ENERGY SAVING WEEK - RESULTS

Monday 5th – Friday 9th November, RYB Konsult launched its in house Energy Saving Week. The week promoted a number of measures that focused on staff’s behaviour towards energy efficiency and energy consumption within the office.
The main focus involved employees behaviour around their work stations and to encourage a routine of switching off PCs, monitors and all forms of lighting. Carbon officers enforced and inspected these behavioural changes throughout the week. By switching off monitors and PCs overnight instead of leaving them on standby would save approximately 60W per PC station, saving 0.04 kgCO­2, over a year this would amount to 14.6 kgCO2 per station. It is hoped employees will now ‘switch off’ as part of their daily routine.
A lift ban was also imposed throughout the week, which encouraged staff to use two flights of stairs. Not only is energy being saved but also encouraging exercise, approximately 280 extra calories are burnt per person for walking up and down the stairs 4 times a day.
Before the week began the Carbon Team discussed which non-essential lighting could be switched off for the week. The lighting above the bookshelves and printers were deemed unnecessary, as the office floor light levels were adequate as to not affect employee’s daily work. By switching these 12 40W lamps off for the week saved approximately 1.92 kWh and 0.81kgCO2 respectively. All other lighting was switched off when not in use e.g. overnight. Back-up photocopiers and printers were also switched off for the week and it has been decided to keep them switched off until they are required.
Throughout the week employees were encouraged to dress appropriately according to the weather as heating and cooling fan coil units had been switched off. This allowed for increased use of natural ventilation and greater use of the blinds in the evenings to stop heat loss from the building.

Initial results show that the Energy Saving Week reduced the electricity demand by 15 % against previous meter readings saving 78 kgCO­2.

This week RYB Konsult is focusing on ‘Real Cup and Mug week’, in an aim to reduce the amount of plastic cups used.