University saves $73,000 through energy efficiencies
Six University Campuses in Victoria (Australia) have installed energy efficient fluorescent lighting system that has saved $73,000 on energy bills and cut CO2 emissions by 470 tonnes. It follows an RMIT University decision earlier this month to recycle mercury from 35,000 fluorescent light tubes.
They now use 28W lamps with double the life and only a third of the mercury content of the ones they replaced, making them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. All of the old T8 fluorescent tubes have been recycled to minimise waste from the upgrade.
Meanwhile, Melbourne’s RMIT University announced it would recycle mercury from existing fluorescent light tubes in stages. An estimated seven tonnes of light tubes will be removed annually from the university’s three campuses by Advanced Recycling, which will recycle the mercury for the university.
“Mercury poses a serious health hazard; it affects the brain, liver and kidneys and causes developmental disorders in children. Most mercury-containing products end up in landfills, where the mercury evaporates into the air or leaches into groundwater,” Dr Mohajerani from the Engineering Department said.
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