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Proctor High School

131 9th Ave , Proctor , MN 55810
Green Bandits

Proctor’s Green Take-Over project builds on energy consumption discoveries made by 7th grade students during the 2008-09 schoolyear, using the ERM report for Proctor Secondary School. Students, who call themselves the Green Bandits, researched secondary school energy use and proposed interventions to reduce our school’s carbon footprint by 3.4% ,or 67 tons of CO2. Primary focus areas for these interventions are reduction in electricity consumption and reduction in use of non-biodegradeable food service waste. Strategies to acheive reduction include:
1. Purchase and installation of motion sensors and light harvesters to reduce electrical conmsumption in areas determined by the Green Bandits.
2. Purchaase and installation of a solar panel to power the athletic facility concession stand.
3. Implementation of major composting and recycling practices within the schools food service program.
4. Purchase and utilizing of ncomputing system to increase the efficiency of electrical use over the current system.
Dave Mc Namee, dmcnamee@proctor.k12.mn.us, 218-628-4926 x1033

The Green Take-over

Energy efficiency

We have purchased light meters and the students have identified location in the building to place motion sensors and light harvesters. These devicees will save energy and money as lights will only be on when necessary. The students will be doing light meter readings both before and after installation of this equipment, and calculate the approximate amount of energy that is saved in each identified area of the building.

We have changed 40 metal halide lamps fixtures in our fieldhouse to high-intensity fluorescent lamps. We expect a savings of 50% per fixture with a 4.1 year payback.

We are currently converting our media center computer lab to nComputing with LCD monitors. We have replaced some old CRT monitors for new LCD’s (35 of 260) and in addition, completed a partial transformation of our computer system to nComputing desktop virtualization solution. This virtualization method allows for the reduction of actual needed PC’s, yet at the same time is able to increase the available amount of computing stations. This is accomplished by installing virtualization software on a controlling PC which splits the CPU cycles to be used by various computer “terminals” simultaneously. The obvious benefit is not only equipment cost savings, but a large amount of energy savings as well. nComputing allows schools to double the number of computer seats in classrooms, while reducing electrical needs by 50%.

We have applied for the MNSCC grant to purchase a Koycera 205 watt solar panel to be installed on our concession stand at our athletic facility. The students would like to install an educational kiosk at this site and use the solar panel as an solar power demonstration site to educate the students and the public.

We have joined in a partnership with the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in Duluth, MN to help us increase our recycling and start composting food waste at our secondary site. We will be installing better signage throughout our building, set up food composting in the kitchen and cafeteria, conduct an educational kick-off pep assembly and provide each student with two lessons on recycling and composting in their science or homeroom classrooms.

The culminating event to showcase all MNSCC components will be Proctor’s third biennial “Earth Fair for Proctor’s Future” in April 2011. All elementary and middle school students and most high school students will participate in the Earth Fair by completing a student or class project and displaying it at the fair. All students in the school district will view the fair and parents and community members will have the opporotunity to visit the fair in the evening. Last year’s Earth Fair provided the inspiration for instructor Dave McNamee’s 7th grade health class to emerge as leaders of the Green Bandit efforts reflected in our MNSCC project. Green Bandit efforts will be showcased in the event.

To reduce the carbon footprint of Proctor Secondary School by 10%

Objective 1:
To reduce Proctor Secondary School electricity consumption by 1.6%, (16,817 kwh) from 1,019,861 kwh to 1,003,044.

Objective 2:
To reduce by 14% (from 36% to 50%) the amount of waste that our school recycles, reducing our total waste from 2,682 yards to 2279 yards, (a reduction of 375 yards) as measured by district invoices and post MNSCC assessment.

Objective 3:
To elicit a 20% gain in knowledge about carbon footprint amont the 6-12 Proctor student population of 776 through electronic pre-post assessment related to in-school energy conservation concepts.