M'illumino di meno 2024

Today, February 16, is the twentieth edition of M'illumino di Meno, a historic campaign by Rai Radio 2 and Caterpillar, which later, in 2022, became the "National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyle". This year, the theme is "no borders", a call to seek international alliances across all borders to realize projects and initiatives to implement the energy transition in the shortest possible time.

On the occasion of this anniversary, we would like to invite you not only to join one of the proposals of the "Decalogue for a sustainable future", but also to share with you our good habits of energy saving and energy efficiency that we can apply in the office to be more conscious of resources even while working.

In addition to these good practices, OGS has planned to install photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the buildings of some sites in 2024 thanks to regional funding.

For the computer

Activate the "energy saving" function", which puts the computer into standby mode or switches it off after a short period of inactivity. Then deactivate the "screen saver", which unfortunately consumes a lot of energy and often does not allow you to activate the "suspend" function.

If you do not use your PC for a longer period of time, remember to switch it off and unplug it at the end of the working day: The PC consumes energy even when it is switched off.

For printers 

Network the devices to reduce overall energy consumption. Choose products with "energystar" and "ecolabel" certificates. The presence of these marks is a guarantee of quality, low energy consumption and environmental protection.

Switch off the printer at the end of working hours or when inactive and disconnect it completely from the power supply. Like the PC, the printer continues to consume energy even when it is switched off.

Activate the “energy-saving” functions that put the copier into “sleep” “mode" after a short period of inactivity.

Print all documents in one go: This option ensures that the printer only reaches the correct temperature for printing once.

Reduce consumption

Limit the amount of paper you use: Reduce the page margins and font size and, if possible, select the double-sided and/or “multiple pages on one sheet” options.

Before printing, look at the "print preview" on the screen to see whether the layout and visual effect meet your expectations.

Reduce ink consumption: Avoid printing a document that is still being edited several times, make changes on the video and mark comments in electronic form. Print at low resolution if you need to print a document that is still in the draft stage.

Print only the final version of the document in color and remember to dispose of the toner cartridge according to the safety instructions included with the product.

Avoid wasting water by closing the taps when they are not in use.

Avoid using plastic and use reusable bottles and water dispensers.

Separate waste in the appropriate containers.

For lighting

To save electricity, natural light must be used as much as possible. For this reason, workstations must be in an appropriate proportion to the windows, which must not be shielded by curtains that are too dark or too light.

Remember to switch off the lights when you leave the office and common areas such as toilets, corridors, stairs, meeting rooms, etc. If possible, install presence detectors. Prefer a table lamp as desk lighting.

Adapt the lighting to actual needs: it is often sufficient to use 50% of the existing lamps, especially on sunny days. If there are none, you should request the installation of systems to control the flow of light.

For some years now, OGS has installed timer-controlled lamps in the bathrooms to reduce electricity consumption.

For heating and air conditioning systems 

Did you know that every additional degree means an increase in fuel consumption of 5 to 10 % per year and that the temperature rises by 1to 2 °C when a person is in a room for around half an hour? And now? So it is enough to set the room temperature to around 18 °C to achieve a more than adequate temperature in the offices.

Do not heat or cool rooms that are empty, and if you occasionally use meeting rooms, remember to turn the heating off at the end of the meeting.

If it's too hot, do not open the windows or undress, but ask for the room temperature to be lowered. The same rule applies in summer. Keep the windows closed when the system is on and increase the set temperature when it is cold.

To exchange the air in the rooms, simply open the windows for a few minutes. It is counterproductive to leave the windows ajar for hours. Remember to keep the office door closed to air-condition only the environment you are working in. Do not cover radiators with "radiator covers" or curtains.

In summer, the room temperature should not be more than 6 degrees below the outside temperature to avoid draughts and colds and to reduce energy consumption.

It is advisable to switch off the air conditioning at least half an hour before leaving the office in order to better adjust to the outside temperature. A good alternative to air conditioning (especially in more humid locations) is the dehumidifier.