Budget cuts and retracted funding by the state Legislature have ASU officials applying sustainability to save money around campus, including raising temperatures and dimming lights.
From using solar power and adjusting classroom temperatures to limiting printing and copying, the University is cutting costs in many ways.
On the Tempe campus, a two-megawatt solar power panel generates enough electricity to run about 4,600 computers and accounts for up to 7 percent of the energy needs on the campus, according the Global Institute of Sustainability.
The two megawatts of solar panels are expected to produce up to $425,000 worth of energy and cut ASU’s carbon emissions by 2,825 tons per year, the equivalent of the annual emissions of 523 cars, according to the institute.
David Brixen, associate vice president of University Services, said ASU is making the right type of changes to save money.
By the end of summer 2010, 10-megawatt panels will be installed on the Tempe and West campuses. Eventually, Brixen hopes to have about 20 panels across ASU’s four campuses, he said.
“I am pretty passionate about the use of renewable energy,” Brixen said.
Though ASU is currently paying about the same amount of money for solar power as it would cost from Arizona Public Service, the solar power price is locked for the next 15 years.
APS rates are expected to increase, so solar power is expected to quickly become less expensive, he said.
The University is also going through the process of changing the type of light bulbs in all parking structures, buildings and walkways.
Parking structures will have LED lightbulbs while buildings and walkways will have lower energy fluorescent light bulbs, Brixen said.
“What we are really working feverishly on is changing out the lightbulbs,” he said.
Once the changes are complete — hopefully before August — the anticipated savings are $5.5 million annually, he said.
Lighting costs account for 20 to 30 percent of ASU’s energy bill, he said, and students and faculty alike can help cut costs by turning them off.
“An individual light here and there doesn’t seem to hurt so bad, but when you add them up it can make a big difference,” he said.
Earlier this month, new cost-cutting proposals for classroom temperatures were set at 82 degrees in the summer and 65 degrees in the winter, Brixen said.
However, those changes were too aggressive, he said, so temperatures were officially set at 80 degrees for summer months and 68 degrees for winter months.
The measure will save ASU about $200,000 annually, he said.
Reach the reporter at beth.easterbrook@asu.edu
