Energy Smart Schools

"Energy Smart Schools 2002" was a Rebuild Hawaii project managed by Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO). The purpose was to teach high school students about energy, energy conservation, and real-life work scenarios by performing energy audits in school buildings and neighboring small businesses.

The Energy Smart Schools classes were held at McKinley High School and Radford High School, in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.

Students were taught how electricity is produced and distributed via classroom lessons and excursions to HECO’s Kahe Power Plant. They learned how to conduct energy audits using state-of-the-art auditing devices and by applying critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills.

The students learned the relationship between math and science applications of energy audits and took their knowledge and skills to the private business sector. They increased community awareness of energy conservation and energy efficiency in Hawaii by performing energy audits at small business sites. Before contacting the businesses, class time was spent learning about marketing and advertising procedures and students developed business presentation skills. The students called on neighborhood businesses using advertising flyers and calling cards. They presented the Energy Smart Schools project to business owners, and received invitations to conduct lighting audits at the stores and offices. The young auditors recommended retrofitting T12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts with energy efficient T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. After calculating the results of the audit using actual HECO energy calculations and rebate information, real material and labor costs, the students presented their findings to the small businesses.

Summary Report
    ess-02.pdf (21 pages, 403 kb)
    ess-02.doc (21 pages, 162 kb)

Appendices                    
    ess02-appendices.pdf (190 pages; 10,564 kb)
    also available as individual files, below:

Weekly Workshop Summary and Evaluations (116 kb)
Lecture by Dean (6,404 kb)
Thank You Letters to Kahe (208 kb)
Lecture by Derrick (20 kb)
Making a Motor (238 kb)

Consumer Lines (952 kb)
News Release (Precision Radio audit) (23 kb)
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Photo (2,616 kb)
Rebuild Hawaii Newsletter (94 kb)
Video Tape Scripts (186 kb)