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Environmental Stewardship
NO PLANET B : GUIDELINES
This webpage was created in consultation with the Office of Sustainability, University of Hawaiʻi
How we can help mitigate climate catastrophe, conserve energy usage, and reduce energy cost?
UHM spends $40 million annually on energy usage, of which air-conditioning (AC) accounts for 60%.
- Keep windows and doors closed while AC is on. Otherwise, AC has to work harder to account for the loss of cooled air. If you see a door or window propped open, close it.
- Share household appliances. Remove personal mini-fridges, space heaters, air purifiers, etc.
- Replace equipment with Energy Star products (refrigerators, microwaves, monitors, printers, lab equipment, etc.) to ensure the lowest energy usage.
- Turn off lights, fume hoods, etc. when not in use.
- Minimize reliance on cloud storage.
- For social events, use washable cups and plates, and large beverage dispensers instead of plastic/single-use plates, cups and bottles.
- Refrain from producing plastic swag for promotion & recruitment.
With the same goals in mind, the University is actively working to:
- Decrease 24/7 AC Buildings except for those designated for special usages.
- Consolidate special use facilities (e.g. labs) into fewer lab buildings and lab spaces
- Co-locate occupants or events that require weekend or after hours AC
- Re-locate server farms into Information Technology Center Building
- Isolate rare books, instruments, art and other artifacts that require climate control to dedicated spaces.
