Date of Graduation
5-2009
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Nutter, Darin
Abstract
In February 2007, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (UAF) signed the President's Climate Commitment to set a goal of becoming climate neutral. A large part of any strategy to become climate neutral includes energy conservation. In light of that, a four-day school week is proposed for UAF as an alternative energy savings possibility. This reduced schedule has been applied to K-12 schools and state government institutions, but not yet to universities. Along with numerous benefits such as energy conservation of buildings on the free day, a more effective use of time and building space and the positive emotional repercussions reported by veterans of the relatively new four-day schedule, the carbon footprint, specifically CO2 emissions, of 16 percent of the undergraduate commuters to UAF decreased by 13 percent. No consideration was given to exact calculations of energy that could be saved by shutting down classroom buildings on the extra day. However, it was found to be physically possible to collapse the current five-day school week into a four-day school week and still have extra classroom space and time to spare.
Citation
Kuenzel, L. (2009). Free Fridays: an alternative way to conserve energy. Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/meeguht/15
