As future generations turn through the pages of books at the Monroe Street Library in Madison, Wisconsin, they will have the students of Mike Oliva’s “Special Topics in Engineering” class to thank. Earlier in the year, in response to rising energy costs and a budget shortfall, library officials suggested closing or reducing the open hours at the nearly 50 year-old library. Enter Oliva’s University of Wisconsin engineering class.

The students looked at the building, and found numerous areas where energy efficiency could be improved, ranging from fluorescent light bulbs and double pane windows to placing insulation in the walls. The improvements would result in savings as high as $900 a year, and would save even more in coming years, as energy prices are expected to soar to even higher levels. UW Engineering Students Design Plan to Save Library