UCF was the first university in Florida to install a green roof, one that makes as much as an 80-degree difference in the roof's temperature.
LED (light-emitting diode) lighting uses 90% less energy. LED lighting is resistant to shock and vibration and the useful life span of an LED obstruction light is approximately 10-12 years before fading and dimming occur.
You can get a live update on the electricity and chilled water usage at UCF.
176 Residence Hall Associates are working to support sustainable living on campus, impacting over 9,000 students.
UCF has over 800-acres of natural lands on campus that protect native plants and animals.
UCF constructed thermal solar panels on Tower 2 of the Towers Residence Halls, providing hot water for the 500 residents.
David Norvell, the director for the UCF Office of Sustainability and Energy Management, converted a ZENN electric vehicle to operate via solar-power and uses the vehicle to get around campus.
College of Business Administration is paperless! In 2008-2009, over 133,000 examps were administered via the computer lab, saving 2,700 reams of paper
Protecting Florida's springs and aquifers is everyone's job and everyone can help! Here are a few simple solutions to do your part in preserving Florida's drinking water for many generations.
Lawn Care Tips
- Before using fertilizers, have a soil test done to determine if they are even necessary for your lawn.
- When using fertilizers, be sure to purchase slow-release varieties. Slow-release fertilizers are actually more beneficail to your lawn as the nutrients are more readily avialable, requiring less frequency of use. Reduction in use coupled with the slow-release process of the nitrates lessens the amount of leaching that can occur into our drinking water.
- Water your lawn at night. The cooler temperatures and the absence of sunlight increases the amount of water your lawn will absorb instead of it being lost to evaporation during the day.
- Use rain barrels to capture and store rain water to use when watering plants.
Indoor Usage Tips
- Take shorter showers.
- Ensure that you have no leaks in any of your plumbing. Check your water meter and then ensure no water usage before you check your meter again in two hours. If the meter readings do not match, you have a leak.
- Turn off the faucet! Every drop counts! Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, washing your hands and shaving.
- Put a brick or weight in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water that your toilet uses.
Other Tips
- Help protect the areas surrounding Florida's springs. Use established paths and boardwalks. Foot traffic on vegetation can quicken bank erosion
- Dispose of your trash properly. Recylce!
- Never dispose of or discard trash into a sink hole. Properly dispose of household chemicals and contaminated and poisonous wastes properly. Dumping these items into a sinkhole will directly introduce these harmful materials into the very water that we drink.
The most important thing you can do to help is to take this information and use it to educate others. Be responsible! Take action! Together, we can preserve Florida's precious drinking water, aquifers and springs for many years to come.
(Sources: Florida Springs, Florida Yards, Conserve Florida Water).
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