You Can Help

If you belong to the Carleton University Community, remember that reduced water and energy usage, not only saves our environment but also translates into reduced student tuition and increased job opportunities for our staff.

Building by Building

Statistics

Achievements

View previous messages and answers

• Our Goal - Reduce consumption by 20% in the next fiscal year (starting April 98)

• we estimate that 40% of our water consumption may be unnecessary and wasteful. In some buildings, water cooled air conditioning operates year round.
• our underground city water pipes are aging and corroded and watermain breaks have been a problem. We hired a company to survey the entire campus to identify underground leaks.
• by replacing or repairing leaking equipment.
• replacing wasteful faucets, shower heads etc.
• replacing or eliminating air conditioning units that use water for cooling.
• we have installed and/or calibrated flushometers recently in many buildings. The entire campus was surveyed for leaks and many were found and have been repaired.
• savings = $200 000

You Can Help

• report leaking toilets, taps etc.
• do not use water wastefully, i.e. for cooling etc.
• design labs with water usage efficiency in mind. Remember what you may be saving from your own pocket, is coming out of somebody else's.

• Our Goal -Decrease consumption by 5 % in the next fiscal year (starting April 98).

• by improving the power factor by installing capacitor banks -currently the university is penalized $41 000/yr for a bad power factor by Ottawa Hydro. We have plans to add 1200 kVAr of capacitance cost-$90 000 payback - 2.2 years.
• by raising public awareness which will hopefully cut down on waste
• by possibly converting the Social Science building from electrical heat to a cheaper form of energy.
• by instituting harmonics correction.
• savings =$150 000

You Can Help

• turn off all equipment i.e. computers, photocopiers, fax machines at night and when not in use. Electronic equipment not only consumes power it also affects the power quality (harmonics) in the grid.
• turn out the lights, when you leave your room.
• report obvious waste

Please see:Harmonics Correction

• Our Goal - Reduce consumption by 10% in the next fiscal year. (starting April 98)

• by replacing leaking and malfunctioning steam traps. We have recently surveyed the campus and found that over 100 of the 750 steam traps on campus are defective. A repair program is now in place and we intend to have these traps repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
• by possibly raising the efficiency of our boilers. A recent study by Consumer Gas suggested that the losses could be reduced by reducing the operating pressure of the boilers during periods of low consumption.
• by studying the buildings for obvious heat/energy losses
• savings =$110 000

You Can Help

• do not open windows unnecessarily or leave a room with a window open.
• do not leave hot water running ie showers in the Athletics building or in residence
• report obvious waste