Monash Switched Off & Unplugged

Every staff and student at Monash can take a few simple actions to help the University save energy and cut its greenhouse gas emissions during the Christmas shutdown at Monash, according to the Office of Environmental Sustainability (tOES).

The Christmas shutdown at Monash is a chance for Monash staff and students to literally switch off and unplug every unnecessary piece of equipment, making a big reduction in the University’s environmental impact,” said tOES program manager, Mark Doggett. “The list of equipment that staff need to turn off is long so it pays to have a switch-off plan that you and your colleagues agree to follow. The simplest plan is for everyone to switch off their own lights and equipment, with responsibility for common equipment and lights divided among the group,” Mark said. 

There is usually more energy-consuming equipment in our workplaces than we realise, so tOES has prepared a list of the most common items in offices and laboratories to help staff on their final day. In offices, staff should turn off lights, computers, monitors, stand-alone air-conditioners, printers, photocopiers and faxes, fridges, boiling water units and LCD television screens. In laboratories, staff should turn off fume hoods, drying ovens, rotary evaporators, water-baths, centrifuges, computers and monitors, lamps and spectrometers.

Meanwhile, Facilities and Services will reduce energy consumption from central air-conditioning “Everywhere at Monash we see staff and students taking the small, individual actions that together add up to a lot of energy savings. It’s good for the environment and it saves money, so just before you switch off from work, please make sure you switch off at work,” Mark said.

To see what you can do go to the Monash page at www.monash.edu/green