Energy & Natural Resources
905. Energy/Natural Resources
There are many pieces of equipment used on a college/university campus that utilize large volumes of energy and resources, such as water, electricity, oil and natural gas. Examples include, but are not limited to, cold rooms, ice machines, cooling towers, water driven equipment, vacuum water lines, oil coolers, water cooled compressors and specialized instruments.
BMP
- Equipment that uses extreme temperatures (hot or cold) necessitates additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) be used by the operator, as well as following special operating procedures.
- Laboratory areas should employ emergency detecting devices to monitor unusual conditions (i.e. gas detectors, hood flow alarms, etc.).
- Laboratory Instrument Analysis equipment usually requires large volumes of gaseous hazardous materials. Refer to the BMP’s for Hazardous Material Storage, Hazardous Waste Disposal, and Laboratory Safety for more specific information.
- Consider establishing a campus-wide strategy to evaluate environmental initiatives that include efficient use and conservation of energy, water and other resources, environmentally responsible purchasing policies and environmentally responsible campus design and planning, with a designated leader to coordinate all efforts. This can be further expanded to incorporate other components listed in these BMPs.
P2-E2
- Encourage sharing of common items, such as ice machines, distilled water, and specific types of instruments.
- Wherever possible, purchase Energy Star rated equipment and make sure these features are turned on.
- Utilize appropriate controls and procedures so equipment that does not need to run continuously is turned off when not in use.
- Review design specifications and substitute air-cooled equipment, when possible, instead of water-cooled.