Green Living- Energy

In addition to the guidelines on the Energy page, here are additional tips for conserving energy in the Law School residence halls.

• Heating and Cooling
• Computers and Electronics
• Lighting
• Laundry

Heating and Cooling

Gropius (Ames, Dane, Holmes, Shaw) and Hastings Halls

 When the heat is on, make sure that no books, desks, or beds are blocking airflow from the heating unit; this is one of the biggest reasons that rooms do not heat properly.  If rooms should overheat, do NOT leave windows open to let excess air escape- instead contact Facilities immediately.

North Hall and HLS Apartments

Residents have control over a thermostat for both heating and cooling, and fan, which controls airflow.  Setting thermostats back by even by a couple of degrees when you're out for the day results in significant energy savings (please note that it doesn't take more energy to reheat or re-cool a space that it would to have taken to maintain room temperature).  When the heat is on (approximately mid October to mid May), set your thermostat back to 60-65 degrees when out for the day, and to 60 when away for the weekend, or on breaks.  When air conditioning is on (approximately mid May to mid October), residents of the HLS Apartments can conserve energy by setting temperatures to between 78-80 when away for the day or weekend.  Thermostats in North Hall will automatically scale back settings when unoccupied. 

Air conditioning is generally available to North Hall and the HLS apartments between mid May and mid October.  However, please note that the availability of air conditioning is contingent upon outside air temperatures.  During the spring and fall, when temperatures vary, If rooms or apartments are warmer than outside air, residents are expected to use windows to allow cool air in to their room or apartment.

Contact Facilities Management at (617) 495-5521 or facmgmt@law.harvard.edu as soon as problems with heating or cooling arise.

Using Your Thermostat- North Hall

The thermostat must be in “auto” to control room temperature; this mode is controlled by the OFF/AUTO button.

Press the up and down arrows to select a desired room temperature, or “set point.”  For energy conservation, thermostat ranges are set in support of the HLS Temperature Policy (70°F in winter and 74°F in summer).  In addition, a door mounted sensor allows the thermostat to automatically adjust settings when the room is empty. For more information about the HLS Temperature Policy, please visit the Commitments and Policies page.

Press DISPLAY to toggle between the room set point and the actual room temperature.

Adjust fan speed by pressing the FAN button; fans help circulate air.

Using Your Thermostat- HLS Apartments

Press the up and down arrows to select a desired room temperature, or “set point.”   For energy conservation, thermostat ranges are set in support of the HLS Temperature Policy (70°F in winter and 74°F in summer).  For more information about the HLS Temperature Policy, please visit the Commitments and Policies page.  

Fans must be running for room air conditioning to work.  To turn air conditioning fan on or off, press and hold the sun/moon button for 3 seconds.  There will be a 10-15 second delay before the fan turns on or off. 

Computers and Electronics

• Turn off computers, stereo systems, TVs, and other appliances when they are not in use.
• Save energy with no effort by enabling your computer's energy-saving features.   For instructions, check out these fact sheets for Windows and Mac.
• If you leave your computer for even short periods of time, shut off the monitor... even this simple step results in significant energy savings!
• Buy ENERGY STAR®-qualified models to make sure your appliances aren't wasting energy when in sleep mode.
• Don't leave cell phones, laptop, or battery chargers plugged in when not in use. Many of the transformers continue to consume energy 24/7 even when nothing is being charged.
• Put your computer and entertainment systems on a power strip and turn off the strip when you are not using them.

Lighting

• Turn off lights when not in use, even for just a few minutes.  Leaving florescent lights on rather than shutting them off and on does NOT save energy!
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs); they use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.  Be sure to dispose of old bulbs properly to a “batteries +” bucket in the Pound basement student mailroom or the first floor of Holmes, outside the Facilities Office.  Use materials provided to seal and cushion bulbs to prevent the release of a small amount of mercury.
• Lower overall energy demand by concentrating bright light where you need it rather than evenly lighting the entire room; use “task lighting.”
• Open your blinds to brighten up a room during the day! Keep light fixtures clean—a cleaner bulb is a brighter bulb.

Laundry

• Wait until you have a full load to wash your clothes.
• Use cold water for the wash cycle when you do your laundry (and always rinse in cold). Your clothes will last longer, and colors won’t run. (To wash with cold, choose any cycle except "whites.")
• Use a clothing rack or hang laundry on hangers to air dry your laundry instead of using the dryer.
• In the dryer, separate loads into heavy, medium, and lightweight items – lighter loads will take less drying time than a mixture of items.