So after much lingering irritation I finally submitted my opinion to FIU’s local newspaper The Beacon, for publication….
Why is FIU wasting nearly $4 million dollars a year?
By: Bree Smith
The economy sucks right now, everyone and their dog is perfectly aware of that. FIU is struggling with its budget, every student and their family is perfectly aware of that. We’re all tightening our belts, and going without luxuries and, in some cases, necessities. So why is FIU cutting academic programs and campus wide scholarships opportunities while wasting nearly 4 million dollars a year on electricity?
Have you noticed how the classrooms on FIU’s campus are always FREEZING? Even through winter, when we had lows in the 40’s the air conditioning continued to blast. Even if is 95° outside I carry a sweater with me every day, because I know once I get to class I’ll have to sit in a virtual refrigerator. During my calc 2 final last semester my fingers actually began to hurt not just from the two hours of grueling integrals, but because the bones inside my fingers had become so cold they ached.
Energy consultants recommend setting your air conditioner to cool at 78° and your furnace to heat at 68°. 3 percent to 5 percent more energy is used for each degree the furnace is set above 68° and for each degree the air conditioner is set below 78°. Since I’ve never found a working thermostat on FIU’s campus I don’t know exactly what temperature it is in each room, I do know that it’s not 78°. For arguments sake, let’s say it’s 72° (which I still feel is too generous). Having the classrooms 6° cooler than the recommended 78° results in 18% to 30% more electricity being used.
I was unable to find how much electricity FIU uses yearly, and exactly what rate they pay per kwh (Kilowatt hour). But I was able to find that New York University uses 150 million kwh per year, and power companies charge as little as 5 cents to 16 cents per kwh nationwide. Lets say FIU pays 10 cents per kwh, and that FIU also uses 150 million kwh a year. That means that FIU pays $15 million dollars a year for electricity. By setting the thermostats to 78° they would save anywhere from 18% to 30% yearly on their electric bill; which equates to a savings of $2.7 million to $4.5 million dollars a year.
FIU please stop freezing the students in their desks. Stop wasting electricity. Stop wasting money. Bring back the campus-wide scholarships for students who so desperately need them. Realize and support the potential of this dynamic student body and challenge yourselves to act with the same resourcefulness and drive.
We’ll see if they get the message. Big Dummies.
