Energy Reduction

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At the beginning of the school year, our school district gave us the task of reducing the amount of energy used on Skyline’s campus.  We decided that the most efficient method of reducing energy at our school was to inform the public of the misuse of energy and its consequences.

So, we worked with our teachers, reminding them to turn off lights, computers, television, and any other electrical devices that were not being used at that particular moment.  This was encouraged through the use of commercials and advertising via morning announcements and other television announcements.  Before, teachers and staff would leave these devices on well into the night, before custodial staff had the chance to go through the class rooms and turn off any equipment left on.  We also worked with this custodial staff and encouraged them to play a more active role in saving electricity.  Through this process, we also developed spreadsheets comparing the use of energy in the different class rooms, showing which teachers were actively participating.  This allowed us to compare the results from different buildings, focusing on areas that used much more energy. 

Our results showed that the effort we put forth had not gone unrewarded.  An e-mail from the district told us that we were effective in causing a downward trend in the use of electrical energy at Skyline.  According to the statistics, the electrical energy used in kWh since July 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012 was 8.3% less than the preceding year.  More data showed that our savings in the months of January, February, and March were 14.2% less than the previous year, resulting in a savings of about $9,800, for only a 3 month period.  The combined leadership of our school principals, custodial staff, and teachers helped to bring our Environmental Science class to its full potential and make a difference in our community.