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Reduce Your Impact

Why Conserve Energy?

The production and consumption of energy from conventional sources impacts and damages our world in many ways. We can reduce those impacts by using less energy. Energy Conservation mitigates:

Global Warming

Fossil fuel burning produces greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides (25% increase in atmospheric CO2 in the past 150 years).

Leads to atmospheric warming and global climate change – heat waves, droughts, stronger and more frequent hurricanes, rising sea levels and coastal inundation, damaged ecosystems, species extinction, changes in agricultural productivity, migration of tropic diseases northward, etc.

Air Pollution

Air pollution causes many hazards for both people and the planet.

  • Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, ozone (smog) can cause bronchitis and pneumonia, irritate the lungs, and cause childhood asthma. Other air pollutents cause
  • Nitrogen oxides cause the brown haze seen over many cities.
  • Ozone can cause permanent lung damage and reduce crop yields.
  • Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain, which causes the death of lakes the world over, including the Adirondacks, even remote parts of Alaska.

Water Pollution

Common causes of water pollution include

  • Oil spills
  • Coal mining – acids run off into waterways.
  • Thermal water pollution – cooling water from thermal power plants kills aquatic life when returned to rivers.

Land Destruction

Land destruction occurs in many different ways, all causing harm to our environment and ecosystem such as

  • Hydropower dams – flood and destroy forestland, native lands, and destroys salmon runs and wildlife migratory routes.
  • Strip mining (coal)
  • Oil drilling

Reliance on Nuclear Power

  • Problem of nuclear waste disposal — nuclear wastes must be sequestered from the natural environment for 250,000 years.
  • Safety issues associated with operation of older nuclear plants which have embrittled piping, pumps, etc. – increasing the possibility ofruptures and leaks and releases radioactive emissions into the air and water.
  • Possibility of catastrophic meltdown.
  • Vulnerability to terrorist attack and massive radioactivity release.
  • Costs and impacts associated with nuclear power plant decommissioning.

Foreign Dependence

  • Few nations have the ability to completely satisfy their energy
    consumption needs internally.
  • Over reliance on foreign sources of energy can detrimentally impact
    national and regional economies.
  • When demand is high and resources are scarce, prices increase for everyone.

Energy Self Audit

Printer Friendly Version (PDF)

Collectively we can make a substantial impact on energy savings at The College of New Jersey. The following energy audit provides menu items to check the use and efficiency of energy consuming equipment in your area. Please take a moment print this form and rate your own energy savings practices. The more “Yes’s” the better.

Personal Computers Y/N Notes
1. PC and/or monitor shut off when not in use for several  hours?    
2. PC’s and monitors shut off at the end of the work day?    
3. Desktop printer shut off at end of work day? Enable PC/Printer Power Managment Features    
Office Equipment Y/N Notes
4. Copy machines shut off at end of work day?    
5. Copy machines set to rest or sleep modes for times of low use?    
6. Shared printers shut off at end of work day?    
7. Electrical “drains” such as battery chargers, radios, and electronic devices unplugged when not in use?    
8. Coffee pots turned off or unplugged at end of work day?    
9. Other office equipment that can be shut off at end of workday?    
Lighting Y/N Notes
10. Lighting used only when needed?    
11. Lighting levels adjusted when possible?    
12. Lights shut off at end of workday and on weekends?    
13. Classroom lights shut off when not in use and end of day?    
Heating / Cooling Y/N Notes
14. If you can adjust thermostats in your area, are they set consistently at 68 degrees (winter settings).    
15. Portable space heaters turn off, unplugged, or removed from area?    
16. Window air conditioners maintained at energy saving levels and shut off at end of workday?    
17. Did you notify Facilities Maintenance @ X2353 or file an Online Work Order, when heating or cooling, and mechanical systems are not operating properly?    
18. Doors and windows kept closed during the heating and cooling seasons?    
19. Have you dressed for the season and variations in building temperatures?    
Miscellaneous Y/N Notes
20. Identified other energy consuming equipment operating in your area?    
21. Lab equipment turned off when not in use & Lab Fume Hood Sashes Closed?    
22. Is energy conservation awareness material displayed in your building / area?    
23. When you purchase new equipment, is energy efficiency a consideration?    

If you’re trying to decide whether to invest in a more energy-efficient appliance or you’d like to determine your electricity loads, you may want to estimate appliance energy consumption.

Formula for Estimating Energy Consumption

You can use this formula to estimate an appliance’s energy use:

(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption

(1 kilowatt (kW) = 1,000 Watts)

Multiply this by the number of days you use the appliance during the year for the annual consumption. You can then calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by your local utility’s rate per kWh consumed.

Note: To estimate the number of hours that a refrigerator actually operates at its maximum wattage, divide the total time the refrigerator is plugged in by three. Refrigerators, although turned “on” all the time, actually cycle on and off as needed to maintain interior temperatures.

Examples

Window fan:

(200 Watts × 4 hours/day × 120 days/year)  ÷  1000
= 96 kWh × 8.5 cents/kWh
= $8.16/year

Personal Computer and Monitor:

(120 + 180 Watts × 4 hours/day × 365 days/year)  ÷  1000
= 394 kWh × 8.5 cents/kWh
= $33.51/year

Wattage

You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its nameplate. The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of settings (for example, the volume on a radio), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time.

Estimate Your Energy Use at Home

If the wattage is not listed on the appliance, you can still estimate it by finding the current draw (in amperes) and multiplying that by the voltage used by the appliance. Most appliances in the United States use 120 volts. Larger appliances, such as clothes dryers and electric cooktops, use 240 volts. The amperes might be stamped on the unit in place of the wattage. If not, find a clamp-on ammeter—an electrician’s tool that clamps around one of the two wires on the appliance—to measure the current flowing through it. You can obtain this type of ammeter in stores that sell electrical and electronic equipment. Take a reading while the device is running; this is the actual amount of current being used at that instant.

When measuring the current drawn by a motor, note that the meter will show about three times more current in the first second that the motor starts than when it is running smoothly.

Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched “off.” These “phantom loads” occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. Most phantom loads will increase the appliance’s energy consumption a few watt-hours. These loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

Typical Wattages of Various Appliances at Home

Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:

  • Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts
  • Clock radio = 10
  • Coffee maker = 900–1200
  • Clothes washer = 350–500
  • Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
  • Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
  • Dehumidifier = 785
  • Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
  • Fans
    • Ceiling = 65–175
    • Window = 55–250
    • Furnace = 750
    • Whole house = 240–750
  • Hair dryer = 1200–1875
  • Heater (portable) = 750–1500
  • Clothes iron = 1000–1800
  • Microwave oven = 750–1100
  • Personal computer
    • CPU – awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
    • Monitor – awake / asleep = 180 / 30 or less
    • Laptop = 50
  • Radio (stereo) = 70–400
  • Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
  • Televisions (color)
    • 19″ = 65–110
    • 27″ = 113
    • 36″ = 133
    • 53″-61″
    • Projection = 170
    • Flat screen = 120
  • Toaster = 800–1400
  • Toaster oven = 1225
  • VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
  • Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
  • Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
  • Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
  • Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380

Office Energy Cost

Many offices can benefit from quick low-cost/nocost energy-saving solutions, such as turning things off, turning things down, and keeping up with cleaning and maintenance. The typical desktop computer, monitor, and shared printer draw about 200 watts per day. Most of the equipment sold today goes into a low-power sleep mode after a period of inactivity. Unfortunately, most users don’t take advantage of this feature. Making sure that these energy-saving modes are enabled can produce significant energy savings. A single monitor draws about 100 watts per day; if left on overnight and on weekends, it could add $30 or more to the annual energy bill.

Estimated Annual Costs

Computer
  • Always on $65(3000)=$195,000
  • CRT Monitor off nights & weekends $40(3000)=$120,000
  • Off nights and weekends $21(3000)=$63,000
Black & White Laser Printer
  • Always on $8
Color Laser Printer
  • Always on $37
Copier
  • Always on $72
  • Off nights & weekends $20
Coffee Maker
  • 12-cup Coffee Maker $12
Refrigerators
  • 24 cu. ft. $150
  • 12 cu. ft. $16
  • 3 cu. ft. $7
Fume Hood
  • Always on $4250

Addtional Resources

Energy Savers Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home

Energy Savers provides homeowners with tips for saving energy and money at home and on the road.

Energy Hog Program

This fun and interactive educational resource is a perfect way to teach families about the importance of energy  efficiency.

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