Today's Energy Insight

4 Fun Facts about Saving Energy at School

Think saving energy at school is boring? Think again! Here are some fun facts about what happens when you conserve energy in your classrooms, bathrooms, computer labs and across the district!

• A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month. That’s more than the average person uses in two weeks!

• Turning off the lights in your classroom for just one hour saves enough energy to keep two pounds of pollutants out of the atmosphere!

• Replacing six interior incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs can keep 566 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere — and save you about $30 — each year. Just think of how many light bulbs are in one school and then multiply that by 19 buildings!

• Across the country, computer monitors waste about $900 million dollars n electricity per year from being left on while no one is using them.The least efficient schools use three times more energy as the best performers – how does your school measure up?

Robbinsdale students love saving energy!

Memorial Day

To honor our Veterans, it is our duty and responsibility as Americans to keep our country a sustainable place for our children and the generations to follow. As we head into this holiday weekend, be mindful of your energy use and how you treat the environment. Plant something this weekend!

Today's Energy Insight

A high school teacher recently asked if power strips really do save energy and the short answer is yes, power strips do reduce what is referred to as phantom loads or vampire energy. However, you can do one step better than the average power strip or surge protector.

Now there are smart power strips or eco-strips out on the market. These strips use a motion detector of sorts to monitor and manage energy use. Devices plugged into the controlled outlets are turned on and off based on occupancy per se, or the fact that they are currently using energy. When installed, some power-sensing power strips turn off power to all the accessories unless the main item is turned on. These strips may cost a little more than regular power strips but this would be a case where you spend money to save money.

Today's Energy Insight

"If you watch how nature deals with adversity,
continually renewing itself, you can't help but learn."
~ Bernie Siegel

Today's Energy Insight

It's time once again to reverse the direction of your ceiling fans as the seasons change. During the fall and winter the blades should rotate in a clockwise direction to push warm air downward. Fans should spin counterclockwise in the spring and summer to cool the room. And remember to not let ceiling fans run in unoccupied areas. Fans cool people and not spaces.

Today's Energy Insight

Did you know it takes 17 million barrels of oil each year just to produce all the disposable plastic water bottles used in the United States? Yikes! That's a lot of oil! What's more, only 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 water bottle helps you save money, energy and the environment. By taking a water bottle with you, you can fill up just about every place you go. So stay hydrated and save energy in the process.
This = a win win for you and the environment! Yay You!