Following a successful plug load inventory in 2014, an expanded equipment inventory was conducted in summer 2015, covering 43 additional on- and off-campus buildings. The expanded inventory allowed Stanford to develop a more complete picture of plug loads on campus, especially by including student residences for the first time.

Data from the inventory showed that the average student plugs in about six electronic devices in his or her living area, for a total of over 75,000 pieces of electronic equipment within all of Stanford’s on-campus student residences. Refrigerators were found to be one of the biggest “energy hogs” in every type of student residence, with an estimated 3,000 personal refrigerators in dorms across campus.

The 2015 inventory data suggest that Stanford’s campus-wide plug loads, including those of residence halls, make up about 34% of the university’s total building electricity consumption and cost the university about $9 million per year.