Broward Students Learn to Pull Plug on Electricity

Broward students learn to pull plug on electricity
Monday, 02.02.09

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/883550.html

Students known as Energizers patrol the light switches and off buttons at one Pembroke Pines elementary school.

Power Rangers conduct energy sweeps through the buildings at a high school in Plantation.

And a group of middle-school students who are trying to cut energy use want to challenge fellow schools to a friendly ''How low can we go?'' competition.

If Broward school district officials have their way, these efforts -- combined with a similar push at schools across the district -- could potentially turn into savings on the $60 million annual power bill.

''It's not an option anymore,'' said Rob Jindracek, the district's energy conservation manager. ``If we want to be successful and save energy, which in turn saves dollars, this is not an option.''

The Energy Tools for Schools program, a Florida Power & Light initiative that Broward launched last year, already has contributed to a nearly 8 percent reduction in energy consumption, district officials said.

Between July and November, the district reduced consumption by 20 million kilowatt hours through the new program and ongoing efforts like replacing energy-hogging fixtures with more-efficient ones.

That reduction equals a little more than $2 million that the district avoided paying -- though those savings have not made up for an electricity rate increase that was announced last year, which is expected to be about $4.5 million in Broward.

If schools continue to lower their energy use, the district could see nearly $1 million in net savings by the end of the program's first year. And they hope for even more next year. Across the district, the goal is a 10 percent reduction.

Schools that meet the goal will get an incentive at the end of the school year: between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the size of the school.

Each school in Broward has an energy coordinator. Many have checklists that detail exactly what steps need to be taken every day -- and by whom.

Lists include turning off lights when classrooms are empty, turning off computers that are not in use, shutting off televisions and projectors, checking water faucets for leaks and even making sure refrigerator doors are shut securely.

''It's just trying to change behavior,'' said Mitch Talmadge, the district's energy conservation analyst. ``And we're hoping that the kids will carry that home with them.''

Students at Panther Run Elementary in Pembroke Pines seem to be taking their duties seriously.

In each class, one Energizer is chosen every week to carry out the energy conservation duties.

During the period from July until November, the school cut energy consumption by 20 percent compared to the previous year.

''It's very important, so we don't mind doing it,'' said Fabiana Corsi, an 8-year-old third-grader.

Josh Vogel, a 9-year-old who joined the Sierra Club after reading a book about the plight of some owls, said he reminds his sister at home to turn off her lights in addition to helping at school.

''I'm just trying to help save the Earth so we can have a safe home,'' he said.

Jindracek said the students are the key to the program's success.

''Believe it or not, the kids are the ones that are really excited about it,'' he said.

At Driftwood Middle in Hollywood, students are turning the program into a challenge called ''How Low Can We Go?'' They will ask other schools to compete with them, as well as track their kilowatt usage on a bulletin board. And the kids will monitor energy usage at the school.

''The kids need to be told that they can make a difference,'' said teacher Linda Gancitano.

At South Plantation High, a group known as the Power Rangers swept across the campus before winter break to make sure teachers had shut down their classrooms appropriately, not just turning off lights but unplugging printers and computers.

Those types of efforts are crucial to making the program work, supporters say.

''It was really an effort to try to develop a school-based initiative where teams of employees, teachers or in some cases teams of students can approach energy management practices,'' said Greg Vayda, an FPL senior customer consultant who is account manager for Broward schools. ``These are low-cost or no-cost behavioral modification kind of programs.''

Broward is the pilot district for the program, but Vayda said the company hopes to expand it to other districts.

Miami-Dade schools spokesman John Schuster said the district is looking at introducing a program that gives schools a portion of their savings, similar to Broward's incentive. And he said the district saved about $1.2 million over the recent winter break by doing a total shutdown of unnecessary power at schools that were closed.

At Panther Run Elementary, Assistant Principal Raquel Perez said administrators figured the best way to get kids involved was by putting the power, so to speak, in their hands.

''We figure we're changing the world in our own way,'' said Principal Elaine Saef.

''One kilowatt at a time,'' Perez added.