Classroom Lighting
Lights Off in Classrooms
Terps save energy in classrooms by installing occupancy sensors, helping to minimize lighting when not in use.
In response to student concerns that many classroom lights remain on overnight and exceed campus building lighting standards, Facilities Management installed over 200 occupancy sensors in general-purpose classrooms, including Jimenez Hall and Plant Sciences. This energy conservation project, with input from the Provost’s Office and endorsement from the University Sustainability Council, reduces energy consumption of existing lighting fixtures by about 30%. In addition to occupancy sensors, about 30 classrooms also received new energy efficient fixtures to further reduce energy consumption, with plans for expansion to other classrooms.
The occupancy sensors minimize lighting energy consumption particularly in the evenings and weekends when many spaces are unoccupied. Once all of the sensors and light fixtures are installed, this project is estimated to result in an annual savings of $100,000 in financial costs, 1,035,040 kilowatt-hours in energy usage, and avoid 813 tons of carbon emissions. “This initiative is a direct result of rising student concerns about energy conservation and is a win-win as it helps the university meet its climate action goal of carbon neutrality by 2050," said the Energy Conservation Manager, Susan Corry.
"After routinely seeing an excessive number of building lights on and visibly wasting energy, students brought this concern to the attention of the university administration. It was encouraging to know that the campus responded rapidly to our concerns by modernizing and renovating classroom lighting,” said Matthew Popkin, SGA Senior Vice President and member of the Student Sustainability Committee.
This project is funded through the Maryland Energy Administration State Agency Loan Program (MEA SALP) and PEPCO rebates. The university will seek additional grants and rebates to install newer energy efficient lighting fixtures in additional classrooms during the next two summers.
Click here to read the Diamondback article.
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Green Energy Tips:
- Turn off lights in hallways and bathrooms (especially at night!)
- Switch to CFL lightbulbs
- Turn your thermostat a few degrees up in the summer and down in the winter
- Unplug electronics when not in use