As I've collected information and my research has taken shape, I have started to organize information and determine which pieces of data are useful to me and my goals. The ways to work with my facilites and make them more environmentally friendly and energy efficient are relatively straightforward. However, my data analysis and organization basically consisted of viewing cost versus savings over time. As I have mentioned in previous posts, my school district does have an energy management plan, and we have saved over a million dollards. Therefore, it was easy to see that the salary of an energy manager and an energy consultant.
I used similar strategies when thinking about my other ideas. Again, as I've mentioned, I am seriously considering presenting a plan to revamp our HVAC system. The system at one of our elementary schools has recently been re-commissioned, which means it was evaluated for deficiencies. To sum up results, it would be wiser to replace the system than fix it. So I started to analyze the potential efficiency problems of these units compared to the cost of replacing. Re-doing all of these units in every building, and likely going geothermal, would be a huge undertaking. and cost millions of dollars. However, I was able to compare to the savings of a more efficient system, and it appears we could break even on the investment within ten years. Over the life of the building, this might be viable option.
I also started to begin creating charts that gave me insight on how students view recycling. For example, I asked a sample of students, some from each grade K-12, their thoughts on recycling. What I found was interesting. The older the students, the more they felt recycling was important. However, all students felt that in practice, they could do a better job of actually following through. Some of the older students felt that if they had received some direction instruction when they were younger, habits may have been formed and they potentially could be better about recycling.
Finally, I looked at solar panels for heat or electricity. This was an interesting venture, and the results surprised me. I was able to determine that in small doses, solar energy could help heat or power our schools. However, even when compared to the HVAC option I mentioned early, making our investment worthwhile would take a long time, making it an unattractive option.
Interesting discussion on green options for your school. I was surprised that the most awareness of recycling weighed on the older students; when I went through school, it seemed when I was young there was a lot of instruction with the "right/wrong" lens that emphasized recycling as the right thing to do. Interesting research on the solar panels too.
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