Students Engaging with Energy Experts

How do schools participating in Renew Our Schools earn points?

Participating schools can earn points in various ways, including engaging with an energy expert and attending an energy tour. The energy expert could be an engineer, utility representative, architect, or energy consultant, like an Energy Advisor with Focus on Energy.

Teacher in Class — Wendy Stelzer with Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) demonstrates how to use a watt meter.

Energy Advisor talking with students — Energy Advisor Steve Craker educates students on school energy use.

By inviting a local expert to come speak, students will learn how energy is monitored and gain a deeper understanding of how their school is powered. This expert can also conduct an energy audit through a building walkthrough and point out energy-saving tactics. Facility staff joins the students during the audit, as this group is intimately involved in the day-the-day operations and maintenance of the building. Students learn how their own school is monitored, and the energy expert gives a better understanding of how their school uses energy.

Students touring their school’s mechanical room.

A common area most students never see is their school’s mechanical room. This space is often considered the life force of a building. By touring the mechanical room, students can explore the unique types of equipment needed for maintaining daily activity in the school.

Common types of equipment found in a mechanical room include:

Air Handlers.
Boilers.
Chillers.
Heat Exchangers.
Water Heaters.
Tanks and Pumps.
Back-Up Generators.

The mechanical systems work together to provide students and staff with an ideal learning environment that is safe and comfortable.

Discover other ways schools are earning points in Renew Our Schools by following along on the Focus on Energy and KEEP Facebook pages:

If your school is interested in participating in a future challenge, visit focusonenergy.com/renewourschools and fill out an interest form. Applications are being accepted for the Fall competition scheduled for October 12 to November 10, 2023.

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