Enrollment Form Date: ________

Watt Watchers of Texas

1-888-US WATTS (1-888-879-2887)
P.O.Box 68660, El Paso, Texas 79968 Fax: 1-888-879-2887
e-mail: watts@utep.edu
http://wattwatchers.utep.edu
Your Name: _________________________________________________
School Name: _______________________________________________
School Address: _____________________________________________
(Free kit will be shipped to your school / Street address preferred)
City: ______________________ Zip: _____ - ____ County: ______
School Phone: ( ) ____ - ______ School Fax: ( ) ____ - ______
Best Time to Call: _______ Number of Students in your school: ______
Name of School District: ______________________________________
by: Kirstin Wilsey
The Newsletter for Watt Watchers, Watteam, and TEED.
Now incorporating WATTimes, Watt’s Happening, and the Texas School Energy Manager News.
Fall 2002
Published Quarterly by The Energy Center, The University of Texas at El Paso
Sponsored by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts - State Energy Conservation Office,
and the United States Department of Energy
Volume 6 Number 4
Knowledge is Power – K-8 Energy Efficiency Curriculum Supplement
Watt Watchers of Texas has developed an energy efficiency curriculum
supplement for grades K-8 called “Knowledge is Power.” These lesson plans on energy
conservation and energy efficiency are correlated to the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS) as well as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
“Knowledge is Power” is ready for delivery to teachers across the state. The lessons
range from coloring pages and school lighting surveys for Kindergarten to Cost Effective
Buying and Appliance Surveys for middle school grades. Knowledge is Power has a
broad subject range, incorporating math, science, social studies, reading, language
arts and writing in most of the lessons.

Example of lessons available:

Kindergarten – Secret Mission behind Power Lines: Watt Watchers Survey

• This lesson allows students to survey the school for energy waste or savings
to determine if being Watt Watchers will save energy and money for their school
using math, science, social studies and reading skills.
1 Grade – Energy Trip Ticket
st

• Students learn about wasting energy, conserving energy, energy crisis and what
to do about it with this hands-on, minds-on, classroom activity using social
studies, math, science, and language arts skills.
2 Grade – Conserving Electricity: TURN IT OFF!
nd

• Students learn why saving energy helps reduce air pollution. They will also
learn how electricity is produced and sent to homes, schools, and businesses
using science, social studies, and language arts skills.
continued on page 23...

The Adopt-A-School Bus Program

Watt Watchers of Texas by: Amy Tingley

Did you know a child who rides a diesel powered bus to school is
exposed to 8 times more pollution compared to a child who walks to school?
Texas Governor Rick Perry
said, “The Adopt-A-School
Bus program is more
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), model year
The Energy Center 2007 heavy-duty trucks and buses will be 95 percent cleaner than today’s
evidence that Texas is
committed to improving air
buses. This will result in a 97% reduction in the amount of sulfur in highway quality. The EPA and
University of Texas at El Paso diesel from 500 parts per
million to 15 parts per million.
Administrator Whitman are
to be commended for
P.O. Box 68660 new
The EPA estimates the
diesel emission
bringing together public and
private partners in this
El Paso, Texas 79968 standards would result in
8,300 fewer premature
unique effort which can
serve as a model for other
deaths, 17,600 fewer cases of communities.”
childhood acute bronchitis,
and 360,000 fewer asthma the Dallas/Fort Worth area with “clean fueled”
attacks. This is an enormous
step in cleaning up our
buses or the proper funding to retrofit buses WATTS INSIDE
currently in use. The Adopt-A-School Bus
environment. However, Union Program is a grant program administered by Go Solar.............................2

TO:
of Concerned Scientist reports that today over 23 million children nation- an individual steering committee and
wide ride the bus to school and most of the 442,000 school buses on the News ............................... 3
Please Route: operates under the sponsorship of the
road today are powered by diesel fuel. How do we help the children who are American lung Association. The Adopt-A-
o Science Chair Energy Saving Districts..4,5
being affected right now? School Bus Program describes
o Student Council A study conducted by Environmental and Human “clean fuel” as encompassing Student Activities...........6,7
o Librarian Health, Inc. in cooperation with John Wargo, Ph.D., from “alternative” fuels such as
Yale University reports, “Federal agencies have classified Propane/liquefied Petroleum Watt Watchers News.........8
o Energy Manager diesel exhaust as a probable human carcinogen… There Gas (LPG), Liquefied Natural Gas
is no known safe level of exposure to diesel exhaust for (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas Electrifying Extras.............9
children, especially those with respiratory illness.” Diesel (CNG), hydrogen fuel cells, and
exhaust has been known to exacerbate childhood illnesses The “ED”-itorial.............10
electric vehicles, as well as clean
such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses. diesel, biodiesel, and low-sulfur Color Posters..............11-14
Consequently, in nonattainment areas, which are areas fuels.
where air pollution levels persistently exceed the national The program kicked-off on Winning Tickets..............15
ambient air quality standards, children are exposed to even
Fall 2002 more harmful pollutants and are at an even higher risk for
lung diseases.
October 7, 2002 in Dallas, Texas
with speakers including Governor
Rick Perry, EPA Administrator
Energy Managers.......16,17

http://wattwatchers.utep.edu A non-profit grant program established through a

partnership between the American Lung Association, the EPA, State and
local agencies, and corporate sponsors, is working to provide schools within
Christie Todd Whitman, and the EPA Region
6 Director Gregg Cooke.
TEED..........................18,21

SLEEP is good.................22

1-888-US WATTS continued on page 23...

Cameron Elementary.......23
 2
GO SOLAR SPOTLIGHT SCHOOL
23

Cameron Elementary
by: Kirstin Wilsey
them an opportunity to Watcher patrols also
put lessons into receive certificates
practice. during an end-of-the-
C a m e r o n year awards
Elementary Science ceremony.
students learn more Mrs. Miller has
than how to patrol the done an excellent job
hallways in their school. teaching students the
These students spend importance of energy
6 weeks learning about efficiency through her
Texas Solar Energy Society, Inc. (TXSES) energy resources, work as a Watt
P.O. Box 1447, Austin, TX 78767-1447 conservation, electricity Watchers sponsor and
Phone (512) 326-3391 or (800)465-5049 Fax: (512)326-1785 generation and much science teacher. She
Web site: www.txses.org The students at Cameron Elementary more. Their Energy Unit requires them to pick and her students are active in many aspects
take their energy patrols very seriously. an energy source and create a poster illustrating of our program and make Cameron
The Texas Solar Energy Society is a non-profit educational organization formed to increase the awareness of the poten- Students are selected based on their grades the source and its locations in Texas, the US Elementary a model for other schools.
tial od solar and other renewable energy applications and to promote the wise use of these sustainable and non-polluting and conduct for the six weeks. They consider and other places in the world. This poster lists Cameron Elementary is an A+ Watt Watcher
being chosen for WW Patrol as a reward. the advantages and disadvantages of the school!
resources. Since 1976 TXSES has been a proven leader in educating the citizens, government, and institutions of Texas
Watt Watcher Patrols at Cameron Elementary source, and how it is converted into electricity.
on the readiness of renewable energy technologies and their practical applications. As advocates for solar energy we are Then the students are required to create a
are led by Patsy Miller, 5th grade Science
working to improve the ecological, social and economic fabric of Texas. As a chapter of the American Solar Energy teacher. Mrs. Miller has been sponsoring a brochure and write a paper about their energy
Society, TXSES is connected with national renewable energy educational activities and projects. Our membership in- Watt Watcher program for 5 source. They must
cludes educators, engineers, researchers, students, bankers, architects, builders, homeowners and solar enthusiasts. years and she has made it a also create a
daily routine for her 5th grade model that
science students. demonstrates how
Join the Texas Solar Energy Society today!
Each day, Mrs. Miller their source works.
selects a group of students to For example,
YES, I want to join other solar enthusiasts to promote the wise use of sustaining an non polluting resources. go on Watt Patrol during their students studying
Name: ________________________________________ Affiliation: __________________________________ lunch time. The students do solar energy can
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________ not mind missing some of their make solar cars,
City: ____________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: _____________________________ lunch break; the patrols give solar cookers, etc.
Those who are
Home phone: __________________________________ Work phone: _________________________________
selected for Watt
Fax: ______________________________ E-mail address:_____________________________________________

Individual Membership
$15 (student or EPSEA member)
$25 (minimum regular member)
$50 $100* $200*
$300 Patron*
*recognized in quarterly newsletter
School Fund
$25 Check here to contribute an additional $25 to the TXSES school fund.
This money is dedicated to support renewable energy projects in Texas classrooms.
Total due: ____________
The U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Junior Solar Sprint Program is a
classroom-based, hands-on educational
program for 6 th 7th, and 8th grade students. JSS
student teams apply math, science, and
creativity to construct model solar – powered
cars and race them in interscholastic
competitions hosted within their schools or
within their states or regions. JSS began in
1990 as a single demonstration race and
expanded to 10 regional competitions in 1991.
The program now uses public and private sector
Annual Dues
Knowledge is Power – K-8 Energy Efficiency Curriculum Supplement For more information on diesel fuel and
Business Membership continued from page 1... school buses please visit the following web sites:
Union of Concerned Scientists
3rd Grade – Energy Home Survey 8th Grade – Wasting Energy at Home
h t t p : / / w w w. u c s u s a . o r g / c l e a n _ v e h i c l e s /
$100 $250 $500** • Students conduct a home energy survey • Students will write a definition of efficiency,
trucks_and_buses/
**includes ad in quarterly newsletter and answer questions to learn about identify ways energy is wasted, list ways to
Environmental Protection Agency Region 6
appliances and air leaks in the home. conserve energy in the home, categorize
http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/
Students discuss ways to save energy home appliances as heavy, moderate or
ASES Membership adopt_a_school_bus.htm
and develop a plan to start saving energy light users of energy by using science,
$55 Discounted American Solar Energy Society joint National Public Radio – Report on school bus
at home using science, social studies math, social studies, reading, and writing
membership for paid TXSES members pollution
and language arts skills. skills.
http://discover.npr.org/features/
4 Grade – Air Leakage at Home
th
feature.jhtml?wfId=1148978
• Students learn how to stop air leaks in These lesson plans are all easily adaptable
the home by installing switch plate and to any classroom setting. If you would like a copy Did you know?
Make check payable to TXSES plug sealers and making draft dodgers. of the Knowledge is Power Curriculum Northside Independent School
This will help the students become better Supplement, please contact Watt Watchers at 1- District, Northside, Texas
energy savers and use math, science, 888-USWATTS. Materials will be available in the Northside Independent School
social studies and reading skills. near future on the Watt Watchers website at http:/
Junior Solar Sprint 5th Grade – The Pay Me Game /wattwatchers.utep.edu
District has the second largest fleet of
propane school buses in the country and
support to improve W a t t • Students will use play money to is committed to maintaining a 100
education in middle/ Watchers and understand the dollar cost of their energy
bills by using math and science skills.
The Adopt-A-School Bus Program percent alternative fuel fleet. Northside
junior high schools TXSES would like employs about 420 propane buses to
across the nation. In to assist you in 6 Grade – How much Energy Do You Use?
th
carry 33,000 students to and from school
continued from page 1...
recent years, the event starting a JSS • Students will do a home energy survey every day, and the district plans to
grew to 83 host sites program at your which will help them determine which The Adopt-A-School Bus Program works as
increase the fleet to 448 buses by 2005.
in 26 states involving school. Please appliances in their homes are energy a source of funding for approved applicants within
Northside made the switch to propane
100,000 students and contact Watt gobbler appliances. They will work on the nonattainment areas in Dallas/Fort Worth
nearly 20 years ago, motivated by the
15,000 teachers. Watchers at 1- utility math problems and do a counties. These counties include, Tarrant, Denton,
cheap price of propane relative to
888-USWATTS or comparison of the results using science, Collin and Dallas. Schools within the limits of any
gasoline and diesel. Since propane
The primary goal of the JSS programs are to: by email at math, social studies, reading and writing four of these counties are qualified to apply for a
comes from local sources, the district
1. generate enthusiasm for science and watts@utep.edu skills. grant. The goals of the program are to replace 500
is not subject to the price fluctuations of
engineering at a crucial stage in the to receive more 7th Grade – Incandescent vs. Fluorescent - Battle pre-1993 model diesel school buses in the Dallas/
other fuels. Northside has found that
educational development of young information about of the Bulbs Fort Worth area over the next three ears. According
maintenance costs are low, gas mileage
people. the JSS program. • Students will learn how to be energy to a spokesperson from the American Lung
is good, and drivers are happy with the
2. improve students’ understanding of efficient at home. They will do a home Association of Texas, the program will be offered
performance of the buses.
scientific concepts and renewable energy For Information about the National JSS energy survey for fluorescent lights and to other at-risk communities throughout the nation.
For more information on other
technologies; and program visit their website at http://www.nrel.gov/ compare the wattage use of a compact For a detailed list of qualifications and an
school districts using Alternative Fuels,
3. encourage young people to consider education/student/natjss.html fluorescent light and incandescent light official application package, visit the Adopt-A-School
visit http://www.ucsusa.org/
technical careers at an early age. using math, science, and social studies Bus Program website at http://www.adopt-a-
clean_vehicles/trucks_and_buses/
skills. schoolbus.org.
page.cfm?pageID=243.
 22
by: Amy Tingley
The Watt Watchers campaign to enable
computer monitor power management is going
strong. Here is an update on the campaign’s
status.
For those of you who may have missed
our Summer 2002 issue of Watts News, monitor
power management allows a monitor to go to
sleep after ten minutes of inactivity. SLEEP is
good was created by the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) and it is distributed through Energy
Star® as a FREE program. Putting a monitor to
sleep has the potential savings of $17-$20 per
monitor per year.
The savings could range from thousands
of dollars for smaller school districts to hundreds
of thousands for larger districts. Watt Watchers
wanted to put Texas School Districts on the map
with a pledge of 200,000 monitors. In order to
accomplish this, we work with school districts
and other organizations by offering on-line
presentations in conjunction with The Cadmus
Group to explain the program and answer any
questions the school district or organization may
have.
SLEEP IS GOOD...
Since our last issue of Watts News, we
have spoken to many school districts and other
organizations across the state. Through our
discussions and on-line presentations with these
organizations we have a potential to put over
290,000 monitors to SLEEP. A detailed list of
districts and organizations who are piloting the
program or who have pledged to enable their
monitors is below.
What do you really want say to your
Information Technology Department?
As a student, teacher or energy manager,
you will need support from IT to enable power
management on your computers. So how do you
approach them? Well, first of all, you must have
knowledge of SLEEP is good and the benefits
associated with the program. Since we began
this campaign in May, we have seen a few
situations in which a member of an IT staff was
given a packet of information about SLEEP is
good, or even just a printout from our web site
and no other information. However, introducing
the idea of power management often requires a
little more persuasion. An enthusiastic, well-
versed advocate like you can make a difference.
Look through the information thoroughly
to ensure that you have a good understanding of
the program beforehand in order to explain the
basics to the IT staff. The basics being: the
program was created by the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) and it is distributed through Energy
Star® as a FREE program that helps
organizations save 200 kWh per computer
monitor, or between $17-$20 per monitor, per
year; and that the program includes free technical
support from an Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) contractor, The Cadmus Group.
Once you share the information with your
IT department and they ask what you want you
want from them, tell them all you want is 45
minutes of their time to participate in an on-line
presentation with Watt Watchers and The
Cadmus Group. The presentation will have a more
in-depth look at the SLEEP is good program. In
all of the presentations we have had, there has
not been one negative comment from a member
of an IT department. You might even want to show
them this article so they may see what other
districts have started a pilot program.
If you have questions or want additional
support, give us a call at 1-888-US WATTS and
we will be more than happy to help…
The Energy Star® Million Monitor
Pledge campaign has received an
“Honorable Mention” from The
American Council for an Energy
Efficient Economy (ACE3).
“We are pleased to inform you that
EPA’s “ENERGY STAR Monitor
Power Management Program
(Million Monitor Drive)” has been
selected by the American Council for
an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE) for honorable mention as
part of our effort to recognize and
profile exemplary energy efficiency
programs. An expert review panel
selected this program as worthy of
this recognition. ACEEE conducted
a national search to identify such
program models in order both to
recognize the individual
achievements of the selected
programs and to showcase these
programs for possible emulation by
other organizations interested in
promoting similar energy-efficient
technologies and practices.”
THE TRANSMISSION LINE
Zero Energy School Proposed in
Southern Ohio
When you think of visionary, energy-efficient
design for K-12 schools, does rural Ohio come
to mind? It soon may, thanks to the
Wheelersburg School District, located just
across the Ohio River from Kentucky. Officials
in this small, Appalachian town are planning
to build the country’s first zero energy school.
With the school district recently joining as a
partner of the 1500 Days: The Ohio Energy
Efficiency Project Rebuild America
partnership and the Ohio Department of
Development’s Office of Energy Efficiency,
Rebuild America is poised to help them reach
their goal.
Wheelersburg is no stranger to energy-
efficiency projects. In the fall of 2000, a 1 kW
photovoltaic array was installed at the local
elementary school. The solar panels were
mounted on poles next to the school, so
teachers can use the
photovoltaic array as a teaching tool.
American Electric Power (AEP), the
Foundation for Environmental Education, the
Ohio Department of Development’s Office of
Energy Efficiency, and the U.S. Department
of
Energy’s (DOE) Million Solar Roofs Initiative
sponsored the project and the students helped
by organizing a fundraiser.
Although the high school in Wheelersburg,
built in 1957, was once a modern facility, the
school is ill-suited for today’s learning
environment—there is little natural light, it is
only partially air-conditioned, and the electrical
system limits the number of computers that
can be used. A new school with modern
technology, however, would mean an increase
in energy use and operating costs. To address
this issue, Superintendent John Eaton met
with Larry Schoff, of the Rebuild America
EnergySmart Schools team, and Elaine
Barnes, from the Ohio counterpart of
EnergySmart Schools, to explore the idea of
building a zero energy school: one that
produces the same amount of electricity as it
uses over the course of a year. DOE is actively
supporting zero energy homes research
through Building America’s Building Science
Consortium and the Solar Buildings Program,
and several universities are studying the
concept for commercial buildings. The
Wheelersburg project, however, would be the
first zero energy school building in this country.
For more information about this project and
the complete article go to
h t t p : / / w w w. r e b u i l d . o r g / a t ta c h m e n ts /
p a r t n e r u p d a t e s /
PartnerUpdateJulyAugust02.pdf.
Igniting Creative Energy
National Energy Foundation, Johnson
Controls and the United States Energy To ignite your creative energy about one of the
Association most important issues of our time, check out
The Challenge to students is simple: our online
www.ignitingcreativeenergy.org . Or call the NEF
Step 1 - Learn how an individual’s for more information at 1-800-616-8326.
own wise energy choices and
environmental stewardship can help
reduce energy consumption and
improve the community in which we
live.
Step 2 - Ignite your creative energy to
explore new and creative ways to
make a difference in the way you use
energy.
Step 3 - Use your creative talents to
communicate your energy ideas and
actions to others.
A growing energy crisis and a national
discussion about the future of our natural
resources are bringing the impact of our energy
choices closer to home.
What can we as individuals do to make a
difference?
That is the question the Igniting Creative
Energy Challenge is encouraging teachers in
North America to ask their students. Open to
students K-12, the Challenge is an educational
competition designed to encourage students to
learn more about energy and the environment.
The Challenge sponsors would like to
acknowledge exemplary teaching and reward
students for expressing their understanding of
the issues. All student entries will be recognized,
and three students and one teacher will win a
trip to Washington D.C. for a fun and educational
experience.
Student entries
must reflect the
theme “Igniting
C r e a t i v e
Energy” and
demonstrate an
understanding
of what an
individual,
family or group
can do to make
a difference in their home or community.
Students may express their ideas in the form of
documented science projects, essays, stories,
artwork, photographs, music or video or website
projects. They may also submit recent service
or science projects, or results from the National
Energy Foundation’s own Energy Patrol
activities.
resources at
3
E
WIR
E
TH
OFF
T
HO
WS
NE
Toyota Totally Hybrid by 2012
Toyota, the world’s third-largest
automaker, plans to use gasoline-electric
hybrid engines in all vehicles by 2012 to
increase fuel efficiency and reduce tailpipe
emissions. Toyota was the first to sell a hybrid,
with the Prius car in 1997. The Prius, sold in
the U.S., Japan and Europe, combines an
internal-combustion engine and an electric
motor and gets about 50 miles per gallon of
gasoline. The company sold 5.9 million cars
and trucks last year, including 36,928 hybrids.
Toyota expects to sell 300,000 hybrids
annually through its own dealerships by 2007.
That number could be doubled or tripled by
sales of the technology to other companies.
The gasoline-electric hybrid system
emits as much as 40 percent less carbon
dioxide than traditional internal-combustion
engines. Hybrids boost fuel economy and
reduce emissions by meshing a gasoline
engine and an electric motor. When the vehicle
is accelerating rapidly, the electric motor
supplements the gas engine. When the
vehicle is slowing down, the gas engine shuts
down and the energy generated during
braking recharges the batteries for the electric
motor.
Automakers want to cut emissions as
governments tighten pollution rules, and some
are focusing on fuel cells rather than hybrids.
Toyota is the only automaker capable of soon
building enough hybrids to overcome the
current $3,000-a-vehicle cost disadvantage
against traditional cars and trucks.
The Prius had the best U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency fuel-
economy rating for 2002-model compact cars,
with 52 miles per gallon in city driving and 45
mpg on the highway, the agency said in a
release two weeks ago. The Honda Insight
was highest among all vehicles, with 57 mpg
in city driving and 56 mpg on the highway.
Excerpted from a story by John Lippert of
Bloomberg News in Auto.com, published daily
Monday through Friday by the Detroit Free
Press.
 4 21
by: Amy Tingley
Over the past few months, I have had
the wonderful opportunity to work with Energy
Managers from across the state. I have spoken
to teachers, students, and staff members from
schools across the state about Energy
Managers. The one thing that always resurfaces
is this: There is this person who walks around
our campus and turns everything off; we can’t
have the air conditioning on when we are hot,
we can’t have the heat on when we are cold, I
can’t teach my students in the dark, I can’t wait
5 seconds for my computer to wake back up…
These comments are the most common
responses to actions that an Energy Manager,
Watt Watchers, or any other person aware of
the need to use energy wisely, takes. The main
issue here is that most people do not realize we
are not here to make life miserable. We are not
asking anyone to conserve energy by working
in the dark or making children wear extra clothing
to school so we can leave the heat off. We are
asking people to become more efficient in their
usage of energy. There is a HUGE difference.
Hopefully, everyone will realize that an
Energy Manager is not there to harass anyone;
he/she is simply there with the same mission
as everyone else within a school system, to put
the students first. Students are there to learn
and an Energy Manager is there to ensure that
they are able to do so in a safe, clean and healthy
environment. No one is there simply to turn off
your lights. Energy Managers are there to focus
on indoor air quality, mold; and depending on
how many hats he/she wears, even safety
issues are a part of their focus. Of course an
Energy Manager is looking for ways to reduce
energy usage in schools, but that is something
we should all do.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy,
more money is spent on energy than on
computers and textbooks combined. Those of
you who do have an Energy Manager in your
district should feel privileged to have him or her
there. The Energy Manager is there to help
reduce that energy and allow for a larger budget
for other beneficial books, programs, etc.
Next time you see your Energy Manager,
remember, he/she is not the Energy Miser or
the Prince/Princess of Darkness. Your Energy
Manager is there to help contribute to the overall
mission of the school district, and believe it or
not, saving energy really does help the students.
So, let’s see how Plano ISD, Granbury ISD,
Galena Park ISD, and Marshall ISD save energy!
Not long ago, I spoke with Dr. Charles
Ashby, Energy Manager for the Plano
Independent School District (PISD). We
were discussing the potential $300,000 in energy
savings for PISD if the district implemented
computer monitor power management on all of
the district’s 25,000 computers.
$300,000, WOW! Needless to say, Dr.
Ashby enlisted the help of Mr. Dan Armstrong,
IT Manager for Plano ISD. Mr. Armstrong
participated in an on-line presentation to learn
more about the potential savings incorporated
with power management. He is currently
working with Tom Bolioli from The Cadmus
Group (a contractor for the Environmental
Protection Agency) to find the best possible
ENERGY SAVING
solution for implementing monitor power
management within the district.
A completely different, yet equally
important, energy saving solution for the Plano
ISD is Watt Watchers. Now, Watt Watchers
might not save $300,000 as quickly as monitor
power management can, however, Dr. Ashby
recognizes the potential savings associated with
the Watt Watchers program. We discussed our
program and how we could incorporate it within
PISD… I received almost immediate enrollments
from quite a few Plano ISD schools.
Dr. Ashby informed me of a program
similar to Watt Watchers already implemented
within the district. This Energy Monitor program,
however, used teachers instead of students. The
Energy Monitors serve as Advisor/Sponsor of the
Watt Watchers program in their school, assist
the Energy Management Team in the “energy
shutdown” of their buildings prior to official school
holidays, and serve as a liaison between their
school and the Energy Management Team. By
incorporating Watt Watchers into the district, Dr.
Ashby found yet another way in which to teach
students how important it is to save energy and
be aware of the different ways in which to do so.
One of the original methods of including
students in energy
saving was the
contest that the
Energy Management
D e p a r t m e n t
sponsored. This
contest asked
students of the Art
classes at Plano
Senior High School to
create an energy logo.
IZZY Energy was the
winner. Of course, at
the time, he was nameless… So, they had
another contest, this time in the elementary
schools, to find a name — and IZZY it was.
IZZY travels the district with Dr. Ashby
waiting to see how the days will play out. Will he
find wasted energy or will he find those aware of
the need to be more efficient. Now, PISD has
taken many steps other than contests to ensure
energy savings for the district. They have
replaced most of the lighting in the district and
upgraded from T-12 lighting fixtures to T-8s with
electronic ballasts. They are looking into
upgrading all of their exit signs from incandescent
bulbs to the LED replacements kits, and there is,
of course, the on-going battle to
keep buildings upgraded and as
energy efficient as possible. In
addition, they have centralized
the scheduling of activities in
PISD buildings requiring heating
and/or cooling after regular
school hours of operation, and
have developed a Network HVAC
Calendar of Activities.
Dr. Ashby soon discovered that not all
energy saving endeavors are a battle. Simply by
removing the ballasts and lights from each of the
350 drink machines throughout the district, and
having the coils cleaned annually, they are saving
enough money to hire one new teacher and pay
his/her salary and benefits for the entire year.
That is a significant amount of money, and it was
simple to do.
Simple… more energy saving strategies
should be just that. Let us all try and remember
the need to become more efficient in our energy
usage, remember to thank Dr. Ashby for his
devotion to saving energy in Plano ISD, and let’s
make more of an effort to reduce the number of
battles he needs to fight!
When Granbury Independent School
District (GISD) employees opened their first
paycheck of the 2002-2003 school year, this is
what they read:
“Congratulations! Thanks to your effort, the
Granbury Independent School District has
had another very good year in the Energy
Business. We have avoided a cost of
$274,853.00 for the 2001-2002 school year
giving us a grand total of $1,613,631.00 for
seven years in the Energy Conservation
Program. These savings are vital to the
district’s quest to meet the needs of both
the students and teachers in our school
district.” ~ GISD Energy Management
What a way to start off the new school
year! GISD energy manager Larry Anderson
explained to me that each year they put a
statement in employees’ pay envelopes
explaining how their energy efficiency measures
and cooperation with such measures pay off.
When I asked Mr. Anderson how GISD saved so
much money on energy costs, he explained that
the district has an energy policy, and they enforce
it. A list of nine procedures that GISD staff needs
to follow within the district is included with each
statement of energy savings. Since each staff
member receives a copy of this list, each person
is responsible for following it. Below is a copy of
the nine procedures:
Please take time to implement the following
key procedures to the Energy Program in your daily
activities:
1. Teachers should make certain that lights are
turned off when leaving the classroom.
2. During non-school hours, Custodians should turn
lights on only in the specific areas in which they
are working.
3. Teachers should turn off all computers at the end
of the last class.
4. Classroom temperature should be between 75 and
78 degrees during the cooling season.
5. Classroom temperature should be between 68 and
72 degrees during the heating season.
6. The Principal or Head Custodian should ensure
that all thermostats are off or set to 85 degrees
(during the cooling season) within one hour after
the students leave school. Thermostats may be
left at their “occupied” setting at AMS, GMS and
AES. They are computer controlled.
7. The Principal or Head Custodian should ensure
that all thermostats are off or set to 55 degrees
(during the heating season) within one hour after
the students leave school. Thermostats may be
left at their “occupied” setting at AMS, GMS and
AES. They are computer controlled.
8. During summertime, air conditioning will be used
only in schools having summer school or in office
areas. Air conditioning may be used in those
schools that are involved in team cleaning.
9. Teachers are to schedule their work at times that
custodians or administrative personnel occupy the
building. (This process ensures energy savings and
security for your campus.)
To assist the teachers in following the
Energy Conservation Policy and its procedures,
each week teachers assign an energy manager
for their classroom. That student is responsible
for finding any wasted energy within the
classroom and reporting it to the teacher. Five of
the ten schools within GISD have taken the
energy manager concept and included our Watt
Watchers program along with it. This allows Watt
Watchers to patrol the entire school looking for
wasted energy. With Watt Watchers and Mr.
Anderson working together, I am sure we will be
able to expand Watt Watchers in the district to
include the other five campuses.
EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
MEET THE 2002-2003 TEED State Officers
TEED State Director
Chris Delgado
Greetings from TEED!
First, I would like to introduce myself. My
name is Chris Delgado and I am the 2002-2003
TEED State Director. I am currently a senior at
Montwood High School, which can be found in
the far west Texas town of El Paso. In the years
prior to being TEED Director, I was TEED
Secretary and the Energy and Environment chair
at Montwood. I am currently student body Vice
President and involved in several other
extracurricular activities such as Cross Country
and Academic Decathlon. I would like to say that
I am very thankful to have been selected to be the
student representative for TEED for the 2002-
2003 school year, and we here at TEED plan on
doing our best to expand membership and
student involvement in our organization. If you
have any, absolutely any, questions about TEED
or just need some help with project ideas, feel
free to contact me at Montwood High School (915)
849-2023 or at Invetron@aol.com.
TEED State Secretary
Courtney Lacy
Courtney Lacy, the State Secretary of
TEED for 2002-2003, lives in Marshall, Texas. She
is the daughter of Mike and Vickie Lacy. Courtney
also has three sisters, including Ashley Lacy, who
was TEED State Secretary, 2000-2001. She also
has three dogs, named Tara, Lucy and Allygator,
and two cats, named Spice and Krycek. She
serves as the vice-president of not only the senior
class but also of the student body and student
council. Courtney also serves as the Service
Committee Chairperson of the Student Council.
Some of the principal responsibilities of her
committee are teacher appreciation projects and
student recognition programs. Involved in the
Marshall High Chorale, Courtney has made the
All-Region Choir every year since junior high. She
also enjoys performing in the high school
coronations as well as at other school activities.
This year Courtney was selected to sing a patriotic
solo at the first home football game. She also
stays active in the First United Methodist Church
in Marshall through the choir and youth group.
Courtney, along with her sister Ashley, sometimes
sings a duet for the Sunday service. She is
involved in the Anchor Club, a community service
group. In addition to her extra-curricular activities,
Courtney is an honor student who takes many
AP classes and who will graduate with a
Distinguished Achievement diploma. Courtney
was recently named as one of ten senior students
to Who’s Who at MHS.
She was not involved in energy education
or conservation until the summer after her
freshman year in high school when she attended
her first TEED Summer Camp. The week was
so exciting and informative, that after that Courtney
attained her passion for energy and environmental
awareness. That same year her sister became
the secretary of the TEED organization so the
idea of energy came closer to home. During the
school year, she went on many of the energy
community projects with the Student Council,
including adopting parks for clean-up and
presenting energy programs at local elementary
and middle schools. For a week each during the
two following summers, she attended the TEED
camp and last summer, Courtney ran for state
office. “The job thus far has been very interesting
and has been a great learning experience. I have
the unique opportunity to work with students and
adults from across the state. I encourage more
students to take the leap and run for a TEED
position. I hope to do my very best as State
Secretary of TEED during this year, and I look
forward to turning over my notebook to another
motivated student next summer!”
TEED Newsletter Coordinator
Larhee Bettis
I, Larhee Bettis, am the TEED State
Newsletter Coordinator from Lubbock-Cooper
High School. I was first introduced to TEED the
summer before my sophomore year when I went
to TEED camp in San Marcos. At camp, I learned
about the TEED organization and I knew I wanted
to continue to participate in the camps that this
organization put together. I went back the next
two years, and last year I was inducted as the
Newsletter Coordinator. I have learned a lot about
myself from TEED, and I have gained many
friends from the great experiences and memories
made at the different camps. I am currently the
energy co-chairperson of the Lubbock-Cooper
Student Council for the third year in a row. I am
the community chairperson in National Honor
Society. I have been in advanced placement
courses throughout my high school career, and I
have always enjoyed writing for U.I.L. journalism
events. My lifetime hobby would have to be ballet-
I can’t imagine not being able to perform. I am a
senior this year and next year in the fall of 2003 I
plan to attend college at the University of Texas in
Austin. After I finish my undergraduate schooling,
I will head off to Law School to fulfill my dream of
becoming an attorney. Everything that I have done
and become I owe to my parents because without
their love and support I would not have been able
to reach my goals.
TEED Webmaster
Travis Mitchell
Hello Texas! I am Travis Mitchell the Texas
Energy Education Development Project State
Webmaster. I go to High School in Jacksboro
where I have lived all my life and started
kindergarten. Currently I am a senior and
preparing to go to college at Texas Christian
University in Fort Worth in the fall of 2003. At
Jacksboro High School I have been actively
involved in the Student Council all four years and
this is where I discovered TEED. I went to my
first TEED camp when I was 15 and it was held
at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. Having
attended this, I set a personal goal that before I
was out of high school, I would be a TEED officer.
Here I am today!
Other than TEED I serve as: Student
Trainer for Varsity football, basketball, and track,
Texas Future Business Leaders of America State
Secretary, Student Body President, and National
Honor Society Corresponding Secretary. I am a
member of Spanish Club and Beta club.
I work at The Gallery, which is a florist and Hallmark
Store, as a delivery boy. Some of my hobbies
and favorite things to do are hunt, fish, snow ski,
chat online (my AIM screen name is
trainerdudeoo3), and traveling.
Because of TEED, I have made some of
my best friends, learned vital leadership skills, and
have learned a lot about energy and solutions to
energy problems that have saved my school and
I thousands of dollars. TEED is an awesome
organization that I am so glad to be a part.
TEED Energy Camp Coordinator
Benny Gaskill
My name is Benny Gaskill, and I am the
2002-2003 TEED State Summer Camp
Coordinator. I am a junior at Merkel High School
in Merkel, Texas. Merkel is located in the center
of the TASC Oil Belt District 2.
As Summer Camp Coordinator I am
responsible for planning and organizing the annual
summer workshop that will be hosted in my area
this year. During the workshop, all the attendees
will be taken on tours, be given presentations, and
learn about many energy and environmental
projects. Attendees will also learn how to correctly
file a TASC Energy and Environment Report Form
and have the awesome privilege of meeting and
bonding with students from all across this great
state!
I got involved with TEED during the
summer before my freshman year. I was
recruited to be the Energy and Environment
(E&E) Chairman by a very dedicated TEED
member who was also Merkel’s Student Body
President. Merkel Student Council requires that
the E&E Chairman attend the annual summer
energy camp. I had a BLAST attending TEED
Camp 2000 at Southwest Texas University in San
Marcos!
My freshman year, I ran for executive office
and was elected as Student Body Business
Manager and Executive officer in charge of the
E&E Committee. I then attended TEED Energy
Camp 2001 the following summer in Houston at
the Ramada Inn, and there I made friendships that
will last forever.
I became interested in becoming a TEED officer
that year so, I filled out an application and began
to anticipate the next summer.
For the 3rd year in a row, I attended TEED
Camp. In 2002 the camp was held in Edinburg at
the University of Texas Pan American. At that
camp, I was elected as TEED State Summer
Camp Coordinator.
Besides Student Council, at Merkel High
School, I am involved in the “A” Team, Junior
Varsity and Varsity Football, Spanish Club, TEEN
COURT, S.M.I.L.E. Class (a leadership/
community service class), and the National Honor
Society. I am also employed at the local
newspaper office, the Merkel Mail.
Back to TEED summer camps...As you may
have noticed they are held in different areas each
summer. I have had the opportunity to travel to
very diverse and interesting parts of the state. It
has been a great learning and growing process
for me and that is one reason that I was motivated
to give back the experience by hosting one in
West Texas. Some people may think that our part
of the state is not very exciting, indeed, I feel that
way occasionally; we probably all feel that way
about our surroundings at times. However, we
are planning a very interesting tour of the Trent
Mesa Wind Project which you can find on the
internet at www.trentmesa.com. This one outing
in itself would be worth the trip, but we have much,
much more planned that will be fun and prove to
create lasting memories. Please make plans
now to join us at the TEED 2003 Summer Camp.
I look forward to seeing you there.
 20
Are you looking for Energy Projects?
Energy Mascots
by: Travis Mitchell
If anyone has been to the TEED camp,
then you know that it is a tradition every year at
camp to create an “energy mascot” for your task
force. This project should probably be done with
younger students around the elementary age.
Have kids break off into groups and have group
leaders explain an energy source to them. Using
old newspaper, tape and markers, have them
create a mascot for their energy source. Some
of the past mascots have included the geothermal
gerbils, the hydropower hillbillies, and biomass
grouches. Creating mascots is a great way to
have fun and learn about energy sources while
reusing newspapers that can later be recycled.
Mount Enterprise High School Student
Council recycles using “Crafty Critters”
by: Katy Harclerode
The Mt. Enterprise High School Student
council has recently developed a unique and
creative way to recycle everything from film
canisters to aluminum cans and frosting
containers. These imaginative “Crafty Critters”
include film canister reindeer, puppy dogs, and
bunny rabbits as well as reindeer, rabbits, and
even snowmen from aluminum soda cans. Crafts
offer a simple, fun, new way to make cute animals
from everyday objects that can be used for teacher
and staff appreciation, drug awareness, or to
commemorate other holidays and school
activities. The MHS Student Council uses the
reindeer and snowmen for various gifts for
students and staff during the Christmas season,
the bunny rabbits accompany a story read to
elementary students in the springtime, and the
puppies make excellent “drug dogs” during red
ribbon week. For any schools that would like more
information about these projects or a booklet that
includes pictures and diagrams of the “critters,”
please contact Mt. Enterprise High School at (903)
822-3721 or fax: (903) 822-3633, or email Student
Council sponsor Jerry Pirtle at
jpirtle@meisd.esc7.net.
Materials for film canister reindeer:
Empty black film canister
Two 10mm wiggle-eyes
½ inch brown pom-pom
5mm red pom-pom to glue on brown pom-pom
for a “Rudolph” nose
Scrap of brown felt
8-inch length of 1/8-inch red ribbon
Two cotton balls
Two small candy canes
Thick craft glue
Instructions: Cut two ears from brown felt. Glue
on ears, eyes, and brown nose using thick craft
glue. Glue red pom-pom on brown nose. Tie
ribbon into bow. Glue small bow under nose to
make mouth. Stick miniature candy canes in the
empty canister for antlers. Stuff in two cotton balls
behind candy canes to hold them in place.
Materials for film canister rabbit:
Empty white film canister
10mm eyes
¼” pink pom-pom for nose
½” white pom-poms for cheeks and tail (3)
White cardstock and pink marker for ears
Instructions: glue on eyes, nose, cheeks and tail.
Cut and color ears and glue them to inside of can-
ister
TEXAS ENERGY
Check these out!
Coloring Contest
by: Larhee Bettis
A fun and easy project to do is a coloring
contest for children in elementary school- like for
second and third graders. Find a picture of the
world that is just an outline of the continents and
void of color. Next, use black text and type a
phrase- such as, conserve energy or keep the
world clean- across the top of the page. Print out
enough pages so that every student in that
particular grade level has a copy. As the copies
are being passed out in each class, explain to
the kids that it is a coloring contest and you will
be back in a week to pick up their colored
pictures. Tell the teachers what is going on as
well so that they can remind their students when
you are coming back. After all the pictures are
finished and given back, have the student council
or energy committee help with the judging. Go
back to the classrooms of the little kids and have
a single winner in each room; also, make sure
that there is a universal consolation prize for all
the other children as well. See, that didn’t seem
like work and you informed a younger generation
about protecting the environment.
Door Hanger Contest
by: Chris Delgado
Every year at Montwood High School, we
have a door hanger contest for elementary school
students. The purpose of this project is to reward
young students for their interest in the
environment. Two of our sophomore student
council members talked to a number of second
grade teachers about conducting the project at
their school, and fortunately they were eager to
participate. So, they made copies of the door
hanger outline and passed them out to the second
grade classes. The students then explained to
them that they should decorate it with
environmental sayings such as Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle or Don’t Litter and make it as nice as
possible. A few weeks later they returned to each
class, judged them, and rewarded first, second,
and third place with prizes.
Recycling Ink Cartridges
by: Chris Delgado
A project Montwood High School started
last year- and continues to do this year- was the
Planet Green ink cartridge-recycling program.
We are involved in this program to raise money
for our student council and to help conserve our
planet’s limited resources. We contacted the
Planet Green program at www.Planetgreen-
Inc.com, and they quickly sent us one of their
mailing labels. After we received the label, we
sent out a flyer to all the faculty and staff stating
that we would like them to save all their empty
ink cartridges and drop them off at the Student
Activities office whenever they had time. After
we receive about twenty cartridges, we pack them
all in a box and place the label on the package
and send it off. A few weeks later we receive a
check. This is a quick and easy project for any
council to do and I highly recommend it to all
TEED members.
Recycling Paper
by: Benny Gaskill
Purpose: To recycle the massive
amounts of paper wasted by the school district.
Time needed: Depending on size of school,
number of classrooms, and people working on
project, 30mins – 2 hours
Items Needed: Plastic crates designed
to carry 3 liter bottle, which you might be able to
get donated from your contracted bottling agent.
Milk crates would also work.
The amazing amount of paper that each
school district wastes is astronomical. This
project tries to keep some of the paper in
circulation instead of wasting all of it.
First, you would need to gather all your
bins, or crates, (enough for 1 per classroom)
and label them with a sheet of paper that reads
“Recycle Paper ONLY”. Then place the bins,
with the consent of the teacher and principal, in
each classroom in a noticeable location (usually
near the printer). Don’t forget to place one in the
teachers’ lounge(s), the library, and the offices.
A thank you letter should be given to all the
teachers and administrators that participated,
along with a tentative emptying schedule.
The most difficult part of this project is
to keep up with a schedule and volunteers to
pick up the recycle paper. Complications could
arise if the paper is not picked up when it is
overfilling. You should have a designated person
to take all the recycle paper to a local paper
recycling facility.
A Conservation Project with Marshall
High School Student Council
by: Courtney Lacy
Last year, at Marshall High School, the
Student Council executed a large conservation
project for the energy committee. Laura
Longoria, the energy committee chairperson,
traveled with a number of other Student Council
members to a local middle school. Before the
project, Laura called the middle school and noted
the number of students in each science class.
Laura gave the science teachers the required
amount of trash bags, and the children in each
class were told to pick up their individual trash
bag from the teacher before school started and
to carry it around with them all day. Also a big
emphasis the teachers had to make to the
children was not to “make” trash. The trash they
accumulated during the day was supposed to
be the average amount they make everyday and
not extra just to fill up their bag. All day the
children carried the bags around and filled them
with their personal trash. Forty-five minutes
before school let out, the teachers instructed
their students to put their bags out in front of the
classroom doors. The Student Council
members hiked around the school, picking up
each trash bag. The members took the bags to
the front of the school so that as the children
walked out to travel home, they saw how much
trash they accumulated in just one day. This
project is very effective because even children
their age can understand how to prevent masses
of trash by learning to conserve and being wary
of all the trash they needlessly produce.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Along with following the Energy
Conservation Policy within the district, GISD has
taken other steps to ensure energy efficiency
throughout the district. These other steps include
keeping buildings current with the latest in lighting
technologies, replacing exit signs with new LED
replacement kits when one of the old incandescent
bulbs burns out, and also being aware of the
growing need to reduce energy usage within
today’s demand from technology. GISD already
has the policy of turning off computers at the end
of the last class, and according to Mr. Anderson,
this policy is followed closely. In addition to the
saving incurred with turning computers off at night
and weekends, the district is looking into another
way to add to their energy savings by piloting the
EZ Save program within the district. This would
put all of the 3,000 computers in the district to
sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity and has the
potential to save around $20 per year, per
computer.
With the awareness that is prominent
within Granbury ISD, and all of the measures that
the district’s Energy Management team is taking,
the notice in next year’s paycheck will reflect an
even larger amount of energy savings, I have no
doubts!
Energy Manager/HVAC Control
Supervisor I.A. Awdi, “Abby” as he is referred to,
from Galena Park Independent School District
(GPISD) takes a different approach to saving
energy within his district.
Abby gives each
GPISD principal a copy
of the energy usage for
his/her campus.
Providing each principal
an energy usage report
is vital to the process of
becoming an energy
efficient district. How
else will a principal
become aware of just how efficient or inefficient
her school really is? Providing the energy usage
reports allows Abby to speak with each principal
and discuss measures to reduce energy usage,
and also gives principals the opportunity to support
programs, such as Watt Watchers, that help to
eliminate wasted energy.
In some instances it may be difficult for
an Energy Manager or a teacher to convince a
principal that Watt Watchers is a valuable
program. However, a principal who has read the
energy usage report would have knowledge of his
school’s energy consumption and quickly realize
the potential for energy savings that also offers
students an important lesson in energy efficiency.
Abby sees the value of the Watt Watchers
program in his district every day, and is working
out a plan to implement the program district-wide.
Another district-wide money-saver that
Abby is putting into place, with the help of Greg
Payne from the district’s Information Technology
department, is the Sleep is good program. The
Sleep is good program is a FREE Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) program that helps
organizations save money by putting computer
monitors to sleep after 10 minutes. GPISD’s
pledge to enable this power saving featuring on
the district’s 8,000 computer monitors will allow
for a potential savings of approximately $100,000
for the district. The Sleep is good program is
unique because it offers a high rate of return with
almost no capital cost.
Abby and the GPISD energy team have
initiated a number of other energy-saving
measures. For example, the district has begun
installing LED replacement kits in the exit signs
when bulbs need to be replaced in older signs.
And, almost all of the lights within the district
are now T8s with electronic ballasts. The
district is also now equipped with a “state of the
art” controls system that tracks room
occupancy time as well as after-hours requests
for facility usage. Galena Park ISD also has a
Chilled Water storage tank with chillers that
offsets the peak electricity usage, as part of a
pilot program that was partially funded by the
local electric company. According to Abby, the
program is working and reduces the energy
usage for the two campuses that benefit from
it.
Three campuses may be the only
schools to reap the benefit of the storage tanks,
but the entire district benefits simply because
they have Abby and the GPISD energy
management team.
Marshall Independent School District
(MISD) is losing a dedicated member of its staff.
Mr. Wendell E. Jones is retiring this year as
Assistant Superintendent for the district with
oversight over energy management. During his
tenure at MISD, including 18 years of dedicated
energy savings service, Mr. Jones has helped
the district reduce its energy usage to 2/3 of the
usage that existed 20 years ago.
Some of the projects that Mr. Jones
participated in are similar to projects that we see
in other districts. Mr. Jones updated all of the
lighting within MISD to T8 lamps with electronic
ballasts as well as taking out all of the lights in
the drink machines. All of the exit signs have
been converted from the standard incandescent
bulbs to a much more efficient LED sign.
Along with the typical retrofits and energy
efficient upgrades, there is a different type of
project underway at MISD. The district has
made considerable progress toward its goal of
eliminating large central HVAC units and
installing individual, energy-efficient units for
each classroom. This helps Mr. Jones and
maintenance staff address indoor air quality
including mold problems. In addition, it helps
the individual classrooms stay comfortable for
the occupants. MISD has also installed a
controls system through the district for a
centralized regulation of the district energy use.
5
Watt Watchers is always looking for
a new way to share information and
ideas with different school districts
around the state. We welcome the
opportunity to write about your district
and share your district’s contributions
to the crusade to save energy. If you
would like to share information about
your district’s energy saving retrofits,
new projects, etc. please contact Watt
Watchers at watts@utep.edu or 1-888
US WATTS (879-2887).
With the help of Marshall High School’s
student council, Mr. Jones has found a new way
to combat energy usage within the district. After
speaking with Mr. Jones about saving energy by
putting computer monitors to sleep, Watt
Watchers contacted the Information Technology
Department at MISD.
Mr. Robert Bruce, Director of Career and
Technology Education for MISD, attended an
online presentation for computer monitor power
management. After hearing the presentation, Mr.
Bruce agreed to pilot the program within his
district. Pending the results of the pilot, he sees
no reason why they would not implement power
management for all computers in MISD. If the
district implements the program on their 1,200
monitors, each monitor that is left unattended
would go to sleep after ten minutes without
interrupting anything on the system. This
program has the potential to save MISD 241,656
kWh in their annual energy usage, as well as over
$20,000 in savings.
Of course, like many other districts, MISD
is constantly working with different projects to help
save the district energy and money. From
constructing new energy efficient buildings to
retrofitting the others, MISD is doing well in their
efforts to save energy. Thank you, Mr. Jones, for
your hard work and for all that you have done to
save energy for Marshall Independent School
District and Texas!
6 19
STUDENT ACTIVITIES EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
An Energy Fact For You Nuclear Energy
by: Benny Gaskill
Nuclear energy provides about 20% of the
nation’s electricity annually. Since nuclear energy
produces that much electricity, it is the 2nd most
common source of energy production in the
11 = electricity 7 = runs 10 = many 12 = things 6 = of United States. Creating this abundant amount of
energy are 103 nuclear power plants located
5 = we 13 = use 13 = day 9 = every 4 = the throughout 31 different states, producing a total
of 754 billion kWh of electricity. It is very cost
efficient being only $1.76 per kWh in year 2000,
and is $.03 cheaper than coal produced electricity.
5+6= ___ 2+5=___ 7+3= ___ 1+5=___ It is also the most eco-efficient of all the non-
renewable energy sources because of the
amount of energy produced compared to the
__________ __________ ___________ ___________ amount of waste generated. The small amounts
of byproduct created in the nuclear fuel cycle are
very carefully contained, being the only industry
2+2= ___ 9+3= ___ 3+2= ___ 6+7= ___ 6+3= ___ 7+6= ___ that has successfully accounted for and managed
all its waste. Nuclear energy is the world’s largest
source of emission-free energy production.
____________ ____________ ___________ ____________ _________ ___________ Nuclear power plants provide predictable, cost-
efficient, and reliable energy. For more
information, please visit the Nuclear Energy
Write your Energy Fact here:
Institutes website at www.nei.org.
Solar Energy Demand
Worldwide Photovoltaic installations
increased to 340 MW in 2001, up from 254 MW
in 2000. The total on-grid market segment grew
to almost twice the size of the off-grid market in
2001. That is the equivalent of one small
conventional energy Power Plant. In 1985, annual
solar installation demand was only 21 Megawatts.
For comparison purposes, total world wide
wind energy installations in 2000 were around
4000 Megawatts growing at about 35% pa.
Solar Energy accounts for less than 0.1% of total
Global Primary Energy demand.
Solar Energy demand has grown at about 25%
per annum over the past 15 years (hydrocarbon
energy demand typically grows between 0-2% per
annum).
Of the global demand for solar photovoltaics,
over 30% is accounted for by Japan, 20% by
European countries and less than 10% by the
USA.
Fill in the missing vowels A,E,I,O or U Japan, Germany and the USA constituted
71% of the world market, up from 65% in the
in the words below to read the message previous year. In Japan and Germany, grid-
connected applications accounted for over 95%
of the market.
The “Feed-in Law” in Germany permits
customers to receive up to 48.1 euro cents/kWh
for solar generated electricity. The program now
calls for a total of 1000 Megawatts to be installed.
By the end of 2001, the Kreditanstaldt fur
Wiederaufbau (KfW) Bank who administer the
100,000 Roof Program in Germany, had
approved loans for over 126 Megawatts of PV
systems. Bavaria tops the list of states in
Germany with over 50 Megawatts of systems
approved.
Austin ISD’s Maplewood Elementary School, Solar
For Schools 2kwh Photovoltaic System
http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/
resolarsch_austin.htm
For the Fiscal Year 2001, the Japanese solar roof
top program received applications for 114
Megawatts of solar from 29,389 households.
Information on the UK Government’s support
program for PV installations can be obtained from
the Solar Grants help line on 0800 298 3978. The
website is www.solargrants.org.uk
Wind Energy
by: Larhee Bettis
Wind is simply air in motion. It is a
renewable energy resource that the United States
does not utilize enough. It is a clean resource
without any waste- unlike fossil fuels and nuclear
resources. Another advantage to using wind
power is that the plants don’t take up a lot of
ground space. One of the disadvantages of using
wind to create energy is that it cannot be moved
very easily from the unpopulated areas where
wind plants may be to heavily populated areas-
such as cities. Wind turbines are the machines
used to make energy from the naturally occurring
wind. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are most
common although there are vertical-axis wind
turbines as well. These wind machines catch the
wind causing the blades to turn, and then the
generator converts mechanical energy to
electricity. Wind can be very powerful and if a
wind power plant is in the right region then the
electricity produced could be a large amount. A
cable carries the electricity to a transmission line,
and, after that, a computer system controls the
direction of the machine to continue to ensure
the wind is used as efficiently as possible. Wind
is a resource that is becoming more popular to
use, and people are beginning to recognize its
many benefits.
General info about
U.S. energy United States
In 1991, Americans spent about $1,975
per person on all energy purchases. This
represents about 7.7% of the U.S. gross domestic
product. For comparison, in 1991 Americans
spent about $2,280 per capita for housing and
about $2,565 for medical needs.
Per capita, the United States ranks
second in worldwide energy consumption among
the industrialized nations.
America uses about 15 times more
energy per person than does the typical
developing country.
The United States spends about $440
billion annually for energy. Energy costs U.S.
consumers $200 billion and U.S. manufacturers
$100 billion annually.
The U.S. industrial sector consumed 39%
of the nation’s energy in 1990.
In 1990, commercial buildings accounted
for nearly 11% of U.S. total energy consumption.
Residential appliances, including heating
and cooling equipment and water heaters,
consume 90% of all energy used in the U.S.
residential sector.
Today, 36% of U.S. energy is consumed
in electricity generation. By 2010, that will rise to
41%.
The transportation sector consumed 35%
of the nation’s energy in 1990; this sector is 97%
dependent on petroleum.
Information from
http://www.maui.net/~jstark/nrgfacts.html
Wind in a Minute
In the United States, wind energy contributed
more than 3.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
electricity last year.
On wind farms, wind turbines occupy only
about 5% of the land, leaving the rest available
for other uses.
Excellent wind resources are widely
dispersed throughout the world. Almost every
country has some areas with good wind
resources.
Power in the wind is proportional to the cube
of the wind speed. Therefore, locations with
higher average wind speeds have much
higher energy resources. The windier the
location, the more kilowatt-hours can be
produced by the same equipment, and the
lower the overall cost of energy.
The total U.S. wind resource is very large.
Although every region in the country has some
windy areas, much of the U.S. wind
resources are concentrated in the Great
Plains. For example, the state of North
Dakota alone has enough energy from good
wind areas to supply 36% of the 1990
electricity consumption in the lower 48 states.
Wind power plant electricity generating costs
have gone from $0.30/kWh in 1981 to $0.05/
kWh in 1990—an 84% decrease in cost.
In California, about 1600 megawatts (MW)
of rated capacity is installed (as much as two
large coal-fired power plants); in Europe,
more than 4000 MW is installed. The wind
power plants in California produce 1.2% of
the electricity used by California or 0.1% of
the electricity used by the United States—
enough to supply the needs of both San
Francisco and Washington, D.C., for
example.
Existing wind power plants produce electricity
at a levelized cost of $0.05/kWh to $0.08/
kWh at a site with an average annual wind
speed through the rotor of 15.4 miles per hour
(mph). Those turbines cost as little as
$1,000/kW and last as long as 20 years. New
turbines are coming on line that produce
electricity at less than $0.05/kWh; they cost
as little as $750/kW and have expected
lifetimes of 20 to 30 years. Turbine availability
of power plants is 95% or more, better than
that of most conventional power plants.
Operation and maintenance costs are
typically lower than those for conventional
power plants.
Existing wind
power plants
exploit very windy
locations with
average annual
wind speeds of at
least 16 mph. The
United States could supply 20% of its
electricity from these very windy locations
with existing technology producing 560,000
million kWh per year. These areas cover
18,000 square miles—0.6% of the lower 48
states. Less than 5% of this land would be
used by the equipment and access roads;
most of the existing land use, such as
ranching and farming, would not be affected.
By 2000, wind-generated electricity will cost
as little as $0.025/kWh in some locations. At
this price, it can compete with any type of
conventional generation.
 18
TEED T-SHIRT CONTEST
It’s time for the TEED T-shirt contest!
Send us your design for the t-shirts that will be
given out at TEED Summer Energy Camp 2003.
Any high school or junior high school can submit
entries. The T-shirt contest winner will receive 5
shirts, and his/her design will be published in the
TEED Newsletter. Below are specific
requirements for the design:
• no more than five colors
• artwork cannot be computer generated
• text may be computer generated
• design will go on the back of the shirt
• all entries must be submitted by February
7th, 2003 to:
TEED Project
C/O Darlene Bonner
129 Oak Creek Blvd.
Jacksboro, TX 76458
Last year’s T-shirt design by Josh Cameron,
Lubbock Cooper High School, Lubbock,Texas.
What’s Happening on the Web?
by: Travis Mitchelle
The TEED web-site will be undergoing a
major face-lift. As your TEED webmaster, I feel
that the current site has good content and relevant
information, but it does not present a good image
of what TEED is.
The first change that we desperately need
to make is the updating of TEED camp
information. This has not yet been completed due
to the loss of our computer with all of our pictures
and information from camp. Our computer has
just recently been restored to its full capacity so
that we may now update the web-site in the very
near future.
As far as a change and appearance, I am
currently preparing to present a complete
redesign to the Advisory Board in Austin at the
November meeting. The content will remain the
same with one or two exceptions and I will be
focusing on the backgrounds, addition of graphics,
and updating the camp pages. They will be
proofing and analyzing my proposed design before
I post it. The goal that I have for the site is to
show anyone interested in TEED what we are all
about and that we are able to present ourselves
as a very useful, current, and educational
organization.
Please watch as these changes take
place. Hopefully, everyone will be able to use the
TEED web-site as their source for energy
information. The Texas Energy Education
Development Project’s web-site is located at
www.teed.org
TEXAS ENERGY
Energy Awareness Month
“A Secure Energy Future: Conserve
Energy to Ensure Affordable, Reliable
Power Supplies.”
by: Courtney Lacy
Energy Awareness Month comes every
year in October and each school in Texas
participates, usually through their TEED or energy
committees of Student Council. The energy
committee of Marshall, for example, participated
by traveling to elementary schools, teaching
children about the different energy sources, and
informing the high school students during their
lunches through educational games and puzzles.
The theme this year created by the United States
Department of Energy for October’s Energy
Awareness Month is “A Secure Energy Future:
Conserve Energy to Ensure Affordable, Reliable
Power Supplies.” The theme encourages people
everywhere to conserve so that in the future the
country will not run out of its precious energy
resources. It promotes each citizen of the United
States to personally conserve, placing the burden
more specifically on each person’s shoulders.
The U. S. Department of Energy is so inclined to
the message that they are providing materials
such as posters and post-its to agencies to help
each spread the word around the country. For
more information on the materials, call the Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse
(1-800-363-3732). Also for more information on
saving energy, travel to the Department of
Energy’s website: http://www.energy.gov/house/
index.html.
2002-2003 TEED Officers
Top: Larhee Bettis, Newsletter Coordinator, Courtney Lacy, Secretary
Bottom: Travis Mitchell, Webmaster, Benny Gaskill, Camp Coordinator, Chris Delgado,
President
7
STUDENT ACTIVITY
TEED CAMP 2003 Energy Home Survey
West Texas...
We’ll blow you away! Name _______________________________________________
by: Benny Gaskill Dear Parents:
This year Merkel High School will be Choose a block of time during which you and your child will record all the ways that you use energy. Go about your normal
activity but keep this survey sheet with you. Record every time you turn on a light, use an appliance, talk on the phone, etc. Check
hosting the Annual TEED Summer Energy
camp in Merkel, Texas, at the Butman Methodist everything that was used during this block of time.
The following list identifies some typical ways energy is used in the home. This is a starting point to keep track of what
Encampment and Retreat Center. This camp
should prove to be fun and exciting and energy you and your family use.
extremely educational. I have attended TEED
camps for three years consecutively and they Typical home energy use:
just keep getting better every year. I am the
2002-2003 TEED State Summer Camp
Coordinator, Benny Gaskill.
Since the camp will be hosted in this lights _____ dryer _____ hot water _____ toaster______
part of Texas, we will be able to tour the massive
Trent Mesa Wind Farm, and we are planning
many fun and different activities with a West
Texas Flavor. In addition to all of the field trips, home heating _____ blender_____ television _____ dishwasher_____
we will be performing a weatherization project
as a group in the town of Merkel, learning all the
aspects to complete a weatherization project
in your own hometown. In addition to the solar
radio _____ stereo_____ telephone _____ can opener _____
car race (which will be witnessed by the entire
town) we are planning another type of solar race.
(Shhhh! It is a secret).
This year is going to be exciting, and
different, in many ways, to TEED Camps of past hair dryer_____ electric blanket____ stove _____ refrigerator _____
years. Merkel High School has been working
very diligently so that we can make this year a
memorable one for TEED and all the students
who are able to attend. If you are interested in microwave _____ vacuum cleaner ___ computer _____ washer _____
attending the Summer Camp then please check
in the next issue to find all the necessary forms
and registration costs.
TEED Camp 2003 has a very exciting iron _____ air conditioner_____
agenda that, if you attend, will allow you to have
the most fun you could possibly imagine, and
meet many different and awesome students
from around the state of Texas.
Merkel, Texas
“The Windmill City” Name ________________________
Energy Checklist
1. What’s your temperature? Check your thermostat to see where it’s set. Give yourself
1 point if:
- It’s a cool day, the heat is on, and the thermostat is set at 68 F or lower.
- It’s a cool night, the heat is on, and the thermostat is set at 60 F or lower.
- It’s a warm day, the air conditioning is on, and the thermostat is set at
- 78 F or higher
- Give yourself 2 points if neither the heat nor air conditioning is on!
2. Window Watch: Take a look at your windows. Are there storm windows on every one?
Give yourself 3 points if all your windows have storm windows, 2 points if just some of
them do, and 0 points if none have storm windows.
3. Dreaded Drafts: Check for drafts around windows and doors. Put your hand where
the window or door meets its frame and feel for moving air. (This works best on a windy
day or when there’s a big difference between inside and outside temperatures.) Give
yourself 2 points if you don’t have any drafty windows or doors, 1 point if just some of
them are drafty, and 0 points if all are drafty.
4. Hot Stuff: Is your water heater insulated? If it is, give yourself 3 points. And if you have
insulation around your hot water pipes, you get 1 point.
5. A Bright Idea: Check your lights to see if they are equipped with incandescent light
bulbs. Give yourself 3 points if you find fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent
bulbs.
6. Lights Out? Check the rooms in your house. Are the lights, TVs, and stereos off in all
the rooms that aren’t being used? If they are, you get another 3 points.
Energy Scores:
12 – 17 points: Your home is a super energy saver!
9 – 11 points: Your home has a few energy “leaks” that need fixing, but you’re doing OK!
5 – 8 points: You’re on the right track, but you really can improve your energy savings.
5 points: Your house needs some energy savings help!
 8 17
WATT WATCHERS’ NEWS
Watt Watchers assists schools across
the state in becoming more energy efficient.
Sometimes we work with Energy Managers,
Teachers, Principals, Superintendents and even
students. Our work with students is usually on
small projects that they can do around their
campus to promote energy saving habits (like
turning off the lights in unoccupied classrooms).
However this student has taken his role in
saving energy on his campus to another level.
Kevin Kalra, a junior at Langham Creek High
School in Cypress – Fairbanks ISD has written
a proposal for his school district to consider
retrofitting his school to become a sustainable
school. Glen Rhoden, Cy-Fair ISD Energy
Manager made Watt Watchers aware of this
project and we are trying to assist them in
gathering information to make this project
happen. Although Langham Creek will not be
the first Sustainable school in Texas in may very
well be the first one proposed by a high school
student. Below is an excerpt from his proposal.
Langham Creek and Sustainable
Development: Can we be the Leaders?
by: Kevin Kalra
Sustainable development means
development that meets the needs of people
now and for the future generations. Simply, the
concept is about economic progress through
environmental preservation. Recently, the
United Nations held its annual “World Summit
on Sustainable Development” in Johannesburg,
where all nations, including the United States,
discussed the present environmental conditions
and its affects on globalization. The concept is
not about “tree-hugging”, but rather of economic
impact and quality of education within the school
system.
A California utility has designed a unique program that
relies on trees to reduce summertime air-conditioning
loads. About 500,000 shade trees will be planted over a
10-year period, which officials estimate will save $40
million over 30 years in reduced energy costs to operate
air-conditioning systems in homes, schools, and
businesses. Additionally, the program has resulted in 35
permanent jobs and an intern program for inner-city
Sneak Peek!
Nest Issue - February 2003
• Part two of the “Ed”-itorial
o Starting a Paper Waste
Reduction Program in your
school.
• Earth Day 2003!!
• Spotlight on Lee Elementary in El
Paso.
• Spotlight on Lincoln JH in the Houston
area.
• SLEEP is good update
• Energy Education Month
o Projects for your classroom
A Student Speaks Out
With globalization, students must be
aware of sustainable development, as they are
likely to work in the developing world where
resources re scarce. An economy in a developing
nation cannot financially support the use of
nonrenewable resources over a period of time,
leading the nation into a cycle of poverty. Students,
the leaders of tomorrow, must learn the value of
sustainable development to successfully lead
America to be the dominant force in globalization.
Success Stories
Several schools in the United States have
already taken the lead in sustainable
development. For example:
In Durant Middle School in Raleigh, North
Carolina, natural daylight is the predominant
source of lighting in the school. When the amount
of daylight is insufficient, a dimming control allows
teachers to regulate the amount of electrical light
using in the classroom. Also, because of the
decrease in usage of electrical lights, the amount
of heat also decreased, and when combined with
a panel that reflects solar heat, Durant Middle
“The daylit classrooms have increased the well
being of the students and teachers and are at
least partly responsible for our record high
attendance.” Tom Benton, Durant Road Middle
School Principal
School uses about 70% of the air conditioning
used in a typical school building. Overall the
school saves $165,000 a year in energy costs.
In Grafton, Virginia, Grafton High School,
the HVAC (Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning)
system allows the school to hear or cool only a
few classrooms instead of entire building wings.
Grafton achieved additional energy efficiency
through direct digital control energy management
and an advanced central ventilation system.
Grafton takes advantage of economies of scale
and shared facilities to increase the value received
for dollars spent. Despite the extended hours of
operations, recent utility records show significant
savings over comparable buildings.
In Hopkinton, New Hampshire, the roof of
the main Hopkinton High School building was fitted
with a 1.9 – kilowatt array of PV panels. The
New address for the Watt
Watchers’ Regional Office!!
To reach our Regional Office, contact Kirstin
Wilsey, Watt Watchers of Texas, 5930 Forest
Knoll, San Antonio, TX 78240 or at 1-888
Watteam (928-8326).
Remember! The Watt Watchers’ Main Office
information is P.O. Box 68660, El Paso, TX
79968 or 1-888 US WATTS (879-2887).
system includes 16 120-watt Astro Power
Modules as well as two Advanced Energy GC-
1000 inverters. Solar Works, Inc. installed the
system in 1999 as a part of the Solar on Schools
program. This high school was one of a few
schools to participate in the National Tour of Solar
Homes on October 19, 1999. Sponsored by the
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
(NESEA), the exhibit allowed community
members to learn about solar technology, how
the school’s system operates, as well as the cost
and savings associated with the system. The
solar panels generate enough energy to power
10 computers for five hours a day, and save
$300-$400 a year on the schools energy bill.
In Washington County, Tennessee,
Daniel Boone High School, constructed in 1973
for approximately 1100 students, has realized a
34 percent reduction in annual energy costs
since 1995, when a geothermal heating and
cooling system was installed. Its savings have
averaged $82,000 annually. With the installation
of the geothermal system, the school also
reduced its maintenance costs, improved its
indoor air quality, and gained control over
individual classroom temperatures. Because the
geothermal system was sized to allow for
changes, the school has easily added additional
electric loads.
Langham Creek High School needs to
take the lead as one of the first Texas schools to
incorporate sustainable development in to
practice by:
a. Evaluating the total energy consumption
within Langham Creek to find possible energy-
saving solutions.
b. Substituting existing energy sources with
those obtained from renewable resources such
as solar power, etc. directly supporting
sustainable development.
c. Teaching students about the concepts of
sustainable development and involving them into
the project described above.
d. Promoting Langham Creek as a national
symbol of “the one who care about the present
and the future.”
TEKS Curriculum
The project and its implementation have
a direct application of the TEKS curriculum. The
project will help strengthen student’s foundations
in Social Studies, Science and Mathematics.
For a complete copy of this proposal or
for questions about Langham Creek High School
contact Glen Rhoden, Cypress Fairbanks ISD
Energy Manager at 281-807-8918 or by email at
henry.rhoden@cfisd.net.
Manager News
State Energy Conser
Energy Conservvation Office
by: Debra Brown
The Energy Efficient Partnership project, but it is SECO’s goal to provide the report also identifies available options for financing
Program of the State Energy Conservation technical knowledge and the financial the recommended projects.
Office (SECO) is a no-cost program offered to accessibility for the partner to implement these SECO and its contractor remain technical
its partners in energy efficiency: schools, non- projects as their specific situation allows. resources to the partner in implementing
profit hospitals, and local governments. Investing After the Preliminary Energy Assessment recommended actions and projects for one year
in our communities through improved energy Service Agreement is signed and returned to from the time the report is complete. Partners
efficiency in public buildings is a win-win SECO’s engineering contractor, the contractor who implement recommendations provided in the
opportunity for our communities and the State will begin gathering twelve consecutive months partnership assessment are also eligible to
of Texas. Energy-efficient buildings reduce of electric, gas, and other utility data. From this receive cost-shared assistance in developing an
energy costs, increase available capital, spur information, SECO can begin to analyze the Energy Master Plan and on-site training for
economic growth, and improve working and living energy performance of each facility designated operation and maintenance personnel. The
environments. for study. The contractor will conduct from one Energy Master Plan can be the road map a partner
SECO has contracted with three Texas to five individual facility walk-through uses to implement long range facility
based engineering firms to deliver the on-site assessments for the partner, depending upon improvements.
technical assistance to schools, hospitals and the total number of the partner’s facilities.
local governments. The SECO program Based on the preliminary assessment Visit www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/
provides utility bill analysis, on-site walk through and walk-through findings, the partner will be sch&gov_partner.htm to find out how your
analysis, follow up meetings and other presented a report identifying energy indices for school district can save energy and money with
assistance to all who join this partnership. each facility, recommended operation and SECO’s Energy Efficient Partnership Program.
This program does not require the maintenance procedures and capital expense
partner to implement any specific recommended projects that would benefit their facilities. The
Debra Brown is with Energy Systems Associates, Inc. of Round Rock, Texas.
Benchmarking
If you would like to know how your energy · Demonstrate proactive management
your building has higher than average
management program is doing and how your of energy issues. Having energy energy use, then consider upgrades
schools stack up against the norm you should consumption data summarized and to energy-efficient lighting.
consider using a free service – EPA Energy documented for a building helps · Buildings with mid-range scores still
Star Benchmarking. answer questions about energy use have room for significant savings from
Benchmarking energy consumption in from upper management, outside new equipment, improved operations
buildings means comparing how much energy vendors, investors, or local government
and maintenance (O&M), or
is used in a building to an average or agencies.
increased awareness of energy
theoretical standard. How much energy a · Receive positive publicity. Being able
management opportunities.
building should use varies widely according to document that a building’s energy
· Buildings that receive high scores
to the local climate and weather, how the efficiency has improved or that energy
can, in some cases, offer insights into
building is used, and how densely people and consumption is low provides a basis
successful energy management
equipment are configured in the building. to communicate an environmentally-
practices and technologies. Examine
Additionally, expectations about the way friendly image.
these buildings to see if they offer
buildings are conditioned can have a
lessons about improving energy
significant impact. Whatever the case, you The US ENERGY STAR Benchmarking
performance.
can improve the energy performance of your Tool
building by benchmarking to track changes The US EPA has developed a Watt Watchers plans to work with EPA/DOE and
in energy performance over time and benchmarking tool based on energy
Cadmus Group to deliver interactive, on-line
compare your building to others. consumption, operating characteristics, and presentations to help Texas school districts
management practices of buildings in the US. benchmark their schools. We will be contacting
What are the benefits of benchmarking? The tool calculates an energy-efficiency score
you soon.
· Prioritize investments in your on a scale of 0 to 100, where 50 is average
building portfolio. Applied across a for US buildings. The score is adjusted for key
portfolio of buildings, benchmarking operating variables including building size,
provides the foundation for superior occupant density, operating hours, plug loads,
energy management decisions, climate, and weather. The resulting score
ranging from identifying the top indicates how a building’s energy efficiency
performers to prioritizing the best compares, considering the operating
candidates for upgrades. variables. A score of 60 for a building in the
· Determine potential savings. By US, for example, would signify efficiency better
comparing a benchmarking score to than 60 percent of comparable buildings.
a “target score,” benchmarking can · A building with a low score (below
suggest the energy savings potential 30) merits quick investigation. Why
of raising efficiency to, or above, is energy use high? Is there
average. equipment running out of control?
· Monitor changes. Scoring a building Investing in these buildings will have
over a period of time can help evaluate a high return on investment.
the effectiveness of changes in Investigate and understand why
equipment or management.
 16
ool
TEXAS
Sch
ENERGY MANAGER
Conventional wisdom dictates a
renewable energy is impossibly expensive
series of steps before applying renewable
and complicated to integrate into buildings. In
energy technologies in buildings. The adage
some cases, it’s true. But there is a renewable
is: You can’t solar heat a barn. Forget the usual
advice about doing no-cost
efficiency measures, then
energy efficiency upgrades,
and becoming ultra-efficient
before you even consider
renewable energy. You need
to use a renewable energy
resource now. Start right
away! Get your renewable
energy project started today.
After all there is FREE
energy just waiting to be tapped at every one
superhuman Energy Managers can only be in
of your campuses. Don’t let these natural
one place at a time. Their fingertips control
resources go to waste. Forget about capital
much of the energy used in your schools. And,
expense and payback and return on
investment and plunge ahead with your
project.
The Energy TToolbox
Energy
Make Energy Ideas Clearinghouse
(www.energyideas.org) part of your energy
toolbox. This website is both a huge collection
of energy wisdom as well as a portal to much
more on the World Wide Web. There are
many features available that you will find
indispensable. This resource should be
bookmarked in your browser and on of your
first stops when you have a question, need to
run down a particular technology, or want help
in locating a broad array of information across
the web. Although the website is located in
the sometimes foggy northwest and we are
in Texas the buckle of the sunbelt, you will not
find clearer information on energy issues.
Texas School Energy
Volume 2 Number 4
Now Incorporated into Watts News
Use Renewable Energy Now!
I know what you’re thinking—
resource that every energy manager
should start tapping into right away.
Before looking at no cost/low cost
approaches, before lighting upgrades,
before HVAC replacements. Right
now. Today!
The renewable resource is
people — the students, faculty, and
staff of every one of the schools in your
district. They show up on campus
every day. They are literally
everywhere, all the time. Even
oolbox
There are just a few items that are
geographically specific. Watt Watchers
considers the answer on switching fluorescent
lights to be the best, most comprehensive
available anywhere.
The website is nicely organized with
navigational tabs across the top of the page.
You will probably spend most of your time in
the “Solutions” section. There you will find 31
sub-topics and a search feature. The sub-
topics also have sub-headings so you will find
many interesting headings to explore. When
you go to a sub-topic you will get a very long
list of links. The links are categorized in up to
16 areas. The most common you will see are
9
ELECTRIFYING EXTRAS
NEWS
they are there year in and year out. This is a
huge renewable resource.
How will you put this inexhaustible supply
of energy to work? Watt Watchers is designed
to help you tap into the human resources
available in every school. District Energy
Council can help to further organize the
thousands of potential energy partners. It is
important to tap into this renewable resource
because if they are not with you – they may be
against you. Don’t end up with an endless
supply of energy loss.
Renewable energy can be cost effective
Energy Eagle Coloring Book – Office of Transportation Technology – www.ott.doe.gov/education/cover.shtml
and risk free. Let Watt Watchers help you with
your first renewable energy project.
10 Simple Things You Can Do to Create
a Better, More Energy Efficient World
1. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when you go
shopping for appliances, home electronics,
office equipment, and heating and cooling
equipment.
The Symbol for Energy Efficiency
Questions, Related Resources, Case Studies,
Programs, and Reports & Documents. You may 2. Turn off the lights when 3. Buy ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light
you leave the room. bulbs for frequently-used lights in your home.
also see Event Links, Magazines, Job Links,
Electronic Newsgroups, Software and more
listed. 4. Shut the door behind you. Letting
heated or cooled air out wastes energy.
It really is a load of information. If it
wasn’t well organized you might feel like it was 5. Turn on the ENERGY STAR
more than you wanted to know. But all the links power saver feature on
can be quickly scanned and it becomes fun and CPS has introduced a new site
6. Learn about how TVs with the your computer.
ENERGY STAR label save energy.
empowering to get access to so much especially for kids. The CPS (Hint: This is a tricky one.)
information. A complete re-design of the site Kids Control Room has safety
will be completed soon and should offer even tips, information on the history 7. Seal the windows and doors in
your home so air drafts can’t
better access to energy ideas. and science behind electricity get in or out around the edges.
and natural gas, educational
games, resources for teachers
You can also subscribe to a very useful and parents, and a few things 8. Check to see if you have an ENERGY STAR-
labeled refrigerator. That’s important
news service provided through Washington that are just for fun. because refrigerators use more
State University: To visit our kids’ site, head for electricity than any other appliance.
Energy Newsbriefs are weekly profiles of http://www.cpskids.com.
information that the WSU Energy Library re-
ceived in energy- related professional journals.
9. Learn how to make your
school an ENERGY STAR at
The Newsbriefs promote awareness of emerg- www.epa.gov/buildings.
ing trends of potential interest to energy pro-
fessionals. They are produced by the WSU Co- 10. Visit www.energystar.gov for more things you can do in your home to save energy.
operative Extension Energy Program with sup-
port from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alli- Products that carry the ENERGY STAR label meet high energy efficiency guidelines set by the federal
ance and Western Area Power Administration. government and still have all the features that make them attractive for your home or school. Most energy
Subscribe by sending e-mail to in the U.S. is produced by burning fossil fuels. When homes or schools use less energy, less fuel is burned and
less air pollution is released into the air. Energy efficiency equals a cleaner atmosphere and a healthier earth.
info@energyideas.org with your name, email
address you want subscribed, and your loca-
ENERGY STAR® is a U.S. registered mark.
tion. The location is important so that we add
you to the correct distribution list.
 10
by: Ed Gonzalez
You see it everywhere. You see it in
trashcans, roadsides, on telephone poles and
on sidewalks. And you see it in your school,
home, neighborhood stores, offices and
restaurants. But it’s not going anywhere because
its value is just too great. Can you guess what
this mystery material is? If not, I’ll give you a hint—
it’s made out of trees.
Still can’t guess? Well, I’ll just tell you
then. It’s paper. Paper is one of those items
that we can’t live without. We need it to record
and transmit information to the public
(newspapers, books, mail, and magazines).
You need paper for your homework (yuck!),
for the tests you take at school (double yuck!),
for paper airplanes, spit wads, paper footballs,
and for those little folded notes that you pass
around in class to your buddies (*wink*). So if
you really think about it, it’s pretty clear that
paper is one of the most important things in
our lives today. Without it, our world would be
pretty different, and most likely not for the
better. In fact, I bet you can’t imagine what life
would be without paper. Go ahead, try to
imagine it.
It’s pretty difficult to imagine it, huh?
Anyway, you can be quite sure paper will be with
us for a long time. But that doesn’t mean that
we can’t be smarter in the way we use it, does
it? Most of you know that the more paper we
use, the more
trees need to be
chopped down
to make it. And if
we continue to
follow this
practice without
vigilance, we will
be in a heck of a
lot of trouble
when we
discover that a
significant
number of trees
in our forests, jungles and woodlands are
missing (Imagine how ugly our world would be
without beautiful trees). So what can you do in
your school to help conserve paper? Well, there
are several things you can do, but I’ll get to that
later. But right now, I’d like to first show you some
facts about paper use in the U.S. to give you a
better idea of how extensive this problem has
become.
It has been estimated that paper
consumption in U.S. offices (including school
offices) is growing by 20 percent annually, and
now averages about 12,000 sheets per person
each year, according to estimates provided by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
1998. Every year, the United States consumes
over 9.86 million tons of paper and the average
use of paper by an individual is 52.14 lbs. Twenty
five percent of office papers are generated in
homes and seventy five percent are generated
in businesses. So, you see, paper is big
business and, in addition, it is very important to
the lives of every person in this nation. But an
ever increasing need for paper can cause
problems with the environment (chopping down
more trees) and your school’s budget (paper is
expensive). And if your school needs to buy
more paper every year, then it is more likely that
some of the fun programs you enjoy in your
school would have to be scaled back (or even
canceled) due to lack of funding (Ouch!).
So exactly what is office paper anyway?
Office paper is a generic name for a wide variety
of paper products used in offices, businesses
THE “ED”-ITORIAL
and schools. It includes letterhead, computer and
copying paper, color paper, bond paper,
envelopes, faxes, file stock, newspapers,
corrugated boxes, paperboard packaging,
discarded incoming mail and junk mail. And you
can be quite sure
that your school
has to deal with
each type of
office paper listed
above. These
different types of
paper can be
found all over
your campus,
and most likely in
large quantities. A
major problem with this is that most people,
including many of your teachers and
administrators, are not aware that great savings
and great environmental benefits can be
achieved through “reducing” the amount of paper
used in your school. And how do you encourage
your teachers and administrators to reduce
paper usage in your school? The answer is the
establishment of a “paper waste reduction
program”.
WHY SHOULD YOU START A PAPER WASTE
REDUCTION PROGRAM?
Establishing a “Paper Waste Reduction
Program” only makes good sense in any school,
office or business environment. The “3Rs”
(Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) is a resource
conservation philosophy promoting a reduction
in solid waste generation (including paper)
through changes in the manner in which
materials are purchased, used and discarded.
This approach can easily be integrated into a
school’s business and educational culture to
conserve resources, reduce waste and save
money. A successful school paper waste
reduction program depends on the coordination
of administration, management, faculty, staff and
students and must be rooted in the “3R”
philosophy.
Simple reduction and reuse ideas pay
off in big ways for schools. They may include:
reuse envelopes for interschool mail; get over-
run paper from paper companies/printers; write
on both sides of memos or letters to parents;
sell or give away the library’s “discarded” books;
use cloth toweling rolls in restrooms; encourage
students to pack home lunches in reusable
containers with washable napkins; and
encourage the use of e-mail during teacher-
administrator message exchanges. Practices
such as these help schools become
environmentally conscious and resource efficient
(save money). Do you think practices such as
these can help your school prevent waste
generation and save money?
In the figure below, a chart depicting the
typical contents of any school’s waste stream
is given.
Source: California Integrated Waste
Management Board Website
15
WINNING TICKETS
STARTING A PAPER WASTE REDUCTION
PROGRAM IN YOUR SCHOOL
1. First Get Permission from your Principal.
2. Select A Sponsor For your Program.
3. Build a Green Team.
4. Begin a Paper Waste Audit.
5. Develop Your Paper Waste Reduction Plan.
6. Measuring Success.
7. Gain Recognition.
8. Continue Improving the Program.
See the Winter 2003 Issue of Watt’s News for more
information on starting a Paper Waste Reduction
Program in your school with Part II of the “Ed” -
Itorial.
Ed Gonzalez is the Director of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) Re-
gion 6 Pollution Prevention Center at The
University of Texas at El Paso.
From “Cutting Paper” http://eetd.lbl.gov/paper/
index.html
The typical U.S. office worker uses
about 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year.
How much paper is 10,000 sheets? These tickets were submitted by Ms. Lisa Watkins, Science Teacher from Reagan Elementary School in Rogers, Arkansas. Her fifth grade
In one large stack, 10,000 sheets of unused
Science Club runs the Watt Watchers program for the entire school and from the messages on the tickets that each student submitted it
paper weighs about 100 pounds and rises just
was clear, these students really understand the concept behind our Watt Watchers program. Thank you to the entire club for your
over 4 feet (for a variety of reasons, as you
use paper it takes up more space). Spread participation and your obvious enthusiasm.
the paper out and you could cover the floor of
a 10 foot square office 65 times, or a 3 by 6
foot desk more than 360 times. For every hour
worked, about 5 sheets are used. This might
only cost $50 to buy, but buying paper is just Do you want to create an award winning Watt Watchers’ ticket? Use the templates below and design your very own ticket. Send it to Watt
one of many relevant costs. Watchers at PO Box 68660, El Paso, TX 79968 and your ticket may be selected for our next issue of Watts News in February 2003.
Paper in the U.S. is 8.5 x 11 inches, or
215 x 280 mm, with an area of 0.06 m2. An
“A4” sheet is 210 x 297 mm and so is 0.06
m2.
“Standard” U.S. office paper is 20 lb.
weight; each sheet is 8.5 x 11 inches and
covers about 0.65 ft2.
There are about 200,000 such sheets
in a ton. There are 100 to a pound and about
6 per ounce. A ream of such paper is 500
sheets, so there are 400 reams per ton, and
each ream weighs 5 lbs.
Paper prices vary, but a typical bulk
cost is $1,000/ton, which is $2.50 per ream of
500 sheets, half a cent per sheet, 50 cents
per pound, or 3 cents per ounce.
A ream of unused paper is about 2
inches thick, so there are 250 sheets per inch,
3,000 sheets per foot, and each sheet is 0.004
inches thick
 1-888 US WATTS
http://wattwatchers.utep.edu