University cuts energy bill with efficient light bulbs

Environmentally conscious students can feel better about living in South Campus Commons and the University Courtyards following several changes made by the apartments' management to promote "green behaviors."

Capstone Management will soon install energy-efficient light bulbs in two of the eight Courtyards buildings after a study last semester found the change could reduce overall energy bills by about 8 percent, said Capstone Associate Director for Facilities David Hawley.

Energy-efficient bulbs were installed last winter in two Courtyards apartments, one with four residents and the other with two residents. Hawley said even though the new bulbs cost $4 each - about five times more than a regular light bulb - the steep up-front cost proved worthwhile because of the lower energy bill that resulted and the fact that the new bulbs should last about four times longer than the old ones.

Each Courtyards apartment has about 22 light bulbs, so Capstone will spend out about $88 per apartment.

Hawley said Capstone's next move will be replacing the bulbs in whichever two Courtyards buildings rack up the highest energy bill, something he is now looking into.

Capstone will change the rest of the light bulbs if it continues to see the bulbs are making a big enough difference in saving electricity and money.

While Hawley said the new bulbs are good for the environment, he added that saving money is certainly a main motivation for the change.

As if one needed a reason to save money, September's energy bill provides a convincing one: The unseasonably warm weather in September caused significant and unexpected increases in Capstone's energy bill.

South Campus Commons Building 3 saw an 11-percent increase in energy usage, Building 4 saw a 14-percent increase and Building 5 saw a 16-percent increase since last year, despite there also being a heat wave in September 2006. South Campus Commons Building 6 used 8 percent less energy than last September, something that befuddled Hawley.

Buildings 1 and 2 run on a heating and cooling system that involves pumping water instead of using electricity for air conditioning and heating, so their energy usage isn't as telling as the rest of the buildings.

Hawley said that saving money and being environmentally friendly is always good, but the savings will definitely be appreciated as Capstone knows it could get unanticipated spikes in its bills during any given month, as September showed.

In addition to the energy-efficient light bulbs, Capstone also handed out recycling bins to residents in South Campus Commons at the beginning of the semester in an attempt to promote recycling. Hawley said many students were discouraged from recycling in the past because they had to collect bottles and cans in their own container and walk it down to the one recycling room per building, but he said he hopes that providing bins for each apartment decreases the inconvenience.

Hawley is also looking into motion sensors to turn on lights in study rooms and lounges in South Campus Commons rather than keeping the lights on when nobody is in the room. He is researching the technology now and talking to people in the community to see if they are receptive to a potential change.

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