Today's Energy Insight

Make it a GREEN Halloween!

October is just around the corner so check out these great green Halloween tips from the World Wildlife Fund.

Click here to see the list at their website.

Today's Energy Insight

We are enjoying some warm weather as we head into October but chilly fall winds are just around the corner. Did you know a one-eighth inch gap around an exterior door is equivalent to a six inch square hole in the side of your house and causes a lot of energy loss?  When put in those terms I realized I would not leave a gaping hole in the side of my house all winter so I'd better check for air leaks. Now is the perfect time to check for leaks, before the cold weather settles in for awhile.

There are two ways to check your exterior doors:
Have someone stand on the other side of the door and shine a flashlight around the door's perimeter. If you can see light through the cracks, your door needs sealing.
OR
Hold a piece of paper between the door and the frame and shut the door. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you should weather strip around the door.

Today's Energy Insight

Energy Myth Busting 101

MYTH: Keep the lights on because it takes more energy to fire them up after being off than it does to let them remain illuminated.

FACT: It takes less energy to fire up a light bulb than it does for it to keep running. While this used to be true, the message is now outdated. Old fluorescent bulbs took a few minutes to be fully lit, and used significantly more energy than today’s bulbs. In fact, according to the US Department of Energy, the energy “surge” when a light is turned on is equal to leaving that light lit for just 5 seconds. So turn off the lights anytime you leave a room – no matter what type of lighting is in there! Even if you are going to be out of the room for 5 minutes, turning the lights off saves energy in a big way. Even in large rooms such as gyms and auditoriums, it pays to turn lights off when you walk out of the room!

Today's Energy Insight

Fall into Energy Savings...

Click here for a recent article from the U.S. Department of Energy full of fall and winter energy saving tips and ideas.

Today's Energy Insight

It's a Brand New School Year and a great time to make a resolution to save some energy! Remember every flip of a switch, push of a button, or any effort to conserve energy adds up to big savings for our district. It's a team effort so please do your part to stretch our dollars further and keep the district's money in the classrooms to benefit the awesome students in Robbinsdale Area Schools!

Today's Energy Insight

We're on a roll! An energy saving roll, that is. Let's keep the momentum going into this fall and beyond. Every effort, no matter how small (even just the flip of a switch) does make a difference. In a district our size, these efforts really do add up. Thanks for doing your part by being energy smart.

And please remember to always be a model of energy efficiency for our students and staff throughout the district.