Energy Conservation
ENERGY STAR Partner
Freed-Hardeman is proud to be recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner. ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. FHU is also part of the ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Campaign. This campaign is a nationwide effort to assist and recognize organizations for reducing the energy consumed by IT equipment.
Save Energy While You’re Away
If you are going away for the weekend or a holiday break, help Freed-Hardeman “save while you’re away”.
- Turn off lights and lamps
- Adjust thermostats to appropriate unoccupied settings
- Unoccupied heating set at 55⁰F (fan set to auto)
- Unoccupied cooling set at 85⁰F (fan set to auto)
- Turn off and unplug all devices which use electricity
Quick Tip: Plug all of your electronics into surge protector power-strips. Not only will you protect your electronics, but it will be easier for you to quickly unplug your items.
During extended holiday breaks at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break, we also ask that students, faculty and staff clean out, defrost and unplug personal refrigerators.
Thermostat Setting
Between 60-65% of our energy costs are connected to heating/cooling buildings. Our goal is to keep students and faculty comfortable during class and scheduled activities. Scheduled setback periods ensure that energy is not wasted when the buildings are unoccupied. Campus has a great opportunity to see further energy savings by keeping thermostats set within university guidelines
Keep room thermostats within university HEAT settings
- Occupied heating between 68-72⁰F (fan set to auto)
- Unoccupied heating set at 55⁰F (fan set to auto)
Keep room thermostats within university COOL settings
- Occupied cooling between 72-76⁰F (fan set to auto)
- Unoccupied cooling set at 85⁰F (fan set to auto)
- Ceiling fans operating in all areas that have them.
In addition, heating/cooling costs can be reduced by ensuring that outside doors and windows remain CLOSED when HVAC is in use.
Electricity Conservation
Since July 2012, FHU has reduced its carbon footprint by over 513 metric tons of CO2. This is the equivalent of removing 92 passenger cars from the road for an entire year. Students, faculty, and staff members continue to make a positive impact on the environment by reducing their electricity consumption in the following ways:
- Turn OFF lights and lamps in unoccupied rooms.
- Refrain from turning ON lights when they are not needed.
- Remember that lights not only consume electricity, but they also give off heat that places an additional load on the air conditioning equipment, thereby increasing the use of electricity necessary to cool the room.
- Turn off computers, TVs, stereos, game systems and other devices not being used.
- Unplug chargers when not in use.
- Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) instead of incandescent bulbs.
Water Conservation
FHU has reduced its water consumption by more than 11%. You can contribute to this act of stewardship by doing a few simple actions including the following:
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
- Take shorter showers
- Only run dishwashers and washing machines when full
- Ensure all plumbing and/or intrusion (i.e. roof) leaks are reported immediately to Facilities for repair.