MA Sustainability Student Finds Energy Saving Behaviors Contagious

Khiry Sutton’s (MA Sustainability ‘15) internship work on energy saving behaviors was published in a journal by the International Facility Management Association, FMJ.

As a sustainability research consultant for Carolinas HealthCare System, Khiry Sutton studied the success of a behavior-based energy-efficiency (BBEE) program at Lincoln Hospital.

In the end, the results of the study demonstrated that integrating occupant behavior modification as part of a hospital’s energy-efficiency investments offers the potential to improve energy performance and generate ongoing savings at a relative low cost of implementation.

The success of this behavioral-based energy-efficiency program was achieved by deploying visual cues as reminders to take energy-saving action, educating staff on the environmental and health impacts of energy production, communicating regularly with all levels of leadership and engaging the frontline staff in helping to create a culture of conservation.

Read the full article here published in the November/December 2015 issue of FMJ

“I think it’s a great example of the value your students can bring to organizations like ours that strive to be more sustainable. Thank you for connecting us with Khiry and continuing to be a valuable partner in our community.”  

–  Emilie Greene, Healthy Environment Program Manager at Carolinas HealthCare System

Khiry is an alumnus of Wake Forest University’s Sustainability Graduate Programs and an advocate for the Center for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. In his role as sustainability research consultant for Carolinas HealthCare System, Sutton continues to advance environmental awareness through improved workplace education and best practices.