Centennial's Energy Audit: Case Study

Centennial’s Energy Audit Conducted by Thomas K. & Tyler M. ! During our audit of Centennial’s energy use, we came to the conclusion that most of the teachers and staff at Centennial leave their powered-off electronics plugged in. This is a problem because even though electronics are turned off they are still consuming energy. Individually, each plugged in (but turned off) electronic device does not consume a noticeable amount of energy, but as a whole, all the plugged in electronics at Centennial is enough to cause a large power bill. ! The best way to correct this is to educate teachers and staff about the effects of leaving powered off electronics still plugged in; most people do not realize that even though electronics are turned completely
! Another problem we encountered was with the ceiling lights. Most classes with the exception of the science labs have about 8 to 9 light fixtures, each with 3 individual bulbs. But the science classes are much bigger and on average, these classes have about 14 light fixtures. The problem with the science classes is that they are split into two sections, the lab stations and the actual classroom, however teachers only have the option to have no lights on at all, or all of the lights on even though only one side of the room is being used. This is an inefficient use of energy, and if we were able to install a separate light switch for the lab stations in the science classrooms then it would be a lot easier to control the unnecessary loss of energy. ! Teachers could also choose to have a floor or desk lamp for when they have planning periods. Instead of having all the lights on in an otherwise vacant room, teachers could use a lamp to work at their desk or grade papers. Some rooms also have access to windows and that is a good source of natural light that should be utilized whenever possible. ! The cost of implementing changes to reduce unnecessary energy consumption is small compared to the cost of paying a power bill for a high