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The University of Winnipeg

Energy Use

The University of Winnipeg has committed to achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, and we need your help. Your office’s participation in the Green Office Program can bring down our electric and natural gas usage dramatically.

Energy Use Checklist

  • Office staff manually shut off monitors when not in use, even for small amounts of time. 
  • Our computers are formatted to go into energy-saving mode, standby, or hibernation mode when not in use for more than 10 minutes. (Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options)
  • Office staff manually turn off power to computers when going home for the day and turn off the power-bar to prevent phantom power from being wasted.
  • Office staff unplug small and/or infrequently used appliances, such as coffee makers, kettles, stereos, etc. when they are not in use, to prevent “phantom power” from being wasted.
  • If our office staff have windows in their office, they utilize natural light as an alternative to turning on more light switches.
  • Office staff turn off all lights in rooms that are not occupied. When changing a light bulb our office choose CFL's or LED's and opt for motion sensor lighting when possible.
  • Energy conservation stickers, provided by the CSO, are posted on light switches, desktop computers and plug-in appliances in our office.
  • Our office does not have an electric water cooler.
  • Office staff unplug phone chargers when not in use.
  • Office staff turn off and unplug calculators, speakers, heaters and fans at the end of the day.
  • Office staff turn off power bars on weekends and holidays. 
  • Our office sends courtesy reminders to staff to turn off all lights and equipment, set thermostats low, and close windows for vacations, holidays and breaks.
  • Office staff consult with the Facilities department when their spaces feel cold before bringing in personal space heaters

Additional Resources

Interested in where our power comes from? Check out this article about the University's new biomass heating system.

Read about the University's climate commitments in the 2017 Sustainability Strategy.

Learn more about phantom power and energy savings. 

Learn about your eligibility for initatives and rebates through Efficiency Manitoba.