The University is committed to a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. As part of our efforts to highlight and reduce our energy usage‚ we will be running a major exercise on the Highfield campus on the evening of Friday 27th April.
The challenge is to turn-off all non-essential equipment in office areas that has been left on before the weekend (i.e. computers, printers, lights, mobile phone chargers). Afterwards, we will compare energy usage during the ‘blackout’ with energy use on a comparable weekend. This will show us the real savings that can be achieved with just a few small changes to the way we work.
This probably sounds familiar, and it is, it will be a larger scale version of the exercise piloted successfully by Chemistry four months ago.
This exercise will only encompass buildings on the Highfield campus. But this is a big task so a group of about 200 student and staff volunteers will be allocated buildings and at 7pm on the 27th, accompanied by security staff, will access offices to commence the ‘blackout’.
We believe this exercise will highlight the huge impact that small, collective actions can have on our campuses.
I need to leave a piece of equipment on – can I opt out?
Yes – please download this form and return it to [email protected]. The staff in charge of the event will ensure that the equipment is left on.
Can I volunteer to help?
Yes – we need students to volunteer to help turn off the equipment and staff to help supervise the exercise.
If you have any further questions about the Blackout exercise you can email Dr Neil Smith, the University’s Environment Manager at [email protected].
This exercise will form part of a much larger programme of activities for Environment Week (23-27th April). Full details will follow shortly.