Today's Energy Insight

Now that warm summer weather has decided to stick around for a while, here are just a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to operating your air conditioner more efficiently:

• Get a tune up. Have your AC tuned up by a qualified heating contractor every other year. This will help it operate more efficiently and may prevent failures in the middle of peak cooling season.
• Keep the condenser and filter clean. Keep leaves, grass and other debris away from the outside condenser. Also, clean the filter monthly and replace it as needed. A clean condenser and filter help the unit run more efficiently.
• Keep vents clear. Make sure furniture and drapes are not blocking air vents. This allows the cool air to move out into the rooms and keeps your air conditioner from running more than necessary.
• Turn up the thermostat setting. When home, set it a couple of degrees higher. Before you head out, move the setting even higher, about 78 to 80 degrees. Cooling the house back down a few degrees when you return costs less than keeping it cool while you are gone.
• Keep thermostats clear of heat. Don’t place heat-producing devices such as computers or TVs near your thermostat. Heat from these could cause the thermostat to read a higher temp leading to excessive cooling and wasted energy.

Today's Energy Insight

 

 

 

If all of the 1 billion+ PCs in the world were collectively powered down for just one night, it would save enough energy to light the entire Empire State Building - inside and out - for over 30 years!

Energy Star Award

Congratulations to the Robbinsdale Area School District for receiving a Top Performer Leader Award from Energy Star for 2013. The district has maintained an overall portfolio rating of 80 on a scale of 1 - 100 (it needs to be 75 or greater to be eligible for a Leader Award).

 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "This achievement demonstrates your commitment to environmental protection through superior energy performance."

 

 

Click here for a link on the Energy Star website to the Leader Story for Robbinsdale Area Schools.

Save over the Summer

There are many opportunities to save energy over the three month period between Memorial and Labor Days. When you leave your classroom, office, or area for an extended break, please make sure to do the following to keep our buildings operating efficiently throughout the summer months:

• Close blinds and drapes.
• Keep vents clear of books and boxes.
• Turn off monitors, printers, speakers, smartboards, etc.
• Turn off and unplug all miscellaneous electronics.
• Take home any plants and animals.
• Consolidate refrigerators in staff lounges; turn off, clean and prop open all but one in each building.
• Empty, turn off, clean and prop open refrigerators in FACS rooms and science labs.
• Look for and be aware of any opportunities to save energy during the unoccupied summer months.

Thanks for doing your part, together we can and do make a difference!

Class of 2013

Cooper and Armstrong High Schools' commencement ceremonies took place yesterday and over 900 Robbinsdale Area Schools' graduates are headed onward and upward out into the world.

Congratulations to you and best wishes for a bright (green) future!

Cooper High School photo courtesy Tara Cegla

Armstrong High School photo courtesy Tia Clasen

Press Me!

If copy machines could talk, I would have the ones with an Energy Saver option say "Press Me! Press Me! Please Press Me!" and the button would flash brightly. It's so quick and easy to push the Energy Saver button when you are finished at the printer/copier and no one is waiting to use it after you. Try it today! Every effort, no matter how small, does add up to make an impact. Thanks for doing your part to make a difference!

Today's Energy Insight

17 million barrels of oil are used each year just to produce all the disposable plastic water bottles used in the U.S. Yikes! That's a lot of oil! What's more, only about 12% of disposable water bottles are actually recycled. That means 88% of these bottles end up in a landfill or becoming litter.

 

Utilizing a refillable stainless-steel, glass or ceramic container, helps you save money, energy and the environment by taking water with you and you can fill up just about every place you go. And by the way, there is no evidence to support the idea that drinking bottled water is any safer than filtered tap water. In fact, it's been proven that some bottled water IS tap water.