Many students have heard their parents tell them to put on a sweater instead of cranking up the heater, or turn off lights every time they leave a room to save money on the energy bill.

ISU Facilities Planning and Management has taken on the goal of curbing energy costs – $16,267,237 annually – on a campus-wide scale, using that very same philosophy.

The plan is to save $1.5 million in fiscal year 2002. The department plans to cut costs in several ways, including setting thermostats to 78 degrees in every building, turning off lights and air conditioners during unoccupied hours of buildings and asking faculty and students to turn off lights and close windows when they leave a room.

David Miller, director of utilities, said several factors prompted the sudden concern over energy conservation.

“High natural gas prices last winter combined with budget woes in the spring are a couple of [factors],” he said. “I think [Iowa State] wants to be proud of its low energy consumption.”

Last June, a task force was formed to evaluate the efficiency of almost 100 general buildings on campus. A blanket plan can’t be formulated, because different buildings have different systems. Each building is assessed and possible areas for improvement are logged – all of which can be found on www.fpm.iastate.edu/utilities/energyefficiency/, the Facilities Planning and Management Web site

Tips on how everyone can help the university save energy are also included.

The plan already has been implemented, saving the university nearly $100,000 on its June and July utilities bill.

“The savings will offset a portion of the budget reduction last spring, initially,” said Warren Madden, vice president for Business and Finance. “Any further savings will go to upgrading older facilities . to even further energy conservation.”

Miller projected a bright future for energy consumption at Iowa State.

“Our potential to save is continuing to go up,” Miller said. “As buildings are continually evaluated and improved, there is a possibility for even more savings.”

Some problems facing the conservation program are buildings in which the environment needs to be consistent for research projects and equipment, Madden said. Such buildings include Agronomy Hall, the Genetics Lab, and the Human Nutritional Sciences building.

“There haven’t been any unreasonable requests [for environmental changes],” Madden said. ” The real challenge has started with the fall and winter.”

With 27,000 students at to Iowa State, facility hours will need to be extended and conservation will be more difficult, he said.

Students and faculty have had to adjust to the changes in thermostat settings and reminders to shut off lights, but they’re doing well, Miller said.

“We’ve had more widespread acceptance than expected,” he said. “[The energy conservation plan] is a long-term philosophy . this is something where everybody can make a difference.”