Collegiate Academy The CTE Project Conservation Through Education GO Green, Harding December 7, 2009

Goal 1 How to save money by using less electricity

Goal 2 Turn off the lights when not using them

Three years of heating and electrical data were entered onto the energystar.gov website. BENCHMARKING HARDING SCHOOL General information was also included such as square footage, air conditioning, cooking facilities, and the year of construction. The current score for Harding is 62 out of 100. A school must have a score of 75 out of 100 to be an energy star school.

Lighting Data Committee The Lighting Data Committee sent fliers to all classrooms. They asked the teachers and students to count the fixtures and bulbs in their rooms and to estimate the number of hours their lights were on for one school day. Results: 1. Classrooms use 321 Total Kilowatt Hours/per day # Fixtures X # Bulbs X Wattage (W) X Average # Hours X 1 = # Kilowatt Hours Fixture Bulb Day 1000 Day 2. The gymnasium has very efficient fluorescent bulbs. 3. The cafeteria, auditorium, and library have many types of lights in various locations.

Lighting Meter Committee The meter committee went around to all the classrooms, hallways and larger areas and measured the light using light meters. The Health Department recommends a reading of footcandles. We concluded after visiting each floor that we could reduce at least 1/3 of the classroom’s lighting by turning off one row of lights in each fixture on most days. Lights should not be on when no one is in the room and blinds could be opened whenever more natural light would be useful. Natural light is the safest and healthiest way to reduce electricity and be more environmentally friendly.

Students learning how to use the light meters.

Light meters measure the amount of light in footcandles.

Lighting Meter Committee  Cafeteria - Lights could be dimmed and wall lights turned off to achieve the proper lighting levels  Auditorium – There are many types of lights. At times, not all lights need to be turned on.  Gymnasium – There are many windows in the gym and lights may not need to be turned on.  Library – The library can be very efficient because there are clusters of lights in different areas.  Hallways – They are difficult to regulate because the lights are controlled from one room in the lobby.

What you can do at home Unplug cell phone chargers Turn off lights/electronics when leaving a room Change light bulbs to CFLs Hang clothes to dry in the summer Use cold water when washing clothes Instead of AC, open windows and use fans Timers on thermostats Plan TV viewing time Limit opening of refrigerator door Purchase efficient appliances

Don’t litter and be sure to recycle. Single-Stream Recycling 1.Paper of all grades and colors 2.Cardboard 3.Plastic containers and lids 4.Metal containers 5.Newspapers 6.Magazines 7.Glass bottles and jars

Plant trees

Don’t waste water

The people who helped conduct this experiment were the following: Megan M.Amelia C. Megan W.Brandon G. Joshua C.Andrew J. Dyjhier N.Nate R. Kayla C.Bianca B. Angela B.Ripley V. James J.Desiree D. Trenton J.Lauren R. Alyssa R.Alex D. Nathan B.Reem A. Abby T.Heaven V. Hallie E.

Special Thanks to……. Mrs. Hutchinson and Mr. Cook Ms. Ciminella, Ms. Krowicki, and Ms. Zielewski Mr. Chaffee Mr. McUmber, Department of Environmental Protection Harding teachers and students Collegiate Academy Green Team

Future Actions:  Communicate energy conservation plan to students, parents, and community  Discuss energy reduction with Mr. Chaffee  Reduce electrical consumption by using more natural lighting and turning down air conditioning  Collect electrical and heating data for 6 months (Dec to May 2010)  Create an energy information flier to distribute to outside groups using the school

“If more people would join in this project we could save more electricity. A lot of things we learned you can do at home.” Heaven V. “We learned how to work the light meters.” Ripley V. “I liked counting the lights.” Trenton J. “I liked working with the light meters. They measure footcandles.” Nathan B. “You can keep the windows open when it is hot and not use air conditioning.” Dyjhier N. “Live a lifestyle that promotes the conservation of our natural heritage.”