Green Schools News
EmPOWERing Maine Students to Know Their SOURCE
Winter 2004 Volume 4, Issue 2
Student Energy Project Offers $$ Saving Opportunity Green Schools News is
a publication of:
“Snack Miser” might just be up your al- Maine Energy Education Pro-
ley. gram (MEEP) and the Maine
In April, 2003, Amos Doughty Department of Environmental
from Mt. Blue Middle School (MBMS) in Protection, Air Bureau (MDEP)
Farmington performed an experiment
For more information, please
with a “Vending Miser” over a week long
contact:
period for a science fair project. His
Peter Zack
topic was “to determine how much en-
P.O. Box 728
ergy the “Vending Miser” occupancy sen-
Parsonsfield, ME 04047
sor control could save on the school’s
207-625-7833
vending machines and how long it would
take for it to pay for itself.”
MBMS student, Amos Doughty What Can The
Research performed on the
collects data for his “science fair
“Vending Miser” shows that a savings Green Schools Program
Vending Miser” research project
between 24 and 76 percent is likely.
Amos hypothesized a 50 percent savings Do For You?
Would you like to find a way in in energy costs for the vending machine Encourage Interdiscipli-
which your school could save money with a 2.4 year payback period for the nary Learning and Envi-
while helping to conserve energy? If “Miser”. His results: an energy savings ronmental Awareness.
you answered yes, a “Vending Miser” or Continued on page 2
Foster better communi-
cation between students,
Students Get Energized During MEEPs Fall teachers, custodians and
administrators.
Energy Education Leadership Workshops
Help your school save
electricity, which results
Wow! 466 stu- were sampled during the
in more money for books
dents and teachers at- workshops:
and classroom supplies.
tended the six regional In our Energy
energy education leader- Icebreaker, students
IN THIS ISSUE:
ship workshops during interact with each other
the fall of 2003. Playing and learn about the en- Upcoming Events 2
various educational games ergy consumption habits
and fun hands-on activi- of themselves and their Start an Energy Patrol at
3
ties, students and teach- fellow students. What Your School!
ers alike learned about does “BTU” have to do Take the “Vending Miser
energy consumption, the with energy? Listening 4-5
Challenge”
different sources of en- to the Palmer Putnam
ergy, how electricity is Rap, students ponder Watt’s on the Web? 5
produced, and how they how much energy has
The ever-popular Apple Mt. Blue Wins Electra-
can help conserve energy. been used throughout 6
Battery activity is one your thon Challenge
The following fun yet history.
educational activities students are sure to enjoy! Continued on page 3 Have you ever seen a
7
“Grease Car”?
Upcoming Spring Events!
Tuesday February 24—Start looking for the first signs of spring as Jeepers
Peepers starts it’s fifth year.
Saturday March 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. —free teacher workshop on building
solar cars at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Rockland.
Tuesday, March 23—Jeepers Peepers 2004! essay deadline. Please have your
entries postmarked no later than this date. For more information on Jeepers Peepers
2004!, please visit www.mainedep.com.
Saturday, June 5—State finals for the Junior Solar Sprint Competition at the Owls Head Transportation Museum
in Rockland.
Vending Miser (cont.) the area around the machine, approximately a 15-foot
of 49 percent and a 1.8 year payback. The actual savings radius, has been unoccupied for 15 minutes. When some-
for the vending machine at MBMS was 98 dollars per one enters the radius, the “Vending Miser” turns on the
year, based on a 40 week per year operation. machine. The “Snack Miser” is also available for snack
A great asset for your school to invest in? “Yes” machines.
said Amos. Unfortunately, due to budgetary restric- Such a device is ideal for schools or businesses
tions, Amos was unable to present his findings to the which do not have a continuous operating schedule or
school board. He does suggest that other kids at other when a building is not operating for extended periods of
Maine schools try the experiment for themselves. When time. Your students can conduct this experiment to pre-
asked why it is important to use such machines to cut dict the energy savings for you school. MEEP and MDEP
down on energy consumption, Amos simply answered have teamed up to demonstrate the equipment and to
“energy isn’t unlimited.” encourage students to participate in the Vending Miser
So what exactly is a “Vending Miser”? According Challenge.
to www.bayviewtech.com, a “Vending Miser” is an instru- To find out more about the Vending Miser Chal-
ment which “powers down” a vending machine when it is lenge, please see the teacher insert on page four or con-
not in use. Using an infrared sensor, the “Vending Miser” tact Peter Zack at 207-625-7833 or Debbie Avalone-
turns down the energy consumption of a machine when King at 207-287-7028.
Borrow a Climate Change Backpack Today!
The Department of Environmental Protection is still of-
fering the Climate Change Backpack. It is literally a
backpack filled with hands-on curriculum ideas, games
and activities to use in the classroom and outside on the
trail. It’s designed to be portable, and most of the mate-
rials are water proof. We’re even willing to come in and
do a few of the activities with your class!
At your request, we can include a copy of “Teaching
About Climate Change: Cool Schools Tackle Global
Warming,” a new publication by Green Teacher. This book
is a great resource for getting students involved in learn-
ing about this important topic.
To borrow a backpack or for more information, call:
A Climate Change Backpack Jeremy Dubois at 207-287-4855 or Peter Zack at
207-625-7833.
Page 2 EmPOWERing Maine Students to Know Their SOURCE
Looking For A Project That Engages Your Students, Helps Them Utilize
Their Science Process Skills, And Teaches Them Valuable Lifelong Habits?
Look no further! We have the Third, the project can be easily
perfect solution: MEEP-sponsored adapted to meet state and national stan-
Energy Patrols. We believe our Energy dards in math and science (always a plus).
Patrols are an excellent year-long project Finally, it is a project that has the poten-
for your students, for several reasons. tial to reap maximum rewards with mini-
First and foremost, it involves mal input, for it requires only a few min-
the children in activities that require utes of the children’s time each day.
them to use their science and math skills “What’s involved in an Energy
to help solve a real-life problem (namely, Patrol?”, you ask. Good question! Our
the overuse of electricity in this coun- Energy Patrol trainings are split into two
try). visits.
Second, the project helps the On our first visit, we’ll introduce
students become more aware of their en- our “awareness” activities. These activi-
ergy consumption habits—a useful life ties are designed to introduce your stu-
skill that not only saves the school much dents to the concept of what electricity
Students at Village School in is, different ways in which it can be gen-
needed money, but also contributes to
Gorham practice light erated, the pat-tern of energy use over
the reduction of air pollution and helps
metering skills. human history, and reasons for the need
minimize the effects of Global Climate
Change. to conserve energy.
Continued on page 7
Jeepers Peepers 2004!
Welcome Spring with the fifth year of Jeepers Peepers Spring Watch!
You and your class can have fun tracking and reporting the progress of Spring in
Maine with other classes around the state. Or, you can enter your class in the JP
Essay Contest on Climate Change.
For more information and links to supplemental activities and information
on this year’s essay contest, please visit the Jeepers Peepers 2004! website at:
Fall Workshops (cont.) simulates adult challenges in making energy choices in
Taking Sides in The Great Energy Debate, stu- the real world. Students represent the voting population
dents present the pros and cons of renewable resources of a fictional island nation as they try to balance environ-
vs. nonrenewable resources. Do you have any preconcep- mental, economical, and energy-use consequences when
tions as to which type of energy sources are better? faced with difficult, yet real life choices.
In the electrifying Apple Battery Experiment, Kids love competing in Energy Jeopardy, an in-
students learn about electricity and get to make it them- formative and fun way in which they learn about energy
selves using a piece of fruit! Hypotheses are tested and through categories such as “fossil fuels”, “renewables”,
data is collected as students become scientists while and “energy conservation” in the same answer-question
producing electricity with an apple. format as the television show.
In the energizing Photovoltaic (PV) Cell Activ- One student who attended the Brunswick Work-
ity, students practice with solar panels to make a mini- shop thought “The entire workshop was fun – good job! I
fan spin! Students view first hand that electricity can be especially enjoyed the debate – it was fun and informa-
produced by trapping the sun’s energy. tive.” Similarly, a teacher from the Augusta workshop
Reading an Electric Meter is an acquired skill. commented “I love kids getting involved in talking, ex-
Do you know how to read one? Possessing this skill allows ploring and becoming more aware about energy – great
students to read their school’s and home’s electric meter opportunity to become more aware and engaged in these
and allows them to see first hand how their energy con- concepts.”
serving habits are paying off. To find out more or to schedule presentations in
For older students, The Global Energy Game your classroom, please contact MEEP at 207-625-7833.
Volume 4, Issue 2 Page 3
THE VENDING MI$ER/SNACK MI$ER CHALLENGE
A SCHOOL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECT
Your challenge, should you GOAL #3: To provide a copy of your report to school
choose to accept it, is to officials to encourage them to invest in purchasing Mi-
identify two vending ma- $ers and thereby reduce your school’s electricity bill
chines in your school that are each year by $__________. (Your research will pro-
potential Energy Hogs. vide this $ prediction.)
You will need to conduct a (You can access the Efficiency Maine website to
scientific assessment com- download a form to receive a $50 rebate for each
paring electricity use before Mi$er your school decides to purchase before. Look
and after installation of the Vending Mi$R, then create a for the link @ http://www.efficiencymaine.com/
report. school_efficiency_program.htm)
GOAL #1: To document how much energy may be Anticipated experiment time: ~3 weeks with daily 5-10
wasted in your school by inefficient vending machines. minute - equipment checks after initial installation time
GOAL #2: To prepare a report documenting your find- of about 1 hour. Analysis of results and writing of re-
ings and provide a copy to MEEP/DEP to be used for port could take a couple of hours.
news articles and informational purposes.
The “Vending Mi$er” Experimental Procedure
1. The Experimental Protocol is to
♦ A. Install a WATT METER to measure the We think
daily kWhs used by each machine. you will be
♦ B. Record on a chart, the kWhs used daily amazed at
(24 hours). how much
♦ C. Calculate the Avg. daily kWh used then energy sav-
estimate the total electricity that would be ings you
used over a year. will find!
P l e a s e
2. Next, install the Vending Mi$er (for a refrigerated write your
unit) and/or the Snack Mi$er (for a snack unit) report and
then re- “Vending Mi$er Challenge” Kit
Then you can again measure and record daily the amount turn the (Available for loan upon request.)
of electricity used and repeat your calculations. equipment
to us as soon as possible so another school can complete
3. Then finally, you will analyze your data and com- the Challenge. Let us know how you approached your
pare the difference before and after the installation of school managers and whether they’ve agreed to purchase
the Mi$er: You must obtain the amount your schools is these worthwhile energy efficiency products.
paying for it’s electrical service.
TO BORROW THE VENDING Mi$ER CHALLENGE KIT,
4. Using the calculations chart on the following page, Contact Peter Zack or Deb Avalone-King . Peter can be
see if you can predict how much energy you could save reached at 207-625-7833 or meep@psouth.net; debbie.j.
if you installed a Mi$er. avalone-king@maine.gov or 207-287-7028.
Page 4 EmPOWERing Maine Students to know their SOURCE
How much can you save by installing a Snack Mi$er or Vending Mi$er?
Vending Machine (refrigerated): Snack Machine:
Electricity cost per kWh Electricity cost per kWh
Hours machine runs per week 168 Hours machine runs per week 168
Typical power requirement (avg. watts used per 400 Typical power requirement (avg. watts used per 80
hour) hour)
How much do you currently spend on your refrigerated vending machines?
• Cost per machine per week = hrs per week machine runs x power requirement per machine/1000 (to convert Watts to
Kilowatts) x Electricity cost (kWh).
$_______ = _______ hrs/week x _______ power requirement/1000 x _______ $/kWh
• Yearly cost = Cost per machine x 52 weeks
$_______ = $_______ x 52 weeks
• Total Energy Cost = Yearly energy cost per vending machine x total number of vending machines.
$_______= $_______ x _______ # of vending refrigerated machines
Next, repeat these same calculations for all snack machines at your school. Finally, figure the total cost of elec-
tricity that is used by all machines at your school by adding the electricity cost of the refrigerated vending machines with
that of the snack machines.
Various studies have shown a potential energy savings of around 50 percent per machine. How much could your
school save if you reduced your energy demand by 50 percent?
We can loan you a Vending Mi$er Challenge Kit to test your hypothesis. Also, MEEP and MDEP will gladly come
into your school to demonstrate how to use a Mi$er and to help you begin your experiment.
“Watts” on the Web?
• http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/education/blueskies.htm
Take a quiz, email a question, or download air quality related material and activities
that will help you engage your students in learning about air quality issues and its
connections to energy.
• http://www.katyc.org/tripplanning.htm.
Kids and Transportation of York County offers in depth information on different modes of
transportation, as well as links to teacher activities including the car free vacation activity.
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/
Energy Ant will guide you through the Energy Information Administration kid’s page. Included are
many kid friendly activities as well as links to useful materials for teaching about energy.
• http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/transportation/index.html
A list of useful information on alternative fuel vehicles is given on this website including games and science projects
for students.
Volume 4, Issue 2 Page 5
Mt. Blue High School Wins the Connecticut Electrathon Challenge!
Mt. Blue High School’s three person team outdis- lent to two car batteries), and these batteries can only
tanced approximately twenty other cars by five to ten laps provide one horsepower of energy to the car’s electric mo-
in this past fall’s Connecticut Electrathon Challenge, a bi- tor.
annual electric car race that takes place in Lime Rock, Con- Although the cars are capable of reaching speeds
necticut. According to driver Angela of 70 miles per hour, motors are
Ferrari, the track, which is about a geared down so that cars don’t travel
third of a mile long and shaped like the more than 30 miles per hour or so
letter “B”, is quite challenging because (Angela’s top speed during the race
it has lots of hills and sharp turns. this fall was approximately 27 miles
Angela was pleasantly sur- per hour). Additionally, each car must
prised by her team’s win, because the carry exactly 180 pounds of ballast,
car she drove has a simpler design which includes the weight of the
than many of the other competing driver. Interestingly, when the ballast
cars. for Mt. Blue High’s car was weighed
Mt. Blue High School is distin- Ready, set, go! Electrathon vehicles just prior to this fall’s race in Con-
guished in the Electrathon community on their way to successful races. necticut, it was determined that the
for several reasons, most notable of team was 2 pounds short of the 180-
which is that it has participated in Electrathon events pound goal. Where did the team get the extra two
across the nation for the past ten years—a significantly pounds? Angela’s calculus book! (See? Calculus DOES
longer time period than most other teams. Additionally, have a practical use.)
Mount Blue is the current high school record holder for Intrigued? Each spring Electrathon America
distance in an Electrathon event (43.15 miles in one hour). holds a race in Maine. In past years, the race has been
Open to people of high school age or older, Elec- held at the Beech Ridge Speedway in Scarborough, but
trathon events provide adolescents and adults an opportu- this year the organization would like to hold the race at
nity to design, build, and race electric cars on professional the Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford. Check Electrathon
race tracks all over the country. Of course, in the name America’s website (http://www.electrathonamerica.org)
of safety, strict guidelines must be followed when building for the date and location of this year’s race. We hope to
and racing Electrathon cars. For example, each car can see you there!
only carry sixty-four pounds of batteries (this is equiva-
New Alternative Fuels Debate Game Now Available!
Is Ethanol A Better Alternative Fuel Choice required is replacing a few hoses.
Than Biodiesel? Hmmm…that’s a tough choice. On the Still unsure? Perhaps you need some more infor-
one hand, ethanol is a cleaner burning fuel, but it needs mation about ethanol and biodiesel in order to help you
to be mixed with gasoline, and if make your decision. Why not try our
the ethanol content is greater than new ALTERNATIVE FUELS DEBATE
10 percent, then the car must be GAME?
converted in order to burn ethanol Developed by MEEP’s national
as a fuel. Additionally, ethanol is affiliate, the NEED Project, the AL-
most readily available in the mid- TERNATIVE FUELS DEBATE activity
west, where the source of the fuel focuses on the chemical properties, en-
is grown. ergy content, associated costs, and
On the other hand, bio- relevant characteristics of several
A student at Greene Central School
diesel is not as clean burning as types of fuels, including petroleum, pro-
defends his position in a debate.
ethanol, it can be made anywhere in pane, ethanol, liquid natural gas, elec-
the country, however it needs to tricity, biodiesel, methanol, and hydro-
be mixed with diesel fuel in cold weather because bio- gen. Call Peter today at 207-625-7833, to arrange for a
diesel congeals at low temperatures. Diesel-burning cars MEEP staff member to introduce this activity to you and
can be easily converted to run on biodiesel, and…all that’s your students!
Page 6 EmPOWERing Maine Students to Know Their SOURCE
Have you ever seen a “Grease Car”?
Students at our fall Transportation and the En- perience. Students were given a scenario which de-
vironment Workshops got a close up look at a grease car scribed a number of
that runs on recycled filtered grease from a local Thai various activities
restaurant. The big difference is a conversion unit. available with a set
DEP’s Peter Cooke has retrofitted his own car which con- amount of time and
verts ordinary, used kitchen grease found in restaurants money to complete
or one’s own home into a useful, usable fuel. In fact, any any set of activi-
diesel-powered vehicle can be equipped to run solely on ties. Decisions
grease or a combination of grease and diesel. What’s were based on their
especially interesting is that the exhaust smells like personal interests.
french fries! The activity effec-
In two activities offered by the Greater Port- tively introduced Many diesel vehicles can be
land Council of Gov- kids to concepts converted without voiding your
ernments and Kids such as time and warranty, like this VW.
and Transportation money management,
of York and Cum- as well as map in-
berland Counties, terpretation. Like the Consumer Game, Carpenter
students got to stated, “kids got to think about different modes of
experience real life transportation and were able to see that there are dif-
Students discuss real life choices scenarios when it ferent reasons why people choose different types of
during the Global Energy Game. came to transpor- transportation.”
tation choices. Students also engaged in discussions around an
Students in grades interesting and informative PowerPoint presentation on
nine through twelve participated in the Consumer Game the history of transportation. The Global Energy Game
headed by Erik Hermann. They were given a consumer was played which provides an emphasis on transportation
profile and then asked to choose a car based on that pro- (see the fall workshop article for more information on
file. Profiles contained budget, family situation, and pri- the game). Students also played Transportation and the
mary use for the vehicle. Several alternative fuel vehi- Environment Jeopardy. This fun quiz activity put to the
cles and public transportation were offered as options, test what kids learned throughout the day’s activities.
along with consumer reports that emphasized the real For more information on the Car Free Vacation,
world situation. check out the links in the “Watt’s Up Section” of our
Dave Carpenter of Kids and Transportation of newsletter. For information on any of the other activi-
York County collaborated with Erik Herman to develop ties and getting MEEP staff to visit your classroom,
the Car Free Vacation activity which offered students in please contact MEEP at 207-625-7833.
grades six through eight a transportation planning ex-
Energy Patrols (cont.) more than 30 Maine schools. Clear reducations in elec-
Our second visit is devoted to providing your tricity consumption have been realized by those schools
students with specific skills they will need in order to able to sustain an energy patrol effort for at least sev-
help your school save energy (a.k.a. our “skills building” eral months. For example, one school in the Augusta
activities). During this session, your students will learn area was able to reduce its electricity consumption by
to read a light meter and discover how to read an elec- 560 kilowatt-hours per month over the five month period
tric meter and compute monthly electricity cost. its patrol was in effect, resulting in an average monthly
Additionally, the students will learn how to iden- savings of more than 70 dollars assuming a 13 cent per
tify energy “hogging” appliances by scanning their elec- kilo-watt hour rate. Another in the Hartland area saved
tric nameplates. 280 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month over the
Our second visit will culminate in training eight four month period its patrol was in effect resulting in a
of your students to do an Energy Patrol and to help in- savings of over 35 dollars a month.
troduce your energy conservation project to the rest of Do you think your school could do better? Call
the school. Peter Zack at 625-7833 today to schedule an Energy
To date, MEEP has trained Energy Patrols in Patrol training for your students!
Volume 4, Issue2 Page 7
PRSRT STD
MEEP U.S. POSTAGE
PO Box 728 PAID
Parsonsfield, ME Permit No. 8
AUGUSTA, MAINE
04047 Winter 2004 Issue
Maine Energy Education Program - Energy Activities in an Ecological Context
Phone: 207.625.7833 Email: meep@psouth.net Web: http://www.meepnews.org
Check out our website at
Hey, what’s this?
www.meepnews.org
They’re MEEP’s com-
pact fluorescent light
bulbs. Why not call &
find out how you can The Maine Energy Education Program
get some of these for Thanks Our Generous Sponsors:
your school and faith
community fundrais-
ers—only $3.50 each!
This issue of Green Schools News created by Jeremy Dubois This pamphlet produced by the Maine DEP under appropriation
(SERVEMaine Volunteer, Maine DEP Bureau of Air Quality) # 014 06A 1753 142