Author Archives: David Sterratt

Festive switch-off

Here’s advance notice of the Festive switch-off as it applies to Informatics. This year’s request from the Computing Officers will be similar to last year’s: Please help to reduce the University’s energy bill by switching off any equipment, including computers … Continue reading

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Live energy display now live

The live energy display I mentioned in June is now appearing in the sequence of images and videos on the plasma screen by the entrance. You’ll need to wait a maximum of about 15 minutes for it to appear. If … Continue reading

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Lighting improvements in toilets

One project that has been undertaken by Mike Riley’s team at Estates and Buildings is to adjust the Passive Infrared Sensors (PIRs) in the toilets so that now the lights come on only when you enter a cubicle rather than … Continue reading

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Action arising from post occupancy evaluation

Executive summary: there are a number of projects either underway or under discussion to reduce energy consumption in the Forum and improve the comfort of its occupants. The  notes of the latest Post Occupancy Evaluation meeting explain some of the … Continue reading

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Heating and space temperature standards

I know from the comfort survey that many occupants of the Forum feel too cold in Winter. However, if you are lucky enough to have an office that is warm enough, please bear in mind the Energy Office’s request to … Continue reading

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Quality Bike Corridor articles (featuring the Forum)

Those who commute to the Forum on two wheels will probably  have already experienced the improvements to the bike lanes from George IV Bridge to King’s Buildings. I noticed that council’s announcement about this “Quality Bike Corridor” and this article … Continue reading

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Nature article: Be persuasive. Be brave. Be arrested (if necessary)

This viewpoint article by financier Jeremy Grantham in  Nature seems pertinent to this blog. In argues that scientists should be more outspoken about the dangers of climate change: It is crucial that scientists take more career risks and sound a … Continue reading

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Comfort survey results

Here’s another report – this time on the results of the Comfort Survey, which 106 of you kindly filled in. The statistics will probably not be too much of a surprise to anyone in the Forum – some rooms are … Continue reading

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Report on reducing energy consumption in the Forum

After too long a delay, here is the Informatics Energy Report on what I’ve discovered about energy use in the Forum and what other willing colleauges have been doing to help reduce it. The executive summary is that since April … Continue reading

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New energy display – comments welcome

I’m afraid that the first half of the year has vanished without me even getting round to writing up an analysis of the energy use over Christmas, as promised. I will try to do this later, but for now, here’s … Continue reading

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