ENERGY EFFICIENCY!
Students audited our energy use to see where we could improve our efficiency. Here is what they found:
TVs: Each classroom has a TV, and most of the time they are on a ticker that rotates through informational slides showing the school clock, our schedule, and other announcements. Our energy audit revealed that one of the easiest and quickest ways that we could reduce our energy use was to change the background from white to a darker shade to save energy.
Computers: Students interviewed the county's energy specialist, Diane Sweeney, and learned about phantom energy use. They found that we could save more energy by plugging our computers into energy strips and turning them off at the end of the day. A committee of students mapped out a plan to install power strips in the computer lab, and volunteers now turn off the strips at the end of the day and turn them back on each morning in order to prevent phantom energy loss.
Students audited our energy use to see where we could improve our efficiency. Here is what they found:
TVs: Each classroom has a TV, and most of the time they are on a ticker that rotates through informational slides showing the school clock, our schedule, and other announcements. Our energy audit revealed that one of the easiest and quickest ways that we could reduce our energy use was to change the background from white to a darker shade to save energy.
Computers: Students interviewed the county's energy specialist, Diane Sweeney, and learned about phantom energy use. They found that we could save more energy by plugging our computers into energy strips and turning them off at the end of the day. A committee of students mapped out a plan to install power strips in the computer lab, and volunteers now turn off the strips at the end of the day and turn them back on each morning in order to prevent phantom energy loss.
Lights: A detailed lighting audit revealed that our classroom
lighting was energy efficient, but that the lights were being left on when the classroom wasn't in use. To solve this problem, students posted these signs under or above the light switches. Now, teachers and students are turning off lights more often. The custodial staff also agreed to leave classroom lights off unless they were cleaning in the room.
Desk Lamps:
With the help of Diane Sweeney again, students
organized a desk lamp pledge. 27 teachers agreed to keep their lights
off during their planning times and use an energy efficient desk lamp
instead. The cost of the desk lamp is recovered by energy savings after
only 2 or 3 years use! All of the lamps have energy efficient compact
fluorescent bulbs.
Awareness Campaign: In
an effort to educate students about energy consumption, students
organized an "Earth Hour" at Mount View on March 25th, modeled after the
international Earth Hour celebrated the next day. Earth Hour is an international event when cities all around the world turn off their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Famous monuments and landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge go dark. www.earthhour.org
For one hour (between 8:30AM and 9:30AM) all of Mount View's classroom lights were turned off and classes were conducted in the dark. Students learned about the international Earth Hour and its vision. Students then learned how they could participate in the international Earth Hour.
For one hour (between 8:30AM and 9:30AM) all of Mount View's classroom lights were turned off and classes were conducted in the dark. Students learned about the international Earth Hour and its vision. Students then learned how they could participate in the international Earth Hour.