Maryland PowerSavers Challenge

Energy Pledge Campaign


How to Get Started
Congratulations on deciding to do an energy pledge campaign.  This is a great way to drive school energy savings and is easier than you think.

Energy Pledge Sheet
Please use the Energy Pledge Sheet you can download here to record all Energy Pledges being made by classroom teachers and school staff.
Download the Energy Pledge Sheet
Ask participating teachers who commit to making making a change in their classroom to sign a copy of this form as part of the commitment.  If you have questions about how to use this form please refer to the Energy Audit Calculator Guide or contact astainthorp@ase.org.

Coming up with Energy Pledges Ideas
After completing the school energy audit your team should be able to come up with some suggestions about ways your school could save energy.  For this pledge campaign think about a pledge that would fall into one of the following categories

  • Lights are responsible for approximately 30% of school electricity use.  Look for times when lights are left on when they are not needed.  This can be in common areas like the cafeteria, the gymnasium or in individual classrooms.
  • Smart boards, projectors, computers, personal heaters and mini fridges all use a lot of energy.  Look for opportunities where the hours these are run can be minimized or if the appliance needs to be used.
  • There are many other small things that make a small impact on energy use but that are always using energy.  Examples for this include TVs, most computers, and other miscellaneous appliances.  When these appliances are not in use unplugging them or using a power strip to cut the flow or electricity can help stop them from wasting a small amount of energy around the clock.
Lights
  • Could the number of hours the lights are currently on be reduced
  • Do all the lights always need to be on or are there times where students or the teachers could use half the lights or a desk light instead of all the over head lights?
  • When do the lights first get turned on and when do they get turned off for the day.
  • What small changes in lighting could each class make?
Appliances 
  • Does your school have Energy Hogs (appliances with phantom loads)?
  • What appliances are in every classroom?  Could any of them be shared among classrooms?
  • Are some things always turned on?
  • What appliances use the most electricity? 
  • Keep an eye out for laminators, heaters and projectors that get left on when not in use.
Computers
  • Are computers turned off or put to sleep at night?
  • Do the monitors on desktop computers have a power saving mode enabled?
  • Are printers and speakers always left on?
  • Are computers on during the day that aren't used?
Build Support  
Getting classroom teachers and school staff to pledge to save energy requires figuring out steps they can take that will not negatively impact on their ability to teach, do their job and be comfortable. Students should ask teachers what they would be willing to do and think about actions that teachers would be willing to commit to. 

It helps to get people on board if you can highlight why saving energy is important.  Here are a couple of bullet points that might help.

  • Saving Energy Saves Money - Energy costs are an enormous expense for U.S. schools - approximately $6 billion each year according to Energy Star - second only to personnel costs, and exceeding the costs of textbooks and supplies. 
  • Saving Energy Saves Money - Pollution caused from the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity is the number one contributor to climate change.  Saving energy reduces pollution which is good fro animals, ecosystems and human health. 
  • Saving Energy is Good for Student Learning - Students involved in the PowerSavers Challenge are engaged in hands on STEM based learning and have a chance to develop a multitude of skills.
  • Saving Energy is Good for the School building - Improving how the building operates can make for a healthier workplace and learning environment, which benefits everyone.

Create an School Outreach Campaign
To really build momentum it helps to get the whole school on board. This can be done by coming up with an outreach plan.  This can be done by creating a Energy Outreach video (which can double your chance of winning a prize) or by utilizing existing resources at the school.  Think about what resources you have and what students are interested in doing.  Some ideas include
  • Using school TV or PA system to make a school wide pitch or be part of morning announcements
  • Making a Saving Energy student song
  •  Creating School Fliers
  • Utilizing the School Newspaper
  • Having students present Energy Audit findings at a teacher staff meeting


Judging 
Schools submitting Energy Pledges will be judged on achieving the greatest number of electricity kilowatt -hour (kWh) savings possible.  
    • For example if school A collected 10 classroom teacher pledges to take actions that would save 1000 kWh each they would have collected energy pledges to reduce electricity use by 10,000 kWh.  If school B collected 20 classroom teacher pledges to take actions that would save 300 kWh a piece, they would have collected energy pledges to reduce electricity use by 6,000 kWh.  In this example school A, has achieved the greater number of kWh savings.
Working with a Lockheed Martin Volunteer
If your school would like to request help with this project please e-mail astainthorp@ase.org to see if we can arrange a Lockheed Martin volunteer to work with your school.