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To the University Community, This fall Yale University, under the leadership of President Levin, passed one of the most aggressive university-wide greenhouse gas reduction strategies in the nation - setting a high standard for ourselves, and our peer institutions. Through the combined efforts of student groups — the Student Task Force for Environmental Partnership and New Haven Action — and our Facilities Operations Department, energy use in the Residential Colleges has been reduced by 9.3% since September 2005 and a campus wide reduction of 3.0% has been achieved this fiscal year. These are important early steps in our long-term goals of decreasing energy consumption, and we send out thanks to all who have participated. If we are going to meet our challenging reduction targets, however, we must continue these trends. Beginning this month, as part of this continuing long term effort to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, Facilities Operations staff will be altering the non-business hours operating temperature of many non-residential buildings on campus. The new set points during unoccupied hours (typically 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) will be:
These changes represent, on average, a 2 degree change from current unoccupied operating parameters. The effect of these changes, when combined with the effect of more efficient operations during occupied hours, is an anticipated reduction of 7,800 metric tons of annual carbon emissions and an operating savings of over $1 million dollars. Please join us in this initiative to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by:
For tips on staying warm in the winter and staying cool in the summer go to: http://www.yale.edu/energy . If you have a problem with your thermostat, please contact the Facilities Operations Call Center at 2-6888. For more information on greenhouse gas reduction strategy and energy conservation at Yale go to: http://www.yale.edu/sustainability. Sincerely, Bruce D. Alexander |