Greenlines: Issue 31 (Switch Off Week Special)

GreenlinesSwitch On to Switching Off

The first ever Switch Off Week at the University of Cambridge resulted in an overall drop in electricity use of 2.1%, thanks to efforts by staff and students to turn off equipment and lights when not required.

This figure reflects the energy saved in comparison to the week before – and has been adjusted to account for the weather.

Staff and students across many departments were inspired by a visible ‘Cambridge Green Challenge’ campaign to turn off lights and computers and other equipment, saving the equivalent of £5,000 or 50,484 kilowatt hours (kWh) by the end of the week.

A remarkable mid-week drop saw a 4.1% reduction in consumption by Wednesday without any ‘degree day’ correction for weather conditions,

equal to 45,310 kWh. The week’s total savings were the equivalent energy needed to send Pro-Vice-Chancellor Jeremy Sanders on a virtual tour around the globe; savings by midnight on Wednesday had shot him 28 times round. Snapshots of his various adventures can be seen on the Switch Off Week website.

This impressive effort was followed by an end-of-the-week dwindle. Numb toes meant the temptation to turn on electric heaters was too great and our savings reduced over the week. The cold weather also meant an increase in electricity use by several of the University’s buildings that have controlled air temperatures and humidity levels. Unfortunately this is not something that conscientious switching-off can prevent.

On the other hand, some buildings saw tremendous savings over the week with a 7% reduction at the Old Schools, a 13% saving by the Careers Service in Stuart House and a huge 20% saving by Estate Management’s Kenmare House. These are an indication of the benefits of the small effort of switching off idle equipment, leading to drastic cuts in overall energy consumption.

Should the habit be continued throughout the year, and 2.1% less energy across the University be used every day, a total of £244,137 would be

Issue number 31, Switch Off Week 2013 NOW MONTHLY

The sustainability newsletter for the University

www.admin.cam.ac.uk/environment : [email protected]

: @CambridgeSust

Inside this issue:

Photo competition winners 3 Energy saving idea competition 4 Climate and Sustainability Forum 4 Pledge tree 5 Green Impact effect 5 Retrofit Design Competition 6 From inside a Department 6

ISSN: 2048-2442 (Online)

saved and 1,420 fewer tonnes of CO2 would be released to the atmosphere.

The Energy Incentivisation Scheme means departments now have an allocated budget, according to their energy needs. Whatever they save they may use how they wish; whatever they spend over their budget they must pay for. Therefore savings made by departments during Switch Off Week, and continued savings throughout the year, will be fed back into departmental budgets.

In addition to this, the Energy and Carbon Reduction Project (ECRP) will now donate £5,000 towards an energy saving idea to be chosen by a University-wide vote. This sum is equivalent to that saved by the 2.1% energy reduction over Switch Off Week.

Switch Off Week was designed not only to illustrate the effects that many individual efforts can make in one week, but also to change and create habits throughout the year.

Departments and offices who wish to continue the effort or to begin to

reduce their energy consumption can still find resources and help from the Environment and Energy Section. Funding is also potentially available for a variety of energy saving measures, including improvements to IT equipment. Please email [email protected] for both posters and stickers or for information on funding.

In addition an energy survey may identify where and when resource is being wasted, and how this can be managed by better control systems. Please email [email protected] to arrange a visit to your building or Department, or request that your Facilities Manager or similar role-holder contact the Energy Team.

The Environment and Energy Road Show toured several buildings during the week. It took with it a ‘pledge tree’ on which people could attach written promises for more responsible energy use.

Many people revealed that they did not turn off computers, monitors and other IT equipment, even overnight. Others

resolved to dress more appropriately for cold weather; others to use only the lighting that was strictly required.

This year’s Switch Off Week has shown us both where successes have been made and where efforts need to be directed. This was the first year Cambridge has run a University-wide Switch Off Week and in one week we managed to save £5,000. Imagine what we can achieve in Switch Off Week 2014.

Greenlines Issue number 31, Switch Off Week 2013


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Switch Off Week in numbers

33 miles travelled by electric car transporting goods between road show locations.

12 minutes was the record for generating 85 watts on the energy bike.

132 people signed up for Greenlines.

40 new Twitter followers for @CambridgeSust

7,375 views of the University’s carbon website during Switch Off Week

27 tonnes of CO2 saved by people switching off unused equipment.



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Photo competition winnersDuring Switch Off Week, staff and students could take part in a number of competitions asking for photos of Switch Off Week or ideas about how to save energy. The Environmental Office recived over 40 photographs across the categories. The Switch Off Week Working Group decided on the best in category and winners have been awarded a bottle of organic wine and an Independent Cambridge book.

We are delighted to announce the winner of the ‘Thermal Thursday’ photo competition. Many excellent photos in this category were submitted; Laura Shaw from MML, Fiona Riggall from CPSL, Michelle Cain from the Depart-ment of Chemistry and Sarah Broadbent from Chemical Engineering all displayed notable skill and imagination in their efforts. The winner, however, was Di Ingham from Es-tate Management. Her photo of Estate Management lined up in their colourful jumpers, next to the jumper bunting hung from their building’s façade, was sheer vibrancy and fun. If only the faces of passers-by could have been captured on film!

The winner of the Switch Off Week Event photo category was submitted by Jacqueline Garget from the Development Office. The photo captures their low carbon bake sale held as part of Switch Off Week. The challenge was for staff to create cakes which had a small carbon footprint. The rules were simple: use local ingredients to reduce air miles, use organic ingredients as organic farms are generally considered to use more sustain-able methods of farming, and most important is to find dishes with minimal or no oven energy. The Development Office low carbon bake sale was a success with 7 tasty low carbon cakes being made. They raised enough money to buy and plant three trees in Ford Wood, Bassingbourn, via the Woodland Trust, to take some of our excess carbon out of the atmosphere.

The winner was Louise Gutteridge from Institute of Continuing Education for capturing a photo an all too common issue with heating experienced across the University. Louise wrote, “In the winter, when the office gets too hot the only solution is to open the adjacent window and let the radiators heat escape .” Estate Management are working extremely hard to improve the situation, but it is recognised that individuals may be less comfortable than they would wish and that individuals may prefer different temperatures to each other. Most radiators have the ability for you to turn them down manually. Cardboard thermometers have been made available from the Environmental and Energy Section. If you have concerns over the level of heating within your building please highlight these to your Departmental Administrator or Energy Champion.

Jumpers for Thermal Thursday

Switch Off Week event

Energy saving photo

For more photos of Switch Off Week please visit the Switch Off Week website (www.admin.cam.ac.uk/carbon/getting_involved).

Energy Saving Idea competition

As part of Switch Off Week, staff and students were asked to submit ideas about how they thought the University could save money. The winner of the Energy Saving Idea competition is Third- year student Harrison Bowers, Department of Plant Sciences. His suggestion is to introduce thick curtains across the Estate, as a solution for heating insulation in old buildings.

This idea was chosen because it

offered something simple and practical which we are not doing already.

Harrison said, “A significant amount of this energy is lost through the single-glass panes, often with their seals breaking or even cracks showing, that predominate the landscape. An extremely effective way of hindering that escape would be by introducing thick curtains or plain roller blinds across the estate. In a test conducted by English Heritage, heat loss was reduced by 41% for the thick curtains and 38% by the plain

roller blinds. If enough money is saved, an even better way (and a great way to meet modern Building Regulations) would be to install good quality secondary glazing - well-fitted, closed shutters also produced similarly good results. An added bonus of this interior design is that the look of the building is altered in no way at all - during the day, these installations would be opened to allow the great natural light inside, while at night, would provide an all-important barrier to the cold.”

Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum 2013.

We are pleased to announce the Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum 2013. Join us on the 15th of March for a highly engaging day discussing the theme of “Local Action. Global Change?”. Will technological breakthroughs lead us to a sustainable future? Or will it be individual action that drives the change we need?

In addition to speakers from the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University who will be touching on what research is being done with regard to climate

change mitigation, there will also be local and national student societies sharing stories of their efforts - their successes and the challenges they encountered. Look forward to inspiring talks, interactive workshops and plenty of opportunities to network with the speakers, guests and other organisations. This promises to be one of the highlights of the sustainability calendar - a must for anyone interested in tomorrow’s world!

For more information, please visit the forum homepage: www.cambridgeclimateforum.org.

Climate and Sustainability Forum 2013


Upcoming Events

Green Impact SurgeryOn 14th March Green Impact teams from across the University will meet to discuss their progress and gain ideas, support and encouragement from fellow teams.

Electrical recyclingAnything with a plug or batteries can be recycled for free at Sidgwick Site 14-15 March 2013. Start rummaging!

Climate Forum Inspiring talks, interactive workshops and plenty of opportunities to network with the speakers, guests and other organisations on 15th March.

Retrofit Design Competition Deadline 5th April


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“Turn my computer off when I go for lunch”

“Turn my laptop off when I go out or go to bed”

“Put a jumper on and not resort to the electric heater”

“Turn the heating down in my room when I go to college”

“Report the problems with my heating”

“Switch off all equipment in the office before I leave”

“Turn the kitchen light off”

“Turn the light off in the ladies room”

“Turn down my heating one notch and put a jumper on”

“Turn off office printer”

“ALWAYS switch off my monitor when

not at my desk”

“Turn off unused computers when I am leaving the computer room”

“Turn off the corridor light”

“Promise to turn off my computer when I leave and not rely on automatic switch off at 7”

“Turn my computer off when I go for a meeting”

Switch Off Week saw Green Impact teams come out in droves to champion the environment in their departments.

University of Cambridge’s Green Impact teams helped organise and promote Switch Off Week in their place of work by holding competitions, showing films and circulating information among staff and students, all to encourage people to switch on to switching off.

Green Impact teams are groups of staff and students in departments, buildings or institutions across the University who have signed up to an online workbook to help make their workplace more sustainable.

The University’s 17 Green Impact teams have collectively completed more than 80 actions to help departments earn themselves a Bronze, Silver or Gold

award for their environmental efforts and achievements.

Teams have found Green Impact a great platform to begin addressing environmental issues in their workplace such as disposable plastic cups. It is also a way of finding other green minded people in their Department with whom they can discuss and work with to help make a positive impact.

It is not too late to join in the fun - only last week we have had another team sign up to Green Impact. Discuss starting your own teams by emailing [email protected].

The next Green Impact Surgery will take place at 74 Trumpington Street on 14th March. Green Impact teams from across the University will meet to discuss their progress share ideas, give support.

The Green Impact effect


Pledge tree promises


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Pledge treesAs part of the Environment and Energy Road Show, staff and students were encouraged to write a pledge about something they would promise to during Switch Off Week to save energy and keep it up there after. Below are just a few of the photos we received. From left to right Estate Management; Modern and Medieval Languages; Judge Business School.

This month, Greenlines asked Dai Morgan from Institute for Manufacturing to tell us about how they found the Switch Off Week experience.

The Environment and Energy Roadshow descended on the IfM during Switch Off Week. Their challenge was to get the staff and students to switch stuff off when it’s not needed and thereby reduce their energy consumption, carbon emissions and also save money for the University.

Centre-piece of the day was the opportunity to try and drive some everyday electronic goods using nothing but an exercise bike and whatever energy your morning’s breakfast could provide. IfM staff Chris and Matt led the way eclipsing a lamentable showing from myself who spent the day propping up the league table and wheezing. Ken our

eminent cycler notably strolled through a few minutes pedalling, chatting effortlessly and powering the array of devices without breaking sweat, before nobly declining to set a time.

Whilst the competition was fun the exercise (in a literal sense) demonstrated how much effort it takes to power even a simple MP3 player, LCD screen and a couple of lightbulbs – things we might all use almost constantly and on a daily basis – and how switching things off can make life a little easier for those providing (and paying for) the energy.

The Alan Reece building was specially selected to host because of it’s unique design and status within the University as the first building in the University with a BREEAM excellent rating. Much of the final impact of a building however depends on

how it is used and so the team encouraged us all to consider the impact of our activities and do our bit to reduce energy usage.

At the IfM we saw a saving of an approximate 4% of electricity use from the first 4 days of Switch Off Week in comparison to the week before and we are eagerly awaiting the final results from the Energy Team.

But what is clear is that people here have been talking about the event, switching things off and putting jumpers on and those who didn’t go were gutted to have missed out so you have created a stir – the challenge is now to make this last!


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GreenBRIDGE and the Living Laboratory for

Sustainability are hosting the Sustainable

Retrofit Challenge 2013 competition. It is

a design and retrofit competition, calling

on participants to propose innovative yet

realistic design solutions for an existing

building of the University of Cambridge.

The aim is to reduce carbon emissions

and energy use, improve the overall

sustainability of the University Estate,

without compromising the users’ comfort

and the building’s architectural and

aesthetical value.

This is a fantastic opportunity for students

to not only demonstrate sustainable design

knowledge through a unique challenge,

but also expand their skill set with hands

on practical experience on a real case

study. Moreover, it is a chance to influence

the University’s future retrofit decisions,

through the competition proposal.

Current students and recent graduates are

eligible to participate individually or in

teams of up to four people. The deadline for

applications is 5th of April.

Participants will be expected to make

use of skills ranging from architectural

design, engineering, building physics,

behavioural change, thermal modelling,

policy, planning, CAD and simulation

tools. An integral part of the event will

be a series of skills seminars, which will

present key aspects of sustainable design

and management, aiming to help the

participants acquire a general knowledge

of sustainability in the built environment

and the key challenges in achieving it.

The seminars will take place in Cambridge

during Easter term (23 April – 14 June) and

attendance is optional. They will be filmed

and made available to all participants of

the competition and they will be open to

the wider public.

The participants are required to submit

a report of no more than 20 pages by

midnight, June 9. They also have to prepare

a presentation for the final event on 27

June.

Finally, there will be a presentation and

evaluation event on 26-27 June 2013 at

Cambridge, with a keynote speaker as

well as with networking events and some

time for the participants to finalise their

presentation for the judging panel. There

will be £1000 in cash prizes for the first

three teams that will meet the evaluation

criteria in the best possible way.

For more information and to register please

visit www.greenbridge.org.uk. Please pass

along this great opportunity through to

anyone who you think would be interested

in participating.

Retrofit Design Competition

From inside a Department – Institute for Manufacturing

Greenlines: Issue 31 (Switch Off Week Special)

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