CFL's Pack Big Savings at University of Guelph
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09. 3.06
What better place to inculcate young people with the idea of saving energy than a university, and what a good example of the effectiveness of changing over to compact flourescents. At the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, they changed all 6,600 bulbs in student residences to CFL's. Results: 810,000 kWH less consumption per year; $ 64,000 saved in power purchases; 751,000 kg of CO2 not put into the atmosphere. We like also how students voted to spend extra money on 100% wind power for their student-run cafeteria. Go Guelph! ::Sustainability at U of G
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- CFLs Could Curb Global Lighting Demand by 40% - and At What Cost?
- From the Forums: Proving CFL's are more efficient?
- Pink is the New Green
- New Town in Canadian Wilderness by Philip Johnson
One problem with CFLs is the recycling though, once they have served their purpose. Those bulbs contain mercury and thus should not go into the normal garbage.
Terrific. Energy conservation and renewables: the best of both worlds. My hat's off.
Regards,
Thomas O. Gray
American Wind Energy Association
www.awea.org
www.ifnotwind.org
Hey, i used to go to that university. Their group called Eco House does a lot for the environment too. They sold soil and hemp jewlery to buy plots of rainforest, and they plant trees all over campus. They faught to get composts put on campus and for recycling to be put into the cafeteria.
It is encouraging to see every level of society starting to take energy seriously and taking that necessary steps to minimize its own impact. I hear of single individuals doing their bit to conserve energy and use renewables. I recently read of that English town trying to do it. Now I read of this university. And I have read of a number of countries starting to make a serious effort to conserve and use renewables. I believe it will only work on a national level if every level below is trying to do it on their own. From single family homes, to businesses, schools, to suburbs and towns, up to the state and then national levels. Very encouraging.
Apparently the mercury risk of a CFL is lesser than that of an incandescent bulb . Read here
The school I work for has made some serious enviro-friendly changes too, but the administration was more concerned about the bottom line than planetary stewardship.
Starting in 2003 the a water recycling program saves on average 30 million gallons of water/year
This year we have now changed 17,500 ballasts and 39,800 fluorescent lamps in a total modernization of the lighting systems. This resulted in an energy savings of 960,000 KWH per year. Last year we completed the installation of hurricane film throughout the facility, which not only protects us from flying objects breaking through our windows (protection up to 120 MPH) but also provides an energy savings of 61,320 KWH per year. We also implemented a program of replacing old motors with newer energy efficient models which saves 10,500KWH.
The impact of these conservation measures on the environment is:
Carbon Dioxide emissions avoided per year = 1,754,000 pounds
Nitrogen Oxide emissions avoided per year = 1,362 pounds
Sulfur Dioxide emissions avoided per year = 3,271 pounds
(note: these numbers were not calculated by me, feel free to use your own formulas to determine the emissions saved by cutting 1,031,820KWH of electrical usage.)
LA: what school is it?
Hello,
In response to Frank Michlick, the U of G is rolling out a "new and improved" fluorescent lamp recycling program alongside the switch over to CFLs in residence. Thanks to everyone and their positive and encouraging comments!
Gillian Maurice
Sustainability Coordinator
University of Guelph
LA, I work for Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX (not affiliated or connected with Baylor University)
http://www.bcm.edu
That is a great story. I myself am a recent University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) graduate and have begun a campaign to get the university to purchase 10% of its energy from renewable sources. I have calculated that purchasing 10% of its electricity from renewable sources would cost Pitt $375,000 dollars, which would hardly put a dent in the school's $1.55 Billion operating budget and $30 million electricity bill.
If you wish to support the cause feel free to visit and post a link to your own blog at:
http://renewablepitt.blogspot.com/
CFL are horrible. and anyone like myself who has lupus CANNOT be around them.
they emit uv rays which cause me (and many others) a lot of pain.
i get painful skin rashes, headaches, nausea, joint pain and the list goes on and on.
CFl's need to be researched. just because they use less energy does not make them a good option at all.
quite frankly my life is worth a lot more than a few kilowatts.
lesley