Inquiring Minds at SEA

Thank you to Ms. Kinville's 4th grade class at the School of Engineering and Arts for inviting me into their classroom this morning. The students were wondering how much it cost to operate the lights in their classroom and how much is saved by turning off the lights.

We talked about the fluorescent light bulbs in their room and the amount of energy each bulb uses. The students were able to calculate the wattage into kilowatts and then into kilowatt hours. We talked about the per kilowatt hour amount the district is charged and also discussed how this can vary based on the demand charges specific to the building. Once the students came up with the amount for one bulb, they then multiplied by the total number of bulbs in the room. The calculations continued as they figured out the cost for their classroom lights to run for one hour, then six hours per day and then for the entire school year.

Next we looked at three types of light bulbs: incandescent, CFL and LED. The students were able to compare the different wattage of the bulbs anywhere from a 100 watt incandescent down to an 8 watt LED. The fourth graders asked many great questions and we were able to talk about several different energy-related topics including alternative energy sources, vampire energy and ways to be efficient with energy use both at home and school.

Ms. Kinville and her awesome 4th graders at SEA.

 

Have a fun, safe and efficient Halloween, everyone!

 

 

Energy Awareness Month

From the home office in White Bear Lake, see the inspiring and personal message below from Class 5 Energy, the parent company of Schools for Energy Efficiency, in recognition of Energy Awareness month.

Today's Energy Insight

Winter Winds are Coming!

 

Did you know a 1/8 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. 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

Residential, Industrial, Commercial and Transportation.

In the United States in 2010, which of these consumed the highest amount of energy at 30.8% and which consumed the least of the four at 18.6%?

Scroll down to check your answer...

According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. energy consumption by sector for 2010 breaks down as follows:

30.8%  Industrial
28.1%  Transportation
22.6%  Residential
18.6%  Commercial


Today's Energy Insight

The EPA estimates that 80% of these and 70% of these
used in offices are left on overnight.


A) Fax machines and radios

B) Task lights and computer monitors

C) Printers and copy machines

D) Coffee pots and lava lamps


Scroll down to check your answer...

 

All of these items are left on at various times but 80% of printers and 70% of copiers are left on in offices resulting in lost energy. If you are the last one in your area, please be sure these items are shut off for the night. Also, try to get in the habit of using the energy saver button found on most copy machines. Every little effort, no matter how small, does make a difference, thanks for doing your part! Oh, and C is the correct answer.

Today's Energy Insight

To switch off or to leave on?
That is the question...

Does turning fluorescent lights off use more energy than leaving them on?

A common misconception is that there is a boost of energy required to power up a bulb so you should leave lights on when leaving an area for a short amount of time. It turns out, however, the power surge is so brief that its energy draw doesn't amount to much; the equivalent of a few seconds or so of normal operation, according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates. In other words, strictly from an energy saving standpoint, it's almost always beneficial to shut off fluorescents when leaving a room—the start-up energy is offset by the power saved in even the briefest outages.