Wisconsin Schools Welcome Back Energy Conservation Challenge
This week kicks off the Renew Our Schools energy challenge among Wisconsin schools. Throughout this six-week course, students and staff will compete in a series of behavioral actions designed to educate responsible energy use at school and home. Each school enrolled in the challenge will monitor their building’s energy use by using an electricity monitor called an eGauge.
What does this challenge entail?
Assemble a Team
Schools start off the challenge by forming a team of students and staff from different grade levels. Each team will coordinate how to disperse challenge updates and announcements. They will also tap into their creativity by designing promotional signs to showcase energy-saving behaviors. Building and grounds professionals are also encouraged to participate since they are knowledgeable on building components.
Assess the School
Once the team is assembled, each school will conduct a building-wide audit of at least 20 classrooms. As students explore each space, they are encouraged to critically examine areas that may be over lit, have extreme temperature differences, or have any electronic devices left on. Schools are given tools during the assessment to track and measure energy use, including:
Watt meters to monitor how much electricity devices in the school consume.
Infrared meters to gauge potential air leaks in different parts of the building.
LUX light meters to measure the amount of light provided in various rooms.
Establish Energy-Saving Goals
Once each school completes the audit, they can move on to developing three goals to focus on throughout the challenge. The goals should be measurable, focused on reducing energy, and engage fellow students and staff members.
Once these goals are established, the team can complete lessons, submit dashboard engagement journal entries, and earn cash prizes by competing in additional mini-challenges throughout the six weeks.
Schools participating in the Spring 2023 challenge include:
Ashwaubenon High School (Ashwaubenon)
Eagle River Elementary School (Eagle River)
Forest Edge Elementary School (Fitchburg)
Lourdes Academy Elementary (Oshkosh)
McFarland High School (McFarland)
Northland Lutheran High School (Kronenwetter)
Prairie View Middle School (Sun Prairie)
Osseo-Fairchild High School (Osseo)
Follow along with each school's success on the Focus on Energy and KEEP Facebook pages:
If your school wants to learn more about Renew Our Schools, visit focusonenergy.com/renewourschools and fill out an interest form. Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall competition scheduled for October 12 to November 10, 2023.
In 2024, Focus on Energy awarded $600 in scholarships to deserving recipients, allowing them to attend the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) conference and continue their professional journey.
Renew Our Schools presents a unique opportunity for schools to immerse students and staff in a conservation challenge centered on responsible energy usage.
