Linnean correspondence project

The University is poised to take a more proactive approach to encouraging efficient energy use. The twin aims of the new initiative are to help protect the environment for future generations and to reduce costs.

A three-fold approach will be adopted by incentivising energy saving behaviour, raising awareness among staff, students and visitors, and adopting technological solutions where these exist.

As part of this ambition the University is considering changing the financial taxation model for 2008/9; this will result in new incentives for the Colleges and their staff to contribute towards saving energy, money and the environment, through a shared savings scheme.

Any energy saving measures implemented by staff will help their own School or College as well as the University as a whole.

A series of Energy Audits will provide the basis for Energy Action Plans to be implemented with the help of an appointed Environmental Champion in each major building. The Environmental Champions will be given formal energy saving training through the Carbon Trust (a government-funded body which helps organisations cut carbon emissions and save on energy costs).

Targets for each building will be set based on previous actual consumption data for all 4 Colleges and Central Services. Monthly progress reports will be provided for discussion at regular energy liaison meetings. These will also be made available for all staff to review the environmental performance of their own and other Colleges via the University website. There will also be linked pages from the progress reports to Energy saving advice for both work and home.

It is also envisaged that alongside the devolved energy scheme, competitions will be held with significant prizes, for the top energy champion and the best work - related energy saving suggestion.

2007/8 will provide a trial run for the scheme, to allow progress reports to be adapted to the preferred college options, extra metering to be installed at appropriate buildings and energy champions to be appointed and trained.

In the meantime, we can all continue to help by ensuring that lights and non essential electrical equipment such as computers, printers, photo-copiers, desk fans etc are switched off when not in use, particularly at night, weekends and holiday periods.

Any questions in relation to the scheme should be e-mailed to Energy Manager, Derek Mitchell at d.j.z.mitchell@dundee.ac.uk

WASTE

• Gadgets left on standby squander electricity worth £740m each year and are responsible for 4m tonnes of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• We are each accountable for a carbon footprint of around 10 tonnes per year. This means that you would have to plant 250 hardwood saplings to offset this huge emissions total.
• A dripping tap can waste up to 90 litres of water in a week.
• An electric fan will burn through 115 watts of energy every hour.
• If we all just stopped leaving our chargers plugged in we could cut a massive 55,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere!

LIGHTBULBS

• Low energy lightbulbs last on average 10-12 times longer than traditional fluorescent bulbs.
• Each low energy lightbulb you install in your home could save you as much as £9 per year in energy costs while cutting your CO2 emissions by 40kg per bulb annually.
• If every UK household installed just three compact fluorescent lightbulbs in place of traditional bulbs, enough energy would be saved in a year to supply all street lighting in the UK.

STAND BY Buttons
Although your TV screen may look dormant, it's actually using energy at an alarming rate behind that innocent-looking façade. Recent studies have shown that gadgets left on standby squander electricity worth £740m per annum and are responsible for 4m tonnes of excess carbon dioxide each year.