Conserving energy is campus wide effort

by Karen Burbach, UNMC public affairs | August 19, 2003

picture disc.Employees can impact UNMC's energy consumption by turning off lights, computers and monitors in offices, whenever possible, said Nick Combs, UNMC's manager of Maintenance and Utilities.

The reminder follows last week's widespread power outage that plunged parts of eight eastern states and two Canadian provinces into darkness. It also is part of UNMC's continued effort to conserve energy.

Similar to a private residence, UNMC's energy bill is based on the amount of energy used (kWh). However, unlike residential bills, the campus also pays for its energy demand (kW) or the amount of instantaneous energy needed at a given time. That rate is pro-rated for 11 months based on the peak amount of energy used in a 15-minute period.

The campus generally reaches its peak energy demand in August.

"With everyone's cooperation, we can reduce our overall energy consumption," Combs said.