As part of our schools’ commitment to becoming more sustainable and the Resource Smart Program, students in grade five and six have been reviewing our school’s energy data from electricity bills. They have been doing this to monitor our schools energy reduction progress. Over the past year our school community has been focused on saving energy to reduce our carbon emissions and also save money for our school.

Students have also been learning about how the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and the production of methane from food waste in landfill is increasing global warming leading to climate change.

 They have come up with the following ideas to help our school reduce our energy usage and greenhouse gases emissions from landfill

Energy Reductions Ideas

• Turn off lights and use natural lighting when available
• Open blinds for light
• Wear suitable clothing in Winter and Summer to reduce heating and cooling

• Open doors to reduce heat in the classrooms instead of using the Air con
• Switch off computers, T.V’s, heaters air con and other appliances after use
• Charge laptops at home
• Change to LED lighting
• Install sensor lights in learning centres
• Install Solar power/ wind turbines
• Close doors when the heaters are on.
• Shut doors when air con is on
• Use less computers and more books
• Turn appliances off at the wall

Food waste to Landfill Reductions Ideas

• Ask parents to pack less food in student snack and lunches
• Ask parents to give their children food that they will eat
• Get students to pack their own lunches
• Get students to put fruit and vegetable scraps into the compost bins
• Put compost bins around the school ground for snack and lunch
• Students can take their left over food home so parents know what their children eat and don’t eat

Our school goal was to reduce our off peak electricity usage by making sure all electrical items are turned off after use and particularly by the end of the school day.

Our data show that From June to December in 2018 we reduced our peak and off peak use of electricity for 5 out of the 7months. Overall we have reduced our electricity use by 6.4% from 2017 – 2018 which means that we have exceeded our target to make of 5% reduction.

 However this year we have increased our peak energy use for Jan, Feb and March from 2018 data and have only reduced our off peak for Feb and March.

This means that we will have to make sure we all promote energy saving actions and find more ways to save electricity and get back on track.

We are doing this my putting notes on electrical equipment such as T.V screens and computers.

 Making sure that lights get switched off at the end of the day and that heaters and air conditioners only get turned on when needed and are thermostatically controlled at set temperature range.

Each learning centre has come up with an Energy Shutdown Plan that identifies what needs to be monitored, switched off, when and by who.

Students in Grade 5/6   were also invited by the City of Greater Dandenong who are developing their Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, to have their say about what the CGD should be doing to tackle global warming and climate change. Students filled our surveys and wrote their ideas and opinions on what actions need to be taken to reduce the impact of climate change. They also took copies of the surveys home to explain to their parent about global warming and encourage parents to also fill out the survey.