MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
1: Organization Name
Aldo Leopold Nature Center
2: Project Name
Office Computer Energy Policies (Shutdown/Sleep Mode Policies)
3: Contact Person
Brenna Holzhauer
Email/ Phone: Brenna@naturenet.com / 608-216-9375
4: Project Description
Our office staff use approximately 22 computers (HP Z200 CPUs) and 37 monitors (HP ZR22w). We have not had
any prior official policy on if/when/how to shut down computers or adjust the sleep mode/power save settings.
In August 2014, two office-wide memos were sent out requesting sleep mode setting adjustments and
instituting computer shutdown policies (see attachments: All Staff Memo: Adjust Office Computer and Display
Sleep Settings and All Staff Memo: Shutdown Policy - Turn Computers OFF). In addition to the organizational
policy and staff-wide announcements and memos, we have put reminder stickers on all desktop workstations
and monitors that say, “Please turn your computer OFF at the end of the day. Thank you!”
With these new policies in place the computers should generally now be running from 8am-6pm M-F with a
5min sleep mode setting and be completely shutdown on evenings and weekends.
5: Business Case for Project
In addition to aligning with our organization’s environmental mission and message, we will also reduce costs by
decreasing our energy usage and utility bills.
6: Focus Area(s):
x Energy
x Climate Change
Waste Management
Water
Transportation
Supply Chain
Community and Educational Outreach
Workforce
Human Resources
Governance
7: What will success look like for this project?
Success for this project will be for 75-100% adherence to the new computer policies.
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131 W. Wilson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
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MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
8: Expected Impacts (as applicable)
x Environment. Explain:
Given the 22 HP CPUs and 37 HP Monitors in use around the office, if we have full 100% adherence (using sleep mode
settings and shutting down on evenings and weekends), we can expect to save approximately 30,000 kWh of
electricity, and approximately 20.7 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere each year! To put this in perspective, this is the
amount of carbon sequestered by 530 trees, or the annual ghg output of 4.5 cars. A little energy conservation from each
of us really goes a long way!
x Financial Savings. Explain:
These energy savings equate to nearly $4,000 in energy bills.
x Work Culture. Explain:
Our staff is very concerned with the environment and climate change, and knowing that they (and administration) are
reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions is good for morale.
x
Community. Explain:
This policy is in alignment with our mission and messaging and will be a good talking point in community outreach and
public relations. It is also important to our visitors and members, who tend to be concerned with environmental issues.
Other:
Explain:
9: Please describe how you will measure and document these impacts:
A staff survey has been drafted to poll staff on their computer practices and energy usage before and after the
implementation of the new policies (see final appendices for survey and results).
10: Timeline of Implementation (with dates)
Action Step
Draft policies
Communicate policies to all staff
Survey staff
Tabulate results
Share and celebrate results
Who’s Responsible
Brenna
Brenna
Brenna
Brenna/interns
Brenna
QUICK CONVERSTION FACTORS
Unit of Resource Managed
Avoided CO2 emissions (lbs)
1 kWh
2.22
1 therm
11.76
1000 gallons of water
4.4
1 gallon of gas
19.56
1 lb of food scraps (composted)
1.04
1 lb electronics recycled
2.54
1 lb office paper (recycled)
4.66
Each plastic toner cartridge recycled
1.75
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
By When
July 2014
Aug 2014
Oct 2014
Oct 2014
Oct 2014
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
All Staff Memo: Adjust Computer Sleep Settings
Dear staff,
As part of our LEED Certification, we’re instating organizational policies to improve the sustainability of our
day-to-day practices. There are many more of these to come, but the first is an action each of you can take
today to cut down on the energy we use!
Please follow these instructions, and let me know when you’ve completed this action. (Please also forward
this email to any of your staff, volunteers, or interns who use ALNC computer workstations.)
Adjust Office Computer and Display Sleep Settings:
Click on the Windows orb
Open Control Panel and navigate to All Control Panel Items\Power Options\Edit Plan Settings (Change when
the computer sleeps/when to turn off display)
Set Power Saver for Turn off the display: 5 minutes and Put the computer to sleep: 5 minutes
Save changes.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
All Staff Memo: Shutdown Policy - Turn Computers OFF
Dear staff,
As part of our LEED Certification, we’re instating organizational policies to improve the sustainability of our
day-to-day practices. Effective immediately, we are establishing a staff-wide Shutdown Policy, which states
that “our employees are required to shut down computers and monitors at the end of the day and on
weekends.”
We’ll be coming around today to stick a small reminder on each of your office computer monitors. Please
begin this practice today, and let Bob or me know if you have any questions.
Please also forward to any other staff, interns, or volunteers – and let me know if you can think of any other
computers or electronics that should be included in this policy.
Thank you!
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
COMPUTER SHUTDOWN SURVEY
As ALNC is working towards LEED Certification, we are have implemented a policy which will require that
employees shut down computers and monitors at the end of the day and on weekends. Also, our printers,
copiers, computers, and monitors are set to go into ‘sleep mode' after 10 minutes of non-use.
From our calculations, the conservative estimate of this policy shows that ALNC will save over 23,000 kWh per
year, more than $3,000 in savings on our electricity bills!
Please fill out the brief survey below so we can get an idea of how effective we have been in implementing this
policy, and where we can further improve it.
* Required
Before the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week did you shut off your
desktop computer? *
o
Never
o
1-2 Days per Week
o
3-4 Days per Week
o
5-7 Days per Week
Before the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week did you shut off your
desktop monitors? *
o
Never
o
1-2 Days per Week
o
3-4 Days per Week
o
5-7 Days per Week
Since the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week do you shut off your
desktop computer? *
o
Never
o
1-2 Days per Week
o
3-4 Days per Week
o
5-7 Days per Week
Since the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week do you shut off your
desktop monitors? *
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
o
Never
o
1-2 Days per Week
o
3-4 Days per Week
o
5-7 Days per Week
Are there any obstacles that prevent you from better adhering to the policy? *
Do you have any comments or feedback on this new policy?
In 1-2 sentences, can you explain the benefits of this policy for you, for the office culture, for ALNC, or
for the larger community? *
Do you have any suggestions of other ways you and your colleagues can conserve energy at the office?
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
Summary – Computer Shutdown Survey Responses
Before the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week did you shut off your desktop computer?
Never
5 42%
1-2 Days per Week 5 42%
3-4 Days per Week 1 8%
5-7 Days per Week 1 8%
Before the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week did you shut off your desktop monitors?
Never
3 25%
1-2 Days per Week 1 8%
3-4 Days per Week 1 8%
5-7 Days per Week 7 58%
Since the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week do you shut off your desktop computer?
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
Never
1 8%
1-2 Days per Week 1 8%
3-4 Days per Week 4 33%
5-7 Days per Week 6 50%
Since the institution of ALNC’s Shutdown Policy, how many days per week do you shut off your desktop monitors?
Never
0 0%
1-2 Days per Week 1 8%
3-4 Days per Week 2 17%
5-7 Days per Week 9 75%
Are there any obstacles that prevent you from better adhering to the policy?
no
No
time
Nope - I'm only in the office 3-4 days a week.
no, i only work 1-2 days per week
No
Not really. I am adhering to the policy with no issues
Sometimes, I leave on the g.s. computer so MY can access remotely. Also, sometimes there is evening stuff that needs to use the
front desk computer so I leave it on.
Leaving computer on for remote access for LEED tracking.
Just remembering!
Do you have any comments or feedback on this new policy?
Good policy and helpful to have reminders posted on monitors. Slight inconvenience is the slow start-up of computers after being
shut-down, but this is not prohibitive to policy adherence.
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689
MPOWER PROJECT PLAN
good idea
Love it
no, i think it is great
Thanks for doing this!
In 1-2 sentences, can you explain the benefits of this policy for you, for the office culture, for ALNC, or for the larger community?
I love saving energy so I think the more we can do this the better!
The Shutdown Policy is clearly a beneficial one for ALNC, reducing both energy use AND costs. Additionally, it serves as a reminder to
staff of the larger Leopold legacy of 'living lightly on the land' and embracing sustainability at an institutional level.
Save energy. Example for others.
In addition to the cost savings, I find the shutdown cleans my computer memory and helps computer performance.
I think we should have been doing this many years ago and am happy to walk the walk! We received conflicting message about
shuting down or leaving on and shutting off monitors and saving the most energy.
Cost savings. less energy usage.
This is beneficial because it promotes saving energy and helping the environment, which is a very important part of our mission
it saves energy and creates less 'vibration' in the alnc
I was always under the impression that shutting down and rebooting a computer took my energy than simply putting it to sleep
overnight. It's been eye-opening (based on Brenna's recent email) just how significant small changes, such as turning off a computer,
can be.
Saving energy is always good for the bottom line and wise resource use.
This policy represents appropriate energy conservation practices and is a proper reflection of our organization's values.
It is important to save energy
Do you have any suggestions of other ways you and your colleagues can conserve energy at the office?
It may be helpful to encourage voluntary self-assessment of other energy-using devices in personal workspaces (fans, desk lamps,
etc) and send reminders (or offer to print reminder strips, etc) for turning off those items as well. OR, use universal power cords and
expand the policy to be to shut down the whole power strip, including computer, etc.
Turn off the RR lights by the classrooms when there are no school groups.
I can't wait for the flashing lights and ever-running touch screens in the climate center to be shut down!
turning off all powered devices when not needed or in use.
turn off lights.
Shutting down the computers in the exhibit hall would be a big step to save energy, but maybe impractical. Perhaps also reducing
use of space heaters and temperature settings in building areas.
Number of daily responses
Copyright 2013 © Sustain Dane
211 S. Paterson St., Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703
www.sustaindane.org | (608) 819 - 0689