Think Green; Act Green – Energy Use: Office Operations
Energy Use: Office Operations
Although the NRTEE organization is small relative to other federal government departments, we recognize that part of our footprint stems from energy use in our routine office operations. The NRTEE did an assessment of energy use in its office space to determine where efficiencies could be found. This included a review of the lighting, IT equipment and other plug-in equipment, space heating and cooling, and miscellaneous appliances. The NRTEE also made an effort to engage its landlord’s building management representatives to examine those efforts being made as part of their *BOMA Green+ requirements. *BOMA Best is a recognized environmental certification program for commercial buildings that addresses energy use and waste management.
General Policies
The NRTEE strives to:
- Use the most energy efficient lighting, IT equipment and other plug-in equipment and appliances in its office space.
- Promote energy conservation by employees.
- Track carbon emissions generated by energy use in its office operations.
NRTEE Practice
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NRTEE Practice |
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Lighting |
High efficiency incandescent and halogen lamps are in place. Employees are encouraged to turn off lights off when office space is not occupied. |
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IT Equipment |
Desktop and Notebook Computers meet EPEAT Gold or Silver Level Requirements |
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Printers |
These are a mix of older less efficient printers and newer more efficient models; printers are being replaced with more efficient models when required. |
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| Servers |
Servers have been replaced with virtualized servers that are more energy efficient and reduce the amount of energy required to keep the ambient temperature at the required level.
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Photocopiers |
Equipment is the most efficient available for NRTEE applications; it is equipped with automatic energy saving modes. |
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Website |
This is hooked on an energy efficient internal server. |
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Thermostats |
Thermostats have been programmed to conserve energy. |
Looking forward
The NRTEE is moving forward with plans to upgrade equipment to more energy efficient models over time. As well, the NRTEE seeks to encourage responsible behaviour of staff through its employee engagement program, and to track results through ongoing assessments of office energy use.
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Virtualized Servers:
Virtualization lets you run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine. Fewer servers means less heat, less demand for power, and less waste. This in turn can reduce energy costs by as much as 80%.
https://www.vmware.com/virtualization/green-it/
© 2013