. If everyone were to leave their lights off until about 5 pm, when it starts getting too dark to do work by natural light(in my humble opinion, anyway) than the university would save so much energy! And money, as a result of the reduction in energy use.
-Arielle
I thought it was overwhelming to hear that UVM spends around $6 million on electricity costs each year. Conducting the res. survey I began to understand how the university ends up spending such a large amount. In University Heights each double room has four room light switches. Almost half the rooms I surveyed had all four on and a few even had extra lamp lights powered on! I was absolutely appalled when one student asked if window air conditioning units were allowed in the rooms. I also found that many students had no clue that leaving their cell phone charger constantly plugged in still uses up electricity. This was definitely a learning experience for me.
I was surprised by how diverse the different appliances. Some people had almost no excess things, just a lamp and a refrigerator, while other rooms had light up signs, christmas lights, hair straighteners/curlers. I was also surprised that many of the girls rooms on my floor had their own microwave, while the boys downstairs shared the microwave in the lounge. That means that it does pay off to have communal appliance that everyone can use (because i actually thought that more people would still have there own even though they could just as easily walk down the hall to heat up their food). Also many people don't really seem to turn off their power strip when not in use to save more enegy, but others just have way too many things plugged in.
It was very interesting to learn where the source of power is for UVM and Burlington and how prices are rising for electric utilities. I feel that UVM should not buy power from Hydro-Quebec, which displaces the Indigenous Cree people, and should rather develop much larger (and better placed) wind turbines near the lake to support our electric needs.
Regarding the survey, I was very surprised and disappointed with the number of appliances students choose to have in their rooms. Many times, there were duplicates of things like fridges and microwaves. I did attempt to explain the irrationality (politely) of such excess, however, many students will continue to overuse our valuable energy resources.
-Colin H
I was amazed at how much impact individual use of electricity at UVM has on the cost and environment!! I also thought it was interesting to hear what Rick had to say, he was really informative and had a lot of good ideas to help conserve energy here at UVM.
People are really reluctant to unplug their appliances!! Residents in Millis didn't seem to realize that little things like shutting the TV, the lights, and their laptops off can make a big difference. We still have to get the word out!
-Kate
Students use a huge amount of electricity at UVM. A problem in my hall is that people will leave the lights on in every possible room over night. Every room seems to have doubles of printers and televisions. Every room has at least one microwave and mini fridge. Down the hall in a friends room it took a full minute to uncover an appliance to test because they had all of the outlets covered up or hidden. Good times. I now leave my vacuum unplugged. Before I would let it charge unnecessarily.
Erin
While conducting my energy surveys I found a lot of people had a lot of appliances that they didn't even use. When I asked them what appliances they had they would respond that they had a microwave but weren't using it and so I tried to encourage those people to unplug the things they weren't using. Also I had some strange occurences where the people I was interviewing would start considering buying some of the appliances asked about on the survey, so that was kind of a backlash. Overall though, the response from many was that they were amazed by how many electrical appliances they actually were using on a day to day basis so it brought out some consciousness.
Katherine Moser
Similar to many other eco-reps' findings, there were several residents who did not even realize just how many appliances they had. In addition, they certainly didn't consider the fact that something such as a cell phone charger still uses energy even if a phone is not connected to it. Almost every single room I went into had at least cell phone charger, if not two, and very few of these chargers were unplugged while not in use. Similar to Holly, I found that one of the biggest problems was that people were suing all 4 light switches provided in the University Height rooms all at once, even if no one was in the private bathroom or needed that much light. However, I did get very positive reactions from people as they realized just how much energy they may be using without even realizing it.
-Mackenzie
When measuring electricity used it was rediculous to see what were in some rooms. I saw a room with 2 different refrigerators and also 2 different large stereo systems. I thaught taht was just absurd. There is no way one room needs more than one fridge. Infact it would be more efficient if the floor just has one big fridge and everyone shared. This might even boost community building.
I am also having a hard time preaching at people to stop using so much energy, i can teach them and talk to them about it, but that doesnt mean they will change their lifestyle. I dont know something to work on i guess.
-Michael Rubin
One of the things I learned about electricity at UVM was that UVM buys electricity from the Burlington Electric Department and that this electricity is 67% renewable.
My interactions during the energy seem to be fairly similar to everyone else's. In particular, there were a couple of people who were intrigued by the idea of using a power strip so that they could easily turn off everything at once. It was kind of exciting to see how willing people seemed to be to try and conserve.
Girls deffinitely used more electricity. There abundance of cosmetic appliances in junction with there computers, printers, and refrigerators added up. This one girl brought an ice machine, and another brought a make up mirror that was lined with bulbs. One thing that people were amazed at was to find that if something is plugged in it is using electricity, which was an eye opener.
Phil
I have discovered how energy UVM really uses by seeing first hand all the wasteful habits of students in my residence hall. I wish that during room checks, UVM staff could make sure that students were not using an obscene amount of energy...maybe eco-reps could be incorporated into this room check. All in all, students seemed willing to change their wasteful habits, but I am (unfortunately) doubtful that many will keep to their word.
-Kate G-H
During my survey I learned that despite the fact that residents of Living and Learning have the common room space, they aren't sharing and using common applicances. There are often duplicates of applicances, such as televisions and mini fridges. People have power strips with several outlets but they aren't turning them off.
People were also really interested in seeing how they can reduce their impact on campus and at home.
-Lindsey Gillies
If I was using the Kill-A-Watt correctly, I was just as surprised as some of my residents to find that things like hair dryers and curling irons seem to suck out more energy when they are just plugged in. As soon as you turn them on the wattage went down. Very interesting if I do say so myself. Many girls in my hall told me they were going to unplug them when not in use from then on. I thought that was good to hear. A couple of my residents even decided to use a common microwave and fridge in one person's room because they were pretty much baffled about how much energy they were using. I feel as if this was a great way to make people more aware of their energy usage.
-meggy (sorry it's so late)
I learned a few things about energy usage at UVM. At our meeting about electricity, I was shocked to learn that UVM spends millions of dollars annually on electricity. Its really amazing to think that our tuition dollars go towards electricity bills, in addition to what I normally think about when I consider my tuition (teachers salaries, academic programs, etc.). If you think about it, it makes sense for us to conserve our electrical use, because that money saved on electricity can go towards hiring more professors, enhancing academic programs, and decorating the Davis Center with pictures of the Davis Center (just kidding!). I have seen a lot of student use power strips in their dorms, which is good, but I have also seen them plug in way too many appliances for a power strip! This is not only bad for the amount of energy being used, but also a fire hazard! Students also leave their cell phone chargers plugged in. I confronted my roommate about this. She constantly leaves her phone charger plugged in and it drives me crazy! I gave her the pros and cons of leaving a phone charger plugged in, but she wasn’t having any of it. In the end, I decided to pick my battles, and this battle, unfortunately, was not going anywhere for me. I let her have her cell phone charger (but I have made her recycle more!). I see a lot of students do the same thing in their dorms. They leave phone chargers and computers plugged in because they think “it doesn’t make much of a difference if I do it”. This has been hard for me because its hard to ask people to change their habits in the name of the environment. I think if the Eco-Reps could have a little “how-to” talk about how to speak to students about these issues, it would be really beneficial. I know that I am diligent about turning my appliances on and off, but many students don’t understand why its important. If Eco-Reps can effectively communicate the reasons to the residents, I think we will be very successful.
I learned a few things about energy usage at UVM. At our meeting about electricity, I was shocked to learn that UVM spends millions of dollars annually on electricity. Its really amazing to think that our tuition dollars go towards electricity bills, in addition to what I normally think about when I consider my tuition (teachers salaries, academic programs, etc.). If you think about it, it makes sense for us to conserve our electrical use, because that money saved on electricity can go towards hiring more professors, enhancing academic programs, and decorating the Davis Center with pictures of the Davis Center (just kidding!). I have seen a lot of student use power strips in their dorms, which is good, but I have also seen them plug in way too many appliances for a power strip! This is not only bad for the amount of energy being used, but also a fire hazard! Students also leave their cell phone chargers plugged in. I confronted my roommate about this. She constantly leaves her phone charger plugged in and it drives me crazy! I gave her the pros and cons of leaving a phone charger plugged in, but she wasn’t having any of it. In the end, I decided to pick my battles, and this battle, unfortunately, was not going anywhere for me. I let her have her cell phone charger (but I have made her recycle more!). I see a lot of students do the same thing in their dorms. They leave phone chargers and computers plugged in because they think “it doesn’t make much of a difference if I do it”. This has been hard for me because its hard to ask people to change their habits in the name of the environment. I think if the Eco-Reps could have a little “how-to” talk about how to speak to students about these issues, it would be really beneficial. I know that I am diligent about turning my appliances on and off, but many students don’t understand why its important. If Eco-Reps can effectively communicate the reasons to the residents, I think we will be very successful.
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