Recent improvements for energy efficiency at Eastern have helped the university avoid an annual cost of $2 million, said Gary Reed, director of facilities planning and management.

Recent projects include adding a new sprinkler system and energy efficient light fixtures in Andrews Hall.

Through recent years, more than 10,500 light fixtures have been replaced or altered to be more energy efficient in practically every campus building, Reed said.

Eastern has been a part of a guarantee performance contract with construction companies replacing boilers, chillers and windows. Part of this contract also entails replacing shower faucets, pipes and toilets in the residence halls.

“This is a method of making campus energy efficiency improvements and paying for the costs of those improvements over time using the energy savings generated from the improvements,” Reed said.

He said Eastern completed a guaranteed performance contract project in 1996 and 2003 and is now considering the development of a third project at this time.

Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining, said it is hard to cut down the cost of energy because the prices are always rising.

With the new energy-efficient products, he said, the costs have gone up a significantly smaller percentage than they would have if the university was not using these products.

Hudson said replacing light fixtures is a continual project that will take years.

Another change has been the switch to washing machines and toilets that use less water. The old toilets used four and a half gallons of water per flush, whereas the new toilets use one and a half gallons each flush.

Such upgrades have decreased Eastern’s water consumption by more than 7 million gallons.

Students are also encouraged to join the movement to use less energy on campus.

“The more you conserve, the less we have to raise room and board each year,” Hudson said.

Hudson said students can conserve energy just by being mindful of what they can control. Turning off lights, computers and water when not being used are just some of the ways to control energy consumption, Hudson said.

“Those habits are just good, universally, to get used to,” Hudson said.

Students living in University Court, who must pay their own electric and water bills, also benefit from the changes.

Roofs and windows were replaced over the years to conserve heat loss during winter months in University Court apartment buildings.

Replacement of light fixtures and heaters in the buildings for more energy efficiency in these buildings is being done as well, Hudson said.

More improvements are still being planned.

One project planned for this year is replacement of windows in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union walkway. While the windows changed for the Great Beginnings project, they will be replaced with energy-efficient ones, said Steve Shrake, manager of design and construction.

Hudson said whenever renovations are being done on campus, the university looks toward ways to be environmentally friendly in the changes.

“We do renovations with energy efficiency in mind,” Hudson said