Students and visitors in the ECEB lobby have learned about energy efficiency through the Student Sustainability Committee-funded touch-screen energy display since Engineering Open House 2021. Two kiosks present ways to reduce energy use and encourage visitors to commit to one or more of these. In return, their names are entered into a random drawing to receive a solar phone charger. Names are selected for Earth Day in April and Energy Efficiency Day in October.

On the wall behind the kiosks a large touch screen displays a dashboard showing ECEB’s energy use and production in real time, energy efficiencies incorporated into the building design, and drone pictures of the ECEB solar array. A poster above the screen celebrates ECEB achieving net-zero energy.

Jim Liao, the 2023 Energy Efficiency Day winner, reported he has taken classes in ECEB, including ECE 484 Principles of Safe Autonomy and ECE 470 Introduction to Robotics in ECEB. He said, “As a newcomer ECE graduate student, I just toured the ECEB building and found the kiosks and the TV screen describing how the building saves energy, then I took a look at the description and filled out the questionnaire.” He added that he was “stunned to learn all the details and actions on the design and functions of ECEB after finding the kiosks and the TV screen describing how the building saves energy.” He also discovered the motion sensors when working in the labs: “I … found out that if I stayed and did not move my whole body in front of the computer too long, the light and the air conditioner would switch off. To continue working, I would have to wave my hands to make the system detect that there are some people in the area.”
Jim said he was surprised to see that ECEB has “solar panels on the third floor facing south to capture the sunlight and generate power for the building. In addition, the louvered metal canopy outside of the building could block the hot sunlight in the summer but allow the sunlight in the winter. I am quite impressed with the design of the building, and hope there will be more green buildings over the world in the future.” He also liked watching the ECEB aerial video. “It is really spectacular that there are many solar panels covering the roof of the building. Additionally, we can also see the large screen displaying the energy that the solar panels generate on the dashboard. I am really impressed with the ECEB working for saving energy. Really Interesting!”

Jim reported he saves energy by switching off the light when he leaves an area, mostly at home, and takes public transportation or walks for commuting. In his home country, Taiwan, he works at gardening, planting trees and flowers in an open area and in his personal garden.

Photo courtesy of Todd Sweet, ECE Director of Constituent Engagement