Green Working

The University has a commitment to working sustainably and we support our staff to do this in a number of ways. The Environment Team work extensively with staff to help them reduce their carbon emissions and there is a project launched in the 2011-12 academic year called ‘Transition University of St Andrews’

Transition University of St Andrews is part of the UK-based Transition initiative, which has been expanding worldwide over the last 5 years. Transition operates within community groups on a grassroots level, founded and operated by the communities themselves, in response to the threats of climate change and peak oil. Through working on practical projects with different staff and student groups, the initiative helps communities minimise their impact on the planet, become more self-sustaining, and strengthens community ties. It also benefits individuals by developing their skills and encouraging re-consideration of the aspects of life which truly promote happiness and wellbeing.

The Transition initiative at the University was launched in 2009 by a group of students and has since gained momentum, with both academic and non-academic staff being involved. This year the group was awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to employ three full time staff members for 10 months to work on specific identified projects with staff and students in the four key transition areas – energy, waste, transport and food.

Energy in your building

There are a number of ways in which staff can help the University to reduce its energy consumption. This does not mean that you have to turn off your heating and not use your computer - a lot can be achieved simply by switching things off when they are not being used. Here are some suggestions for how we can work together to minimise the amount of energy wasted.

The University has recently secured£1 million from the Carbon Trust and the University to dedicate to energy-saving measures. Please help us to identify energy-saving projects that we can spend this money on.

Heating

Is your office too cold?

Before turning up your heating, consider whether this is really necessary. Why not put on another jumper? Try and bear in mind any colleagues who share your office - they may like the current office temperautre, and may not want the heating turned up. Try to keep your office within the recommended range of 18-21C. Above this temperature, germs will breed, and the high temperature may cause drowsiness. If you would like a thermometer to monitor the temperature, please contact the Environment Team. If you cannot raise your office temperature to 18C, please contact the Environment Team.

Please do not set your radiators to maximum, as this means that your radiator will continue to heat your room to ever-increasing temperatures. If you set them to between 2 and 3, this will level out the temperature and keep it steady. Do not expect an immediate response to adjusting your radiator - it may take up to an hour for your room to warm up.

Is your office too hot?

As mentioned above, the recommended office temperature is 18-21C. If your office is hotter than this, try to lower it by adjusting your radiator and opening the window. PLEASE ALWAYS TURN OFF YOUR RADIATOR BEFORE OPENING THE WINDOW. If your office is still above this temperature (especially if the weather is not particularly warm), or if you would like a thermometer to monitor the temperature, please contact theEnvironment Team.

Corridors

Corridors are often heated sufficiently by the offices leading off them, and may not need heat from their own radiators. As no one is responsible for the monitoring of these radiators, they often get overlooked and after being turned up in cold weather, are left on high when the weather has improved. If you notice a radiator in a corridor that is on higher than it needs to be, please turn it down/off.

Lighting

The University is introducing more energy efficient lights across the estate. However, a lot of energy is wasted by lights being left on in empty rooms. Please switch off any lights if you are the last person leaving the room. Even if you are only planning on leaving the room for a few minutes, it is worth switching them off - especially as you may get delayed or side-tracked. Switching lights on and off does not use any more energy than leaving them on.

Please make sure that your office light is switched off when you leave in the evening.

Maximise use of daylight by switching off lights when it is sunny.

Computers

Due to the large number of computers in the University, these contribute significantly to the University’s energy consumption. However, there are a number of things that you can do to help with this.

• Turn off your monitor if you are leaving your desk for more than a couple of minutes. Two thirds of a computer’s energy is used by the monitor.
• Turn off your computer completely if you are leaving your desk for more than an hour.
• Set up your computer so that the screen goes to standby after 5 minutes. Screen savers do not save any energy.
• Do not automatically switch on your computer when you arrive at work in the morning. Only switch on your computer when you need it.

Other Equipment

• Do not automatically switch on printers, photocopiers, etc when you arrive at work in the morning. Only switch them on when you need them.
• Make sure that these are switched off at night.

David Stutchfield, the University Energy Officer, explains about our current energy useage and how we need your help!

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