Students Lead School to Energy Savings

An AP Environmental Science class conducts an energy audit of the school. They decide to concentrate on reducing the electrical lighting and use more natural light to save money on the electric bills, reduce our carbon footprint, and help the environment.

The lighting team counts the light bulbs in the school, determines the wattage used, and calculates that about 46% of the school’s electric bill is due to lighting. The lighting measurement team uses a wattage meter to determine the amount of light in each room. They ask administrators, teachers, and staff to open blinds and turn off unnecessary lights. Through these efforts they predict that they can save $4,000 per school year. They replace incandescent bulbs with LED lights in the EXIT signs and install donated desk lamps for teachers to use during their planning period so they could turn off their classroom lights.

The students present the project to the faculty, student body, and parents in the Spring. With one year of data, they have reduced the energy consumption at the school by more than 180, 000 KWH and more than $10,000. This effort results in multiple news stories and presentation opportunities to the public. The students continue to look for more ways to conserve energy.

 

Contributed by Doreen Petri, Northwest Collegiate Academy