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2010 Partner of the Year |
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Youth Explore Benefits of Energy Efficiency |
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Turning off lights and keeping doors shut can add up to significant energy savings, students at Big Sandy Schools in Simla, Colorado, have discovered. About 65 students participated in a Home Energy Investigation Contest sponsored by Energy Outreach Colorado. Working in teams, they evaluated their family’s energy consumption, proposed efficiency measures and presented their findings to judges from Mountain States Electric Association. “Once I show my parents how much energy we use they’re probably going to have a heart attack,” one student remarked. Another said, “My sister did this last year so our kilowatt usage has gone way down.” Some students from the agricultural community described living in 100-year-old homes with little insulation, furnaces that don’t work, and older appliances. They conserved energy by using wood burning stoves, doing without air conditioners and dryers, installing storm windows and switching to more efficient light bulbs. April Lanotte, Big Sandy’s high school science teacher and contest coordinator, said the contest is a great opportunity for students to see how their actions directly impact their homes and the environment. |
