Energy saving is the low hanging fruit in the path to sustainability.
The energy production for an air conditioner is responsible for emitting over a kilogram of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere per hour. It also costs ~1NIS/Hour.
What Can I Do
Turn down the air conditioning - Air conditioning accounts for 60% of the electricity bill, so turning it up a few degrees can make a big difference. Don’t set the thermostat lower than 23° in the summer or above 19° in the winter. And remember to turn it off when you leave the room.
Close hood sashes - Hoods draw in cold, air conditioned air, making the air conditioning units work harder. Keeping the sashes closed can reduce air flow by 60-80%.
Turn off instruments when they’re not in use - Chilled centrifuges, ovens and PCR machines only take about 30 minutes to reach the proper temperature. Instead of wasting large amounts of electricity by leaving them on, plan your experiments so you have time to turn them on and off.
Put your computer to sleep - Turn off desktop computers at night, and put laptops to sleep whenever they’re not in use.
Keep freezers defrosted - This not only saves electricity, but clears out room in the freezer and gets rid of the garbage.
Turn off lights - A no-brainer and one that requires little effort and only a smidgeon of thought. At night, when the labs are completely empty, lights in the corridors, kitchenettes, etc. should be turned off, as well