Energy Conservation ProjectED630 Fall 2007

Nondalton School Electricity Usage

The Questions

1. How much can the school save in electricity by conserving energy?

2. How much electricity is used by the gym lights?

Why Bother?

• The school district has offered a financial incentive to save electricity

• Responsibility to the environment• We are a conservation minded

people

Data Collection

Part A• Took meter

readings once per week

• One week of normal usage, one week of conserved usage

Part B• Took meter

readings in five minute increments

• Gym lights on and off every 15 minutes (4 cycles)

Error Analysis of Data

• Savings may have been greater.– Kitchen fan accidentally left on one night

during our week of conserving– First weekend of open gym during our

week of conserving• Data on gyms lights taken during normal

school hours.– More accurate if no other activity taking

place?– More accurate if lights were left on and off

for 30 minutes at a time?

Data Analysis• We saved more than 12%!!!

• The gym lights use 2.5 kWh.

Usage (kWh)

% Decrease

Normal 1374

Conserved 1207

Savings 167 12.15%

Lights On Lights Off Lights On Lights Off

Usage (kWh)

6 3 5 3

How we saved

• Turn off all computers and monitors after school.

• Use only one set of lights in the classroom.

• Turn lights off when leaving the room.

• Turn off gym lights in the morning.

For Further Study

• Cost effective to install motion sensor lights?

• At what point is it better just to leave on the gym lights?

• How does this relate to the big picture of global warming? How much are we saving in greenhouse gas emissions?

SHOW US THE MONEY!!

If every school in LPSD saves as much as we do, $2,500 will be added to our student account at the end of the year!!

Web Source

• Department of Energy website www.energy.gov