Area teachers are ramping up their science programs to help schools become greener. Clark County Green Schools Program and Washington Green Schools met at the end of last year seeking ways to expand green thinking by students. The groups want students to develop conservation skills, increase their knowledge of environmental stewardship, and then define and run projects that can boost their school’s green score.
“The green schools effort stresses sustainability,” said Matt Babbitts, project manager for the utility. “Here at Clark Public Utilities, we’ve long helped local teachers with electricity and water conservation topics by providing student field trips, guest speakers, student kits and renewable energy curriculum materials to help teachers.”
In the past, the Solar-4R-Schools program provided some local schools with solar panel installations on school property, as well as materials that help teachers explain solar energy to students. The program has now refocused on broader solar education through classroom activities, so more students benefit.
“For about 10 years, the utility partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to help bring solar energy systems to our schools,” said Babbitts. “The program produced more than a dozen active solar installations at schools across the county.”
Beginning in 2016, the foundation and the utility will shift the Solar-4R-Schools initiative to hosting educator workshops and providing classroom materials. This change means more schools get to participate in the program and the existing solar arrays can provide educational data for other schools.
In the updated program, funded through voluntary contributions to the utility’s Green Lights program, renewable energy experts train teachers on how solar technologies work, provide classroom materials and supply hands-on renewable energy modules for local students.
Energy kits
A joint effort between Clark Public Utilities and NW Natural Gas is also underway and will supply LivingWise Energy Kits to some area elementary schools. The kits include LED light bulbs, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. By distributing the conservation kits to students, the utility hopes to not only encourage kids to cut back on energy use, but their families as well.
After a class on the basics of energy conservation and environmental science, the students take their conservation kits home. Using the kit’s contents, each family can start dropping their electricity and water needs immediately. For example, installing the long-lasting LED bulbs can cut energy use by 75 percent per lamp fixture.
Water flows about two and a half gallons or more each minute through most showerheads. Low-flow showerheads reduce the amount of water families use when showering. The one in the LivingWise kit cuts it to one and a half gallons a minute. Using less water is good, but cutting back on hot water also reduces the amount of energy needed to run the water heater.
Faucet aerators reduce water flow, while preserving water pressure. They restrict space for the water to pass through. Aerators send a single water stream through a screen that creates many tiny streams and introduces air into the water flow. They are easy for families to install and can cut water use in half when compared to faucets without them.
“If all the students who receive kits just install the LED bulbs to replace old incandescent bulbs in lights they use a lot at home, it will result in a big energy savings for the county,” Babbitts said. “And if they use everything in the kit, even more.”
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
