Notify your building manager of any water leaks. A leaking faucet can waste approximately 3,000 gallons of water per year, a dripping showerhead about 500 gallons per year and a running toilet about 200 gallons of water per day. Seemingly minor and easily fixed leaks and poor water-usage habits can cost a typical household about $200 per year. Turning the faucet off during everyday tasks, like brushing one’s teeth, is an easy way to conserve water.
PC Power Management
PC Power Management is a cost-saving, power-reduction program implemented by Argonne’s Computing & Information Systems division. During off-hours, specialized software senses lack of activity on PCs and changes internal power management systems to reduce power consumption. A typical computer draws 45-120 watts of electricity when running at full power. In standby mode, it only draws 2.5-3.5 watts of electricity. To put this in perspective, 15 PCs left on for one year generate the same amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a mid-size car would annually. Programmatic employees who would like to join the PC Power Management program should contact their information technology representative.