Electrical energy is a major part of our lives. It allows us to get our work done, but we don’t often think about all of the work that goes into being able to flip a switch and have light. There are many ways that we can reduce our energy consumption through conserving electricity.
EWU’s electricians are responsible for everything electrical on campus. This is a lot of work because it includes a wide range of things such as fire alarms, the crosswalk lights, elevators, Roos Field stadium lights, and all other lights on campus.
The electricity we have at EWU comes largely from hydroelectric energy, as does the majority of electricity in Washington state. To learn more about Washington state’s energy production, visit U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Electricians at EWU involve sustainability by installing motion-sensor lighting, which automatically turns off when there’s no ac
tivity in a room. This saves energy by making sure the lights are only being used when the room is in use. They also have switched many of the lightbulbs to LEDs, which has a 3 to 1 energy conservation compared to non-LED lighting.
The electricians plan to involve sustainability in future projects by switching the Roos Field lighting to LEDs. This would save a significant amount of energy, and it would create brighter lighting for the stadium.
We are encouraged to be mindful of our energy consumption by turning off lights when we leave rooms, and by turning off electrical devices when we are not using them.