Actions we accomplish every day
Eco-friendly habits are the simple and ordinary tasks we carry out on a daily basis, such as going to work, keeping warm, grocery shopping, or flicking the light switch… while bearing in mind our environmental impact. These are ways in which we all can contribute to saving energy and reducing the pressure exerted by humans on our planet.
The climate and energy crisis
At a time during which the energy crisis is making us question our habits, and transition away from fossil fuels as soon as possible, and in which the concept of climate crisis is no longer only known to experts, but is a concrete and destructive reality (heat-waves, droughts and wildfire), the prospect of the coming years may seem like a challenge.
In this context, we set ourselves a goal: reduce our energy consumption by 10% come 2024. This is a plan that involves every one of us – individuals, community members, research teams and services – in a drive to save energy, and to change our habits.
The goal of this guide is to help us develop greener habits in our daily lives.
Heating
Did you know...
That heating makes up for the largest part of the USMB’s energy consumption. With 44 buildings to heat, that’s a lot of Megawatts! One of the keys to keeping our energy bills under control is not going above ideal room temperature: 19°C for workspaces.
Eco-friendly habits
- Removing any obstacles that may stop radiators from circulating heat properly
- Keeping windows clear during the day in order to benefit from the free heat provided by the sun.
- Closing any doors or windows in heated areas.
- Lowering the blinds in the evening during the winter in order to prevent heat loss.
- Only using a portable electric heater in places where the central heating does not allow for reaching the recommended 19°C.
What is being done at the USMB?
- The campus gas-boiler facility at Bourget-du-Lac (which produces 70% of the campus’s heat) will be replaced with a biomass boiler in 2023. Resulting in 90% lower CO2 emissions.
- Reducing the time the buildings are heated for each day by 2 hours.
- Setting the heating to 19°C. The USMB will provide personnel with thermometers to make sure this aim is met.
- Shortening the period during which heating is required, weather permitting.
- If your workspace is regularly under or overheated, please get in touch with the USMB support staff at:
Lighting
Did you know?
Keeping the lights on makes up a good chunk of our electricity bills way less than heating, but for the planet, every little helps!
Since 5.6% of our electricity goes into lighting, it is important to choose it carefully, and be mindful in its usage 😉
Eco-friendly habits :
- Always turning off the light when leaving the room (10 minutes of wasted lighting 3 times a day, is equivalent to 5 days over the course of a year).
- Opting for natural light wherever possible by placing furniture strategically (e.g. an office corner near a window).
What is being done at the USMB?
- The USMB has launched a relamping project. A total of 1.6 million euros will be invested into replacing fluorescent lighting with LEDs..
- Turning lights off outside of opening hours (excluding traffic security) and gradually rolling out motion and light sensors in areas with high foot traffic.
- Making motion detectors obligatory in each new building project (new or renovation).
- Reducing the time that outside lighting is on for by 3 hours each evening as of November 2022
Electrical appliances
Did you know ?
This is another of the USMB’s main energy uses. Everyone can play their part in making sure appliances (printers, screens, overhead projectors, etc.) are turned off when not in use, e.g. between classes, in the evenings, and on weekends.
The energy use of a computer in sleep mode is between
Eco-friendly habits
- Turning off my screen when I am away from my desk.
- Unplugging chargers which are not in use.
- Switching off extension leads that are not in use in the evenings and over the weekend.
- Turning off projectors when leaving the room.
- Turning computers, screens, chargers and printers off in the evening before leaving.
- Opting for lower screen brightness.
Que fait l'USMB ?
- Limiting the number of screens used to display information and switching them off when closing the buildings.
- Programming the usage of instruments and appliances based on information given by EcoWatt.
- Making extension leads with switches available for use.
- Organising research experiments and events at optimal times.
- Making sure as many appliances as possible are switched off outside of opening hours.
Transport
Did you know?
In France, the transport sector is the main producer of CO2 emissions, accounting for 39%.
With all our daily activities, we need to travel constantly, but in order to reduce our environmental impact, we need to put thought into every move we make.
Eco-friendly habits:
- Avoiding taking the car in favour of greener methods of transportation (walking, bicycle, public transport).
- When there is no other option but to take the car, carpooling is best.
- Working from home and using virtual meeting platforms whenever possible.
What is being done at the USMB?
- Cutting work-related travel by 20%
- Promoting the sustainable mobility programme.
- Providing secure bicycle stands on campus.
- Limiting the speed of staff to 110km/h on the motorway when using their company vehicles for work.
- Providing financial aid through the Erasmus+ programme for greener methods of international transport.
- Staggering the start of certain classes in order to avoid overcrowding at peak times, facilitating the use of public transport.
- Organising virtual meetings.
- Drawing up a new transport plan for the USMB.
To find out more...
Here are some useful links to improve your knowledge.
Get involved!
This guide is aimed at all of the University’s staff and students, so please get in touch if you have any ideas: your own eco-friendly habit suggestions, your events, your tips and tricks, your favourite associations, etc… And we will publish them.
Acknowledgements
The Université Savoie Mont Blanc would like to thank Anne-Cécile Thebault, student at the Solar Academy, who is mainly responsible for penning the first version of this guide, with the support of the UNITA alliance.