Plugged In.
What are your reactions to your findings of surveying appliances in res hall rooms?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 10:50 AM
What are your reactions to your findings of surveying appliances in res hall rooms?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 10:50 AM
30 Comments:
I found a few things that weren't on the survey that were common in rooms- game systems (video games), fish tanks (with lights and heaters and bubblers), irons, hair straighteners and coffee makers. One room had five fish tanks!
KAE
I was really surprised by how many watts hair dryers use!! This was the top item on my list of appliances for wattage use. Other people had fans which I think could be limited since my building is the Greenhouse where we have air conditioning. I was very proud that the rooms I surveyed did not have any unneeded lights such as Christmas lights. It was an eye opener to see how much is actually plugged in and how much of it we actually need.
- Natalie
Sarah and I noticed that everyone has desk lamps. Normal desk lamps with irredescent bulbs had a wattage of about 60 watts per light. But, lamps with compact florescents only had 11 watts per light. It was awesome to see the impact of using an eco-friendly bulb. We also noticed the extreme wattage of microwaves. Although, they pose as quite the college life saver in numerous situations, they used an average of 1,060 watts per microwave. Holy Wattage!
I walked around each floor of Millis, asking people for information on what appliances they used. Generally, people were really receptive and open to helping Eco-Reps out. Since I didn't have the actual energy reader, I tallied off how many of each appliance people were using - this felt a lot less intrusive than if I was unplugging their lamps through their stuff. A lot more people than I had expected had power chords, although I think this was more due to the fact that they had so many thing to plug in than the desire to save energy - I tried to slip in how great those are to turn off and save electricity, since appliances draw energy even when they're turned off. There was nothing that really shocked me in terms of what people have in their rooms, although I will say that college students (myself included) just have so much STUFF that's looked at as a given to own - cell phone chargers, pretty lights, computers, refrigerators. Doing this did open my eyes to that even more.
I thought the Kill A Watt project was an eye opener. It turned out that the top watt users (for the appliances i was able to sample) were a microwave, hair dryer, and mini fridge. I was most surprised by the hair dryer--one wouldn't think an instrument so small would demand such high levels of energy, but it makes sense. Also, I found it interesting that desk lamps using CFL bulbs used at most 43 LESS watts than regular bulbs when turned on. And the people I was surveying were even curious--as well as surprised--as to how many watts their appliances were using. Great project!
Though I was not able to use the kill-a-watt meter, I did go around to people's room counting the number of appliances. I was happy to see that people used power strips, but several rooms kept many appliances plugged in while they were not in use. I noticed especially that people keep their computers plugged in to charge even if they have full battery. Overall, it made me realize the amount of energy that is used throughout campus let alone the few floors of Harris.
-Lisa
It was really surprising to see all the weird gadgets people had, like black lights and lava lamps. It was also really interesting to see how different lamps compared, especially with the use of compact florescent bulbs. Overall it was a really great learning experience, I had no idea how high the wattage for microwaves and blow-dryers was. I also didn't realize how often appliances are left plugged in and how that can still have an impact.
Sarah
Although I didn't get to use a kill-a-watt to collect wattage values, I did go around to several rooms and see how many appliances they had plugged in. I was pleasantly surprised to see that many people kept things unplugged when not using them. However, a lot of rooms did use power strips so I told them to start turning them off or unplugging them when not needed. People seemed very receptive to energy saving ideas and some talked about how much they really liked the auto on/off lights in our halls and bathrooms.
Casey
I was unable to use the kill-a-watt meter, so i went to various rooms asking what appliances people had, and how many. I found that girls definitely had many more appliances than boys, yet this was not too surprising. Although the girls had more appliances, it seemed like they are not always plugged in. I also found that a lot of people are still using fans, despite the cold weather. I was pleased to find that few rooms had microwaves, because the floors have them available in the kitchens.
-Jenna
I was surprised to see how long each room took. All the girls rooms were especially difficult as the rooms in Wills are so small. I had to move a lot of furniture to get to the walls behind beds and desks. I think all of the participants were into the project though. Every time I plugged something in they would be so excited to see what it was rated!
-Caroline
I too found some things that weren't on the survey, a big one being straighteners and iPod chargers. I also noticed a lot of people had desk lamps and mini-lights, and had those turned on while using their top lights. (Ridiculous! I think the top lights should just be taken out because they are so ugly and painful to be in...set the mood people!)
What was shocking for me was the watts that hair dryers used. I would've thought things like TVss and lights and computers would've used a lot more, but it was the short term stuff that you don't always have plugged in (like straighteners and blow dryers) that use a lot. Also toaster ovens and microwaves used a lot, but that doesn't really surprise me. I'm afraid of microwaves....
-Jen
I didn't have a watt measure so I had to take inventory.
I found that people in Christie: >Love lamps, Christmas lights, and fans. Most rooms had at least one desk lamp and most had several floor lamps
>Only one room surveyed had a desktop computer.
>No one had a cordless phones, toaster ovens, microwaves.
These findings were pretty consistent with the thoughts I had going into this project.
Leigha
I agree with Kae. A lot of the guys rooms I went to had all their video game systems ALWAYS plugged in and i think that if the school wants an accurate reading they should expand the list and get rid of things like desktop computers etc.
Also, my roommate and I keep the fan going all night so we don't hear people in the hall etc. and I was really surprised at how many watts it uses!
-Briana
The Watt project was interesting. At first i felt a little intrusive by entering people's personal bubbles. It was defiantly a project that raised everyone's awareness. Many people were surprised to learn that even appliances plugged in but not on were in-fact still using electricity!
The bulb-swap was also a great success! Most kids were very enthusiastic about it! There were also a good number of students who were already using "the good bulbs!" This is an activity that we should try to do in more dorms!!
-Hedda
I thought that it was really great that so many people used power strips. We should make a point to advocate that these strips should be turned off everyday. Many students had coffee makers in their rooms as well as multiple gaming stations. I was also surprised by the amount of stereos that rooms had.
-Jess
I felt pretty awkward going into people's rooms, but some people were especially helpful and interested in the project. I think I could have been a bit more thorough with my tallying--I was sometimes put of when people were busy or not as interested, or if their plugs were buried under ons of furniture.
I found most of the normal appliances, but one guy's room had 5 fans, some which were not even being used (thank goodness)! Most people had incandescent lamps, too, which made me want to get a bulb swap through my building.
I found that people in converse were not to pumped with me coming in there rooms and checking out what they had plugged in. After taking one Watt measure i started to just count the appliances people had. But overall i did not see anything tooo rediculous. One double did have a full size refridgerator which i did find amuzing and completely unnecessary.
Jim
For the eco-rep residence hall energy survey I found that for the majority, the girls rooms had a lot more appliances than the guys rooms. However, it seemed like every guys room had a TV, DVD player and stereo. Everyone had cell phones and cell phone chargers and therefore hardly any room had the cordless phone. Christmas lights were another new big thing since the holidays are coming up. I was not able to get ahold of the kill-a-watt meter but I wonder how much energy those christmas lights use?
-Stephanie Kiesow
My most surprising find from surveying the rooms was how many misconceptions exist about electricity. Several residents were under the impression that electricity is able to be easily generated, and they do not stress conservation because there is no risk of it running out. I think it is key for us to make perfectly clear the detrimental effects that generating energy has on our environment along with the message of conservation.
Svetlana
I was glad to find that most people in Buckham did not have a problem with me coming into their rooms for the survey. Nearly all of the rooms used power strips, which they use out of necessity, but also save energy. Many people had chosen to use their cell phones as alarm clocks, eliminating the need for another appliance. I did not see a lot of exorbitant electricity use, and most people were happy to help!
Dan Hale
I was surprised at the sheer quantity of electricity-consuming things in each room that I surveyed. The minimum was 12 per room, including anything from cell phone chargers to laptops to TVs.
I was really disappointed by one double who had a massive TV, 3 laptops, 2 mini-fridges, 3 desk lamps plus all the other typical appliances. In all, they had the same number of appliances as a forced triple that I surveyed.
I only had time to use the kilowatt gauge in my room on two appliances and found that my roommate's TV doesn't consume a whole lot! Score!
-Mike
One really good thing that I found was that pretty much in every room I went to they used powerstrips. An interesting fact about that though was when I asked them if they used powerstrips they responded with "what?" A lot of people weren't sure they were powertrips,but still used them, which is what really matters I guess. My biggest question about the use of the powerstrips though is how often they actually shut them off when they leave their room or when they really aren't using any of the items on the powerstrips or when they go to sleep.
that last comment from before was from me! Sam Ethrige...forgot to put my name, whoops!
After going around to the residential rooms in my dorm, I found that many people have more appliances plugged in than they use on a daily basis. Students were not aware that although the power may not be on for an appliance, energy still surges through the wires. They appreciated learning that it saves energy to unplug the appliances which they are not currently using. All but very few of the rooms I went into were equipped with a surge-protector, but again students were not conscious of the energy saved by turning it off when the plugged in appliances were not being used.
Students were also eager to learn of all the energy that could be saved from turning off their computers if they were not going to use them for over two hours, and also the efficiency of sleep-mode. Most of the students already used sleep mode, and most of them at least knew where the sleep button was located on their
computers.
I feel that my residents benefited greatly from the survey, and the information they learned after the survey was taken.
~Mimi
This was a really powerful survey for me and really made me re-assess my own electronics set-up. I think a lot of the people that I surveyed were surprised of the results from the kilowatts meter. What most surprised me was how many people leave things plugged in 24/7 without realizing that it still uses electricity. Crazy!
One thing that I found interesting was how many people leave things plugged in when they aren't using them- especially my suitemates, it seems! I think that it's a common misconception that no energy is being used if the power button isn't on, and we need to target that more, as eco reps! I agree with one of the posts below, that power strips were mostly used because people had so much to plug in, rather than to save energy.
Besides the fact that most rooms did not answer their doors, the majority had some things in common. Most rooms all had computers and tvs. Also, there were some fans (even though they have their own thermostat). I think that overall I didn't see too much unnecessary items in the majority of the rooms.
-Rachel B
Although I was not able to use a meter, I was still able to tally up the appliances in the resident's rooms. I notices that almost everyone kept their appliances plugged in while they were not in use. I also noticed that almost every printer was on while just sitting there. Residents seemed surprised to hear that even when things are plugged in they consume energy. I also reminded student about turning off lights and handed out some conserve energy stickers that I had left over.
-Emily Casey
I was shocked to find the amount of things that were plugged into the dorms in the Greenhouse! I surveyed a couple of rooms there, and it was really surprising to see all of the unnecessary things that were plugged into the walls even if they weren't being used. It was also shocking to see the amount of watts that certain things like TVs and chargers used, even if they weren't on. It really helped to make my campaign a lot stronger!
I did not actually get my hands on a watt-o-meter, but I know from experience that chargers for cells and laptops can be a huge drain.
I wonder how much my alarm clock takes...
In L/L, what I have been encouraging is that people move stuff like microwaves and mini-fridges to the suite common room. Less energy is used in the fridge's case not just because there is only one rather than several, but also because the more food acts as insulation to keep it all colder with less energy.
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