As part of its recent affiliation with the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Lights program, the University's Facilities Management Department has surveyed 90 percent of its facilities for light and water-use efficiency and has been upgrading to more energy-efficient systems since July.

Workers have surveyed all academic and residential buildings on campus, said Bob Friedman, an energy control specialist with the department. Where possible, energy systems have been modified to include aerators and flush valves, which decrease the amount of water use in sinks and toilets respectively.

In addition, lights in all classrooms, offices and bathroom spaces are being cleaned and changed to more energy-efficient varieties. The department estimates that the lighting project is approximately 65 percent complete and will be finished by the end of the year.

The department is trying to minimize inconvenience to students, faculty and staff by arranging its work around the schedules of those using a given space. For instance, only one bathroom at a time is closed in any given building.

The primary purpose of the Green Lights Program on a national level is to encourage American companies to install energy-efficient lighting devices that will reduce their energy expenditures, while at the same time reducing pollutants released into the environment. Such equipment reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and thus reduces the emission of organic air pollutants, including greenhouse gases and chemicals that induce acid rain.

The ultimate goal of the University's involvement with the program is to "improve the recycling of energy, especially with water," said Aurel Selezeanu, assistant director for electrical services.

Although the department first considered working with the EPA two years ago, the increased level of technical support the Green Lights Program's offers made it recently appear more feasible to the University.

The department decided in July to implement the program, when the Board of Trustees approved a lone for energy conservation projects in [campus] buildings, said Bob Friedman, energy control specialist with the department. "We realized we would be able to keep our commitment to the program," he said.

The cost of the program is expected to be $2,000,000 over the course of the year, but the University should save money each year from its implementation. More energy-efficient lighting alone should reduce energy consumption by 19%, Selezeanu said, and when energy measures are complete for all lighting and mechanical systems, the department anticipates an annual savings of more than $600,000.

Selezeanu said he hopes the program will inform people on campus of their potential to save energy. "Some people are scared of energy management-It doesn't mean [just] turning off the lights," he said, explaining that additional means of energy conservation exist.

The success of the program depends on the support of the campus community, Selezeanu said. Those who use campus facilities can help the department by being "energy-aware" and conserving unneeded resources.

Estimated figures from the EPA suggest that every 1,500 square feet of office space upgraded under the Green Lights Program is equivalent to planting 2.9 acres of trees or removing 1.4 cars from the road per year. Based on the 2.9 million square feet that the University has pledged to upgrade, the Facilities Management Department estimates the University's environmental contribution will be the equivalent of removing 2,706 cars from the road or planting 5,605 acres of trees per year.

According to the EPA, the more than 2,300 program participants are saving $247 million annually and preventing 4.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions by using of efficient lighting.