Alliance to Save Energy Celebrates Earth Day
At the Alliance, we’re always finding ways to save energy. But on Earth Day, we get to do it along with people around the world taking action to advance sustainability.
For the 41st annual Earth Day, the Alliance took part in a variety of activities.
Saving Energy at the Office
We pride ourselves on our L.E.E.D.-certified office in the heart of Washington, D.C., as well as the energy-efficient practices at all of our office locations. But there’s always room for improvement. So for this year’s Earth Day, staff from across the organization – including the policy, administration, events, education, windows and communications departments – learned how to conduct an office energy assessment. Training involved using an infrared temperature gun, watt meter and light meter to find out how much energy our appliances and lights use.
The Alliance energy assessment team found that one section of the D.C. office was wasting energy with too-bright lights. So, the team de-lamped (i.e., removed) 32 linear fluorescent lights, each of which use 32 watts. Staff working in the area either did not notice the lower level of brightness or said it was more comfortable than before. Even better, the change stands to save a whole kilowatt of energy – avoiding $176 in annual lighting costs (based on average use).
In the spirit of taking Earth Day forward through the rest of the year, the Alliance energy auditors made a plan to expand the assessment to other areas of the office. Check back in the coming months for updates!
Green D.C. Day
In addition to saving energy in the office, Alliance staff took the energy efficiency message outside of the office. For instance, Alliance education team members hosted a booth at Green D.C. Day, held in Washington’s downtown Freedom Plaza.
More than 2,000 people attended the event, which featured remarks by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, a workshop on saving energy and a talk on Energy Star rebates. The Alliance’s Energy Hog educated adults and children alike about ways they might be “hogging” energy, and simple solutions for energy conservation.
The 75 vendors and exhibitors at Green D.C. also included DC Water, Weatherize DC, District Department of the Environment, and the Anacostia Watershed Society.
Alliance Oakland Office Gets Earthy on Earth Day
The Alliance’s D.C. office wasn’t the only location to celebrate Earth Day. In Oakland, Calif., members of the Alliance’s education team saved energy and advanced sustainability through a variety of activities, such as biking to work and potlucking plastic-free. Check out their super fun slideshow:
