Hospice of Rutherford County
Policies and Procedures
Category:AdministrationCode:A015
Subject:Energy ConservationPage: 1 of 2
Developed:2009Rev:
Approved:___________________________Date:__________
______________________________________________________________________________
These guidelines provide the basis for a consistent and efficient energy conservation program. The guidelines are designed to help maintain an environment that is conductive to the professional workplace and that does not compromise the comfort or safety of building occupants. Each employee is requested to be conscious of and assist in the implementation of these guidelines.The Director of Community Services is responsible for the total energy usage and will be provided quarterly cost and consumption reports and will discuss with each department head. All guidelines do not apply to Hospice House suites. Hospice House policies apply to Hospice House suites.
Guidelines –Cooling Season
1. Thermostats will be set at 74 degrees except in independently controlled storage areas where settings will be higher (78 degrees) due to nature of use.
2. Adjust blinds to shield out heat from the sun.Blinds should be slanted (up) away from you.
3. Once programmable thermostats are implemented, the air conditioning system will be scheduled to go off no more than 30 minutes after the end of the work day except in specially determined administrative and public use areas.
4. The thermostats will be programmed to resume cooling in a determined time sufficient to achieve desired temperature within 1 hour of the start of the work day.
Guidelines –Heating Season
1. Thermostats will be set at 68 degrees except in independently controlled storage areas where setting will be lower (66 degrees) due to the nature of use. As with cooling, temperatures will be considered acceptable if they are within two degrees of the target setting.
2. Close blinds (down position) when leaving offices or other areas of the building at the end of the work day.Open blinds in the morning to allow sun rays to heat the building interior.
3. The heating system will be scheduled to switch to the night time setting (55-60 degrees) no more than 30 minutes after the end of the work day except in specially-determined administrative and public use areas.
4. The thermostats will be programmed to resume heating in a determined time sufficient to achieve desired temperature within 1 hour of the start of the work day.
5. Do Not use electric space heaters.(May not even be present in facilities.)
Hospice of Rutherford County
Policies and Procedures
Category:AdministrationCode:A015
Subject:Energy ConservationPage: 2 of 2
______________________________________________________________________________
Guidelines –HVAC General
1. Keep all outside doors and windows to offices closed when air conditioning or heating equipment is running.
2. Report cooling and heating problems to Director of Community Services or maintenance technician when temperatures move significantly outside the established range.
3. Keep HVAC filters clean. Check, clean and replace as necessary.
4. When heat or air is required for after hours or week-end use, condition only that part of the building that is being used if zoning is possible. Use the minimum sized, appropriate area.
5. Do not block HVAC vents or thermostats with furniture, equipment, books, or debris in the vents to divert air flow.
6. Use of overrides on programmable thermostats is discouraged and should be use only with the approval of the appropriate administrator.If used, overrides should be set for the minimum number of hours and returned to previous settings as soon as possible.
Guidelines –Lighting & Miscellaneous
- Keep outside lights turned off during daylight hours.
- Reduce night/security lighting to the extent practical.
- Reduce/eliminate corridor or other lighting when natural lighting is adequate.
- When a room will be unoccupied for 15 minutes or more, shut out the light.(This mainly pertains to offices. Other such areas such as bathroom lights. Kitchen areas, conference rooms, closet & storage rooms shall be off when not in use.)
- Turn off unnecessary lights in unoccupied areas.
- Ensure that light fixtures and windows remain clean.Dirt and grime significantly reduce light output.
- Check for and report promptly to maintenance any leaking faucet. Tanks, pumps, pipes, etc.
- The Department Head or his/her designee is responsible for ensuring that his/her facility is shut down in an energy efficient manner at the end of each work day, including weekends and holidays.
Appliances In Offices
The placement and use of appliances such as microwave ovens, toaster ovens, coffee pots, hot plates, and refrigerators in offices is prohibited. Safety concerns, potential overload of electrical systems, and reduced energy consumption are the basis for this recommendation. Unplug rarely used appliances until needed (desktop adding machines, paper shredders, printers/copiers, cell phone chargers, digital frames, etc…) Power down computers and unplug nightly.
