The Department of Energy Management
Newsletter No. 2
Winter ’22 Edition
Before You Go…
Introduction: Happy holiday season from The Department of Energy Management! We hope your Thanksgiving and winter vacations allow you a revitalizing break surrounded by people you love. Before you go, it’s important to ensure that your apartment / residence hall / home here in Tuscaloosa isn’t expending unnecessary energy throughout your vacations. Curious how? Keep reading!
[ALT TEXT]: A festive photo of a pine tree covered in warm, glowing string lights. It sits atop a layer of snow.
Opportunities: Want to get involved in energy conservation and other sustainable initiatives? Here are some upcoming opportunities!
- Complete our Energy Questionnaire.
- Apply to become an Alabama Eco Ambassador for volunteer opportunities with the department
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Before You Go // Energy Saving Guide:
- Make sure all lights are turned off
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- Set thermostat to 70 degrees
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- Check for leaking faucets
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- Unplug anything unnecessary
– This includes TVs, monitors, clocks, microwaves, chargers, etc.
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Big News: According to CNBC, “The Biden Administration is providing over $13 billion in aid to help low- and moderate-income Americans lower their energy costs, including grants to pay electric bills as well as other incentives to make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes” (McCoy). This initiative aims to make basic energy needs more affordable for working families across the nation.
Source: CNBC
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Local News: Beginning this December, Alabama Power will begin charging more for electricity. They claim that this is due to increasing costs of the fuel necessary for their electricity production. They encourage customers to reference their Energy Saving Guide to combat the rising costs.
Source: WVUA 23
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Campus Conservation: Did you know that our campus houses multiple honey bee & wildflower habitats? These lands provide insects with a pollinator-friendly space!
Source: The University of Alabama
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Conservation Champs: Congratulations to the winning residence hall of the Crimson Conserve energy competition… Lakeside East! The competition resulted in total savings of 80,318 kWh over its two week course from October 17-30. Those same habits over a one year period would save 2,007,950 kWh! They will be awarded a celebration and prize for their efforts. Well done!
[ALT TEXT]: A photo of the entrance to Lakeside East residence hall.
Bulb Swap: During the first week of the Crimson Conserve competition (October 17-21), the department hosted a light bulb swap event in which students were encouraged to swap a traditional light bulb for a more efficient LED, free of charge! Thanks to the students who participated. We will likely host more swaps in the future.
Have any thoughts on how additional energy could be saved across campus? Please let us know! We accept submissions through this link.
Energy Trivia: MYTH OR FACT? It’s estimated that about 644 million kWh of energy is used every year to cook Thanksgiving turkeys.
(see answer at the end)
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Sustainable Cheat Sheet:
A life hack that benefits you and the planet!
The holiday season inspires excessive consumption. While it’s a great sentiment to exchange gifts with your loved ones, it can have drastic effects on the environment…
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, “An estimated $400 million was spent on 10 million unwanted gifts last Christmas, many of which were discarded and likely ended up in landfill” (Collett).
To combat this problem, here’s a list of more sustainable gift options that many people would love to receive:
- Concert tickets
- Virtual gift cards
- Handmade, personalized crafts
- Sporting event tickets
- Baked goods
- Local business purchases
- Reusable items (bags, cutlery, drinkware, etc.)
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Post Highlight: Here is a recent Energy Management post that encourages UA students to fill out our Energy Questionnaire! We are hoping to gain a greater understanding of the energy usage habits of the student body. The form only takes a couple minutes to complete, and one lucky participant will be randomly selected to receive a $25 gift card. Please fill it out if you haven’t already, and follow us on social media (@UAEnergyMgmt on IG and FB) to see updates like this one in the future!
[ALT TEXT]: A photo of a phone with its screen displaying the Energy Management Instagram Account. The specific screencap is a photo of the Microsoft Form containing our department’s “Energy Questionnaire”.
Trivia Answer: FACT. According to “Direct Energy”, business.directenergy.com
Thanks for reading!
Check out our…
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