With the price of college going up and up these days, there's a lot of call to reduce expenses. Sometimes these reductions are at the cost of the environment, but they don't have to be. There are a few new smart technologies that can help colleges and other institutions reduce energy expenditures. Here are some examples of how these systems can make a college more eco-friendly.

Smart Dumpsters

If you're worried about reducing waste in terms of energy, resources and labor for a community dumpster, then there are some new smart approaches out there that can make this possible. This could help reduce wasteful extra trips that could cost the college.

The way new tech can achieve this is with sensors along with Internet-connected smart systems. These can be used to inform a dumpster service of exactly when the dumpster is full. That way the service doesn't waste fuel coming out when it doesn't need to do so.

Smart dumpsters can also often monitor air quality to determine what sorts of things are being thrown out and whether they are fit for the landfill the dumpster contents are destined for. This system is still in an experimental phase, but it's likely that it will be available commercially soon. Initial tests showed a 50% increase in the volume inside the dumpster during pickup.

Contact a company like Discount Rubbish Removal Co to learn more about dumpster services.

Smart Street Lights

Smart systems can also tell when there is no one in an area. The lights can then dim or even go out completely in order to save on electricity. This isn't just for one light either, since the system can be connected to entire sections of streetlights. After all, there's likely to be less traffic in the parking lot of a college late at night when everyone has early classes the next day.

These types of systems have been known to save as much as 25 percent on electric bills. After all, there's no need to light an area when there's literally no one even around to see it anyway. And simple motion-sensing lights aren't going to be as ideal, since they often just stay on for minutes after motion is detected and don't go out as soon as no one is sensed nearby.

Roads and Parking

There are systems out there that can also aid with detecting when potholes have occurred so that someone can go out and fix them. Potholes can lead to wasteful and dangerous accidents, after all. In addition, these systems can allow students to see on their phones where parking spaces are available, instead of just driving around in circles looking for one.

This allows for both more efficiency and less hassle and opportunity for arguments and accidents on the part of students.