Sustainability also means a careful use of the resources available to us at TU Wien and the current developments on the energy market make energy saving necessary! The TU Wien and all of its 32,000 members can make a big impact by doing things that may seem trivial at first glance. With the following tips, each individual can save not only energy, but resources as a whole.

20 tips for saving energy

  • Only print documents you actually need. Many modern printers can also print double-sided, allowing you to conveniently cut your paper consumption in half with one click.
  • Meetings do not always have to be held via video conference. Often a simple phone call is enough, which also saves a lot of electricity.
  • Reduce the screen brightness, your eyes get used to it quickly.
  • Use wired devices if possible. Bluetooth connections for mice, headphones or headsets, for example, have a higher power consumption.
  • Outsource computing power to central server rooms.
  • Avoid email attachments and link to files in the TUownCloud instead. This also keeps inboxes clean and small.
  • Bookmark websites you visit frequently. Every search engine query gets sent to servers around the world that consume electricity (one Google query, for example, generates about 1.4g of CO2).

  • Continuous lighting in rooms is often not necessary. Turn off lights when you leave the room.
  • Turn off computers, monitors, meters and printers when leaving the office for long periods of time, during the night, at weekends or when the equipment is not in use.
  • You can put your computer into energy-saving mode during your lunch break. 
  • The coffee machine does not have to be on all day. Switch it off in between.
  • Turn on the dishwasher only when it is fully loaded and use an energy-saving program. This not only saves electricity but also water. (Secret tip: glasses and mugs can also be stored in the lower drawer).
  • Only heat the amount of water you actually need.

  • Keep the radiators free. Heat is distributed in the room mainly by air circulation.
  • Turn the thermostat valves back to 2 to 3, or to 0 during the night, at weekends or when the room is not in use.
  • Keep doors to unheated rooms closed.
  • Airing the room at least three times a day instead of constantly closing the windows prevents the walls from cooling down.
  • Do not operate mobile heaters.
  • Use cold water instead of hot water.

  • Avoid elevator trips and leave it to those who need them. The movement in between stimulates the circulatory system and saves a lot of electricity.

Focus "green" tips of the TU Green Team

The TU Green Team, opens an external URL in a new window has collected a number of tips in coLAB, opens an external URL in a new window.

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