Earth Hour 2012 Results
Congratulations to all staff and students who participated in Earth Hour 2012.
Earth Hour 2012 took place on Saturday 31st March, and the overall winners were staff from University House, building 112. Staff from the building will be treated to a prize for the best performing building as judged by the Executive Director, Property & Campus Services.
Electricity consumption on Earth Hour weekend 2012 dropped by 18.78% compared with 'business as usual' weekend.This equates to 130 tonnes of carbon saved over the Earth Hour weekend
Although overall, the University of Melbourne's electricity usage has increased over 2011 - 2012, this is due to an increase in gross floor area over the last year, as several new buildings such as the Melbourne Brain Centre have been established on campus.
The graph below shows the percentage drop from Earth Hour weekend to a 'business as usual' weekend for University Buildings. University House reduced their energy consumption by 60.52% from an average weekend. 723 Swanston St followed closely with a reduction of 56.95%.
Although the 'business as usual' weekend is slightly higher compared to 2010 it is still 6% lower than a ‘business as usual’ weekend in 2009. This is equivalent to 426MWh compared to 454MWh, meaning we are saving on average 28MWH (or 34 tonnes CO2) each and every weekend in 2011. This is a great achievement as major infrastructure has been added to the University, such as the new Data Centre at 258 Queensberry Street, a new Chemistry substation and a new medical centre substation.
The 2012 Earth Hour messages to “Uniting people to save the planet”, call on all of us to take action by making a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint each and every day of the year. Staff are encouraged to continue switching off all non-essential equipment when not in use, including lights and computers.
Earth Hour 2012 Call to Action
Saturday March 31st, 2012
8:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The University of Melbourne has celebrated Earth Hour with great success for the past four years, and we plan to repeat that success in 2012.
Join the University of Melbourne, WWF and people around the world in a symbol of commitment to a sustainable future by turning off your lights, not just for this weekend, but any time you see an opportunity to reduce our energy consumption - We need your help!
What to do
We need staff to help by making sure you turn off all non-essential lights and appliances before you leave your office on Friday 30 March 2012.
In teaching and study spaces, if you are the last to leave on Friday 30 March 2012, please turn off all lights and appliances for which manual controls are accessible.
Due to the imminent coverage restraint now imposed by the University’s Insurer on “accidental spoilage claims”, the University Insurance Office is therefore obliged to require all Departments to contribute the first $10,000 of any loss arising from their failure to maintain and secure the power to their refrigeration equipment during this “Earth Hour” event.
Prize for best building
Property & Campus Services will provide a delicious sustainable morning tea to staff, for the best performing building, as judged by the Executive Director, Property & Campus Services.
Posters
To help spread the word, you can display these posters in your area:
Please help the University play its part in the campaign against global warming by switching off not just for this weekend, but any time you see an opportunity to reduce our energy consumption.
We also encourage you to take part in Earth Hour at home. For more details, see: http://www.earthhour.org.au/
Register your Earth Hour Unplugged Event
Watch this space to find out about upcoming Earth Hour Unplugged Events or register your very own event here:
http://earthhour2012.gofundraise.com.au/