Space heater collection highlights conservation, cost-cutting efforts at UAB School of Public Health

A 500-watt space heater can cost an estimated $306.60 per year in power consumption, so UAB School of Public Health faculty and staff are giving theirs to a local organization, as well as taking other steps to save energy and money.

space heatersUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health is leading the way in sustainability, cost saving and energy conservancy with its space heater initiative.

An analysis by Matt Winslett, engineering manager in UAB Facilities Management estimates that space heaters cost UAB 7 cents per kilowatt-hour, or $306.60 per year for a 500-watt unit. School of Public Health Professor and Director of Finance and Administration Andy Rucks, Ph.D., is encouraging faculty and staff within the school to bring their space heaters to the Ryals Building, Room 460. Donated heaters will be taken to One Roof, an organization working to prevent and end homelessness that can put them to good use where they are most needed.

“The School of Public Health is looking to lead UAB in an initiative to identify ways to conserve energy and save money,” Rucks said. “Collecting space heaters is a small piece of what we are doing to decrease our carbon footprint. It takes a collective and conscious effort from our faculty and staff to use less energy and cut costs.”

School of Public Health Dean Max Michael, M.D., donated his space heater along with 16 other faculty and staff members, saving the school more than an estimated $14,000 annually. Rucks is working with maintenance and those chilly offices to ensure the climate is comfortable.

In addition to collecting space heaters, Rucks is making adjustments in lighting, heating and air, as well as in the classrooms, to be more energy-efficient.

UAB Energy Management plans to install occupancy sensors throughout the building in the upcoming year. When no one is present, the lights will automatically be turned off. In addition, the existing fluorescent tubes in the school will be replaced with lower-energy-consuming models.

Along with classroom and office lighting, faculty is reminded to turn off or place all computing and display equipment in the classroom in “sleep” mode when a class concludes.

Nightly, weekend and holiday setbacks of the heating and air conditioning systems have been put in place with ongoing monitoring to make adjustments with seasonality changes. Energy management will also be looking for ways to make the existing building systems operate more efficiently.

For information about UAB space heater safety, visit the Occupational Health and Safety website.