EnergyStar Pledges at Georgia Tech Earth Day hit record highs!
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A record number of 3,059 EnergyStar pledges to save energy were collected on campus during Georgia Tech's Earth Day 2008! In exchange for making this EnergyStar pledge, Georgia Tech students, staff, faculty and friends received energy efficient light bulbs expected to save 862,638 kwh of electricity and prevent 1,251,131 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions!
Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs (CFL's) are energy efficient light bulbs. Switching from traditional light bulbs to CFLs is an effective, accessible change every American can make right now to reduce
energy use at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. Lighting accounts for close
to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent
light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment.
If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars.
Halco Lighting provided the CFL's for Georgia Tech's Earth Day program, under the ENERGY Star program. Halco and Georgia Tech's Office of Stewardship and Sustainability have worked together to bring this program to campus.
Energy Star
Georgia Tech has had a green purchasing policy since 2004 and provides education to administrative and management personnel support the policy. We have proactively encouraged the purchase and use of EnergyStar certified products since the early 2000's. An energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy will be implemented requiring the purchase of EnergyStar products in all areas for which such ratings exist and are available under state purchasing contracts and regulations. To learn more about the Energy Star program, click here.