Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon

The “Gobblers Go Green” project at the Aitkin Public Schools is on schedule and wrapping up the final pieces.

The project in Aitkin included many facets from replacing lights to forming a student Green Team.

Objective I: Reduce electrical energy use in the Aitkin Senior/Junior High building. This was to be accomplished with four tasks: The first task was to replace the mercury vapor high bay lights in the gymnasium with high bay fluorescents using T5 lamps. This task is completed. Scheduled completion date was May 2011. The task was completed true to budget. The second task was to change existing fluorescent exit light to LED type. The task also is completed. Scheduled completion date was May 2011. The task was completed true to budget. The third task was to install occupancy sensors in 26 rooms/areas. This task also is completed. Scheduled completion date was May 2011. The task was completed true to budget. The fourth and final task was to install three additional Vending Misers on drink vending machines in the student cafeteria. This task is also completed. This task was true to budget.

The total projected impact of Objective I was an energy savings of 20,571.5 KWH per year, with 31.7 tons of CO2e per year, and a cost savings of $3,137.82 per year. The tasks were completed within the past three months, so it is to early to measure the success of the impact.

Objective II: Identify and measure the awareness and knowledge of the school and the larger community of energy-saving measures that can be implemented to reduce energy usage. The first task is for the Agriculture Department at the high school to develop curriculum around energy measurement and savings. The curriculum has been developed and will be implemented as units within a trimester. It includes information on hands-on ways for students to measure energy use in the classroom and at home, as well as information on various ‘green’ energy sources, such as solar and wind power. The second task is a school-wide promotion by members of the Gobbler Green Team. The Green Team met regularly during school year 2009-10 to develop an educational display focusing on energy use and savings. During Earth Week 2010, the Green Team exhibited their display in the cafeteria during lunch hours so that all students would have an opportunity to view the display and ask questions. The display was accompanied by an energy “trivia” game where students could answer the energy questions and enter to win various “green” prizes. Both the display and trivia were a huge success. Green Trivia was held again recently at the Aitkin High School during the lunch periods. Students guessing the correct answers were entered in a drawing to win several prizes, such as notebooks of recycled paper, reusable mechanical pencils and solar calculators. The Green Team also exhibited its display at the annual River and Lakes Fair in June. This event attracts thousands of regional visitors who also had the opportunity to ask questions and gain information on energy usage and savings. This task is ahead of schedule. Scheduled completion was during the 2010-11 school year. This task is true to budget.

Aitkin Public Utilities is calculating the amount of rebate that the Aitkin Schools will receive as a result of implementing the energy saving tasks. When this amount is known, a decision will be made on how to apply the money toward even further energy savings in the schools.

Two of the adult representatives from the Gobbler Green Team, along with a Green Team student and a representative from Aitkin Public Utilities, will be attending the CERTS Fair in St. Cloud this February to talk about their journey in the MN Schools Cutting Carbon project.