RESOURCE EFFICIENCY – SIGNIFICANT SPILLS
Along with vehicles, our field projects often involve the use of portable
equipment and chemical storage that could potentially impact the environment
if a release were to occur. We recognize the threats that material spills can
pose to communities and the environment, and we take steps to ensure that
good management practices are employed to avoid these incidents. TRC had no
significant spills in FY14.
OFFICE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Based on the nature of our business, energy consumption associated with our
office footprint is one of the significant ways we impact the environment through
associated emissions.
Our FY14 office survey showed that we have opportunities for improvement
– both from a behavioral perspective (e.g., turning off computers when not in
use) and from a technology perspective (e.g., motion activated light controls).
Energy efficient technologies are one part of the equation, but proper energy
behavior of occupants can significantly amplify the energy savings of a building.
As stated above and evident from the office survey results in the table below,
TRC employees have been implementing energy efficient practices, but we have
room to improve.
Number of
Offices
Percent of
Employees
(based on office)
Use of daylight instead of powered lighting
35
30%
Use of window coverings in summer
47
54%
Use of computer screen savers or hibernation
mode
75
79%
Turning off computers
79
77%
Motion activated light controls
25
43%
Automated thermostats
63
67%
LEED certification or other energy efficient
design and construction practices
10
11%
Energy Efficient Practice or Feature
Increasing and reinforcing positive energy use behavior is an effective and lowcost means to reduce energy consumption and the associated emissions, while
also increasing internal awareness of our impacts on the environment.
2014 Sustainability Report | 51
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