Published Quarterly by The

Energy Center, The University

of Texas at El Paso
Sponsored by the Texas
Comptroller of Public Accounts
- State Energy Conservation
Office,
and the United States
Department of Energy
Volume 11 Number 3
The Newspaper for Watt Watchers and Watteam.
Now incorporating WATTimes and the Texas School Energy Manager News. Winter 2007

Watt Watchers WATTS INSIDE

Classroom of Watts Across Texas 2

the month-
WAVE YOUR PENNANT
District WW
Guidelines 3

WAVE YOUR PENNANT Electrifying Extras 4

Watt Watchers of Texas is excited to announce a new Provide your
addition to the program, the Watt Watchers S c h o o l Program News 5
Pennant. The Watt Watchers of Texas flag District,
Lesson Plan 6
competition is very popular among school School
districts participating in the Watt Watchers Name,
Pull Out Posters 7-10
program. A Watt Watchers flag is provided Yo u r
to each district that enrolls their schools in Name, and Mentoring Your
Watt Watchers. We often get requests for email address, and Feeder Schools 11
flags from our Watt Watchers sponsors who we will send a pennant to
are not in a district that participates in Watt your school. The Transmission
Watchers. Flags are reserved for district What do we need from you? Line 12
Watt Watchers programs. Pennants are We want to know how you use your
provided to individual Watt Watchers pennant. Send us a short Your Rookie Year 13
programs. summary and pictures of how
?? 14
you use your Watt Watchers
The Watt Watchers of Texas Pennant pennant. We will share your
Bad Bulbs,
is designed for YOU! The information and pictures with Bad Bulbs 15
Classroom of the Month Pennant is thousands of other schools in
the equivalent of the School of the Texas through the Watts
Month Flag. The pennant is an News Newspaper.
8x18 inch silk-screened felt award Can schools that
to help Watt Watchers motivate participate in
teachers and students to use energy District Watt
efficiently. Within the school you can pick a Watchers
Watt Watchers classroom of the month. That receive a
classroom gets to proudly display the Watt W a t t
Watchers Pennant from their classroom for Watchers
all to see. The pennant rotates among energy pennant?
saving classrooms at your school. Yes. So, POSTERS IN
How do you get a Watt Watchers Pennant?
Energy Managers, please
make sure you order pennants for your schools that are
THIS ISSUE
Call 1-888-USWATTS participating in District Wide Watt Watchers. The
Email info@wattwatchers.org competition inside their school just might get them the
Fax 1-888-WWFAXES rights to fly the big flag outside their school!

Recycling
Rangers Program
Manual
R
ecycling is logical and simple but sometimes does
not happen consistently. Recycling is also a
natural companion program for Watt Watchers. A recycling
program manual is now available that is designed to help you to
tap into the resources of your Watt Watchers program to facilitate
recycling on your campus. Most schools have an existing contract
with a local recycling company and a collection bin on campus. A
frequent problem is getting materials into that bin.

Your Watt Watchers students are in a unique position to assist in

making recycling an easy choice on your campus. You can tap the
skills and organization developed when you established a
successful energy saving program for your school. We hope you
will consider blending Recycling Rangers into your Watt Watchers
program. Look for your Recycling Rangers Program Manual in the
mail and get started rounding up solid waste on your campus.
 Texas Solar Car Race Event
-May 17, 2008 -
eb t h e r e
Northside Academic & Technology
Competition (NATC)
Regional Middle School/High
Established in 1997 to promote School Science Bowls:
excellence by encouraging elementary,
middle and high school students in Bexar The Regional Science Bowl
County and surrounding areas to programs are part of the US
undertake individual or team research Department of Energy (DOE)
projects in science, mathematics, National Science Bowl® program –
engineering, and technology or in a nationwide academic competition
combinations of these disciplines that tests students knowledge in
and to pursue careers in those all areas of science. Middle
fields. school and high school students
are quizzed in a fast paced
Major Sponsors: question and answer format
Northside Education Foundation similar to Jeopardy. The Middle
School competition includes Fuel Cell
CPS Energy Model Car Challenge that invites
students to design, build and race
Booz Allen Hamilton model cars. This competition tests
Hosted by The Northside Independent the creative engineering skills of many
School District & The MITRE of the brightest math and science
Corporation students in the nation as they gain
hands on experience in the
Overview – The purpose of the NATC is automotive design process and with
to encourage students involvement in hydrogen fuel cell technology.
mathematics and science
Garbage Crisis in activities, improve awareness The Science Bowls involve
Naples of career options in science more than 17000 students
and engineering, and provide an that compete in regional
In Naples, Italy avenue of enrichment and competitions nationwide (28
mountains of stinking reward for academic regions for middle school/68
garbage are piling up achievement. The NATC is regions for high school).
Each regional winner will
on city streets. comprised of three
competitions: represent its sponsoring
Collectors stopped entity at the National Science
picking up trash 1. Texas Solar Car Event Bowls (April for high school;
because there is no June for middle school)
more room for it at 2. National Science Bowl®
dumps. I guess this Regional Middle School 12 th Annual Texas Solar
Science Bowl Race Car Event
shows no one can
Overview – The Texas Solar
really throw trash 3. National Science Bowl®
Race Car Event is a state
away – it all has to go Regional High School
competition established in
somewhere. Science Bowl
San Antonio and originally
See: Texas Solar Car Event hosted by Rayburn Middle School in the Northside ISD and
http:// The Texas Solar Car Race Event is a state competition that the MITRE Corporation in 1997.
www.usatoday.com/ provides an excellent opportunity to combine teaching of
Eligibility:
news/world/2008-01- scientific and social principles in an atmosphere of fun and
Current 4th-8th grade students from any public, private or
04-italy- excitement. Program Goals:
home school in Texas are welcome to form a team and
garbage_N.htm O Generate Enthusiasm for science and engineering at a participate in this state level event.
crucial stage in the educational development of young
Competition: The 12th Annual Solar Race Car Event will
people;
feature solar race vehicles designed and built by elementary
O Improve students’ understanding of scientific concepts and middle school students from across the state. The
and renewable energy technologies; competition has included the following events: Fast Car
Competition based on speed of vehicle; Creative Car
O Provide and opportunity for students to work a real life Competition based on design and speed of vehicle; Poster
project requiring teamwork and problem solving skills. Competition for school to use their creative art skills; and
Presentations where students were judge on their speaking
Students use mathematics and science principles together
and communications abilities. This year’s event will consist
with their creativity in a fun, hands on educational program.
of the Fast Car Competition. Each team will have 3 races
Students can see for themselves how changes in car design
in the first round. The teams with the highest points will
are reflected in car performance. Concepts taught: alternative
race in a semi final and final round to determine the placing
energy sources, teamwork, aerodynamics, force, motion,
of the top teams.
problem solving, creative thinking, experimentation and
teamwork to design and build high performance model solar Orientation/Training: January 31 st Northside Activity
vehicles. Over 75 schools from San Antonio, Houston, Center 4pm
Edinburg, Marble Falls and Knippa, Texas have built model
2 solar race vehicles and competed in the Texas Solar Race
Car Event. Continues on pg. 11
 Energy Managers: Establish Guidelines for
Your District Wide Watt Watchers Program
In a program as large as your district Watt Watchers
program, energy managers will want to set up guidelines
for the schools to participate in the program. Watt Watchers
does not set up these guidelines for schools because every
school in Texas is different, by size, location, schedule, etc.
We always suggest that the sponsors set up the guidelines
for their program because they know their schools better
than we do. Our suggestion is always: The more you patrol,
the more you will save. Here are some suggestions for you
to set up guidelines for your district program.
Start Stealth & Report Results
You have heard us talk a lot about Stealth Watt Watchers
this year. Stealth is probably the most important patrol that
your students will go on, especially when looking at it from
an Energy Manager’s standpoint. Stealth gives you a
benchmark for where you were when you started your Watt
Watchers program. Basically, you secretly patrol the school
for a week (or longer if you would like) to see what the energy
behavior of your school is before announcing and starting
your student energy patrol program. The students will read
the school’s electricity meter (if located in an easily
accessible and safe location) before they start the stealth
patrol. They will patrol two to three times a day observing
the energy waste and making comments on the Watt
Watchers check sheet. They continue this routine for one
week. At the end of the week they read the electricity meter
again and summarize the information found on their check
sheets. They send that information to the energy manager
so that they have a benchmark for that campus. We
encourage schools to RE-stealth after a month of patrolling,
and then again after six months. This will show you how
the habits in your school are improving.
Set Minimum Patrol Requirements
Watt Watchers can be implemented in many ways. That
has been the message that we presented for over a decade.
Teachers can do it during their energy unit, or every day at
lunch, or 3 times a day. No matter how they participate it
will change the habits of the building occupants. When
participating in a District Wide Watt Watchers program, it
will be more successful if at the district level you set
minimum patrol requirements for each school level.
Elementary Schools
Most elementary schools can patrol 3 times a day: before
school (have the students that arrive early for breakfast
patrol the school); during lunch or recess (pick a grade level
to patrol before or after each of these events); after school
(most schools still have a group of students that are selected
each month for safety patrols. Add a few students to that
group to do energy patrols at the end of the day so that
lights are not left on at night.)
Middle Schools
Middle schools can operate much like elementary schools
or high schools –- they are truly in the middle. Many middle
schools have a student council or science club that would
love to take on the project and have the time to patrol every
day. You could also set up the program through a science
class. The science teacher could then let students from 3
of his or her classes patrol daily so that the school is being
monitored throughout the day. We suggest setting your
minimum patrol requirements based on who is sponsoring
the program. If it is a student group sponsor, then they may
patrol once a day, but will be able to patrol every day and
also be capable of a small energy awareness campaign. If
the sponsor is a science teacher, he or she will be able to
select students from several classes to patrol two to three
times throughout the day.
High Schools
Most high schools have a student group that does energy
or environmental projects, like a student council or science
club, that can take on the role as the campus Watt Watchers.
These student groups are going to implement a Watt
Watchers program just like the elementary school except
for the number of times they will patrol. They will most likely
patrol every day for a month or two because they will quickly
get to a point where they are not giving out tickets anymore
–- habits can change faster in a high school setting. At that
point the student group needs to move on to other aspects
of the Watt Watchers program, for example, they can
monitor computer power management, reminding people
to turn off their monitors when they are not using them. And
they can take on the energy awareness campaign for their
school.
The most important part of setting minimum requirements
is that they are doable within the school schedule. Don’t
set guidelines that can’t be met because that hinders the
success of your program now and in years to come.
Check Sheet Reporting
Once you have these guidelines for
patrolling in place, it will be
important to you to measure the
progress. We encourage you to
get a monthly summary from
each school on the status of their
program. The summary should
include: number of times
patrolled during the month,
number of classrooms
patrolled each month, number
of x’s, number of “’s, number
of 0’s. Compare these
monthly summaries to the
data collected during the
first stealth patrol and you
can measure how
successful your program
has become. Watt
Watchers also requests
that you send us a
monthly or quarterly
summary of those
programs. There are
several ways to
report the
information to Watt
Watchers. You can
have your schools
complete the form on the Watt
Watchers website, www.wattwatchers.org
click on Student Energy Patrols then navigate to the
Reporting tab or download the database from the website
and enter the information for your school district – keep a
copy for yourself and email Watt Watchers a copy or
summarize the information and fax or mail it to Watt
Watchers. We just want you to share the data with us so
that we can help monitor your program results. It also helps
us show other districts how successful the program can
be.
Energy Awareness Campaign
What is energy awareness and why do I need a campaign?
Energy awareness is simply making people aware of energy
performance goals and initiatives, as well as their
responsibility in carrying out the program. If you were to
ask most principals, teachers and school staff how much
energy their school uses in a month, they could not tell you.
They can tell you how much their home energy bill is. It is
important that people understand how much it takes to run
these facilities. When you attach a dollar amount to a
statement it makes people understand a little better. In most
Texas school districts energy is the second highest expense
for the district. By reducing those costs more money can
go into the classroom whether that be higher teacher pay or
more supplies for the classrooms. When energy is wasted,
no one gains –- when energy is saved, the savings can be
shared. Your energy awareness campaign will help raise
the knowledge of energy use in your school and district, and
will cause savings to occur.
3
Continues on pg. 14
College Sustainability
Find out if your
school of choice is
making the green
grade. The College
Sustainability Report
Card for 2008 has
been released. The
good news is that
many schools are
improving. Top scores
were earned by :
Carleton College,
Dartmouth College,
Harvard University,
Middlebury College,
University of
Vermont, and
University of
Washington. In
Texas, the University
of Texas led the way
with a B- while others
have some homework
to do.
http://
gristmill.grist.org/
story/2007/10/19/
162952/83
http://
www.endowmentinstitute.org/
sustainability/
4 generate a discussion that puts efficiency and conservation into
Electryfing extras
Many homes got a new television this http://www.energystar.gov/
Christmas season, a plasma flat screen, LCD, index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a
or even a plain old tube television (the “old” _product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV
kind). Many of these TV buying decisions The Energy Star website is always
were made without ever thinking about the a good place to look for information
electricity consumption of the new toy. on energy consumption. This page
Television purchase patterns will likely change has a section for you to enter
in the coming year due to the federally information on the TV you are
mandated switch from analog to digital considering and it will let you know
broadcasting which is scheduled for February which models have earned the
2009. The new digital TVs cost more than the Energy Star rating.
“old” analog types, making efficient power usage an
An Energy Star rated television uses at least 30% less
important consideration when choosing a new set. energy than a standard unit, something that families will
Appliance manufacturers are required to list their want to consider as Christmas 2008 approaches and
products’ approximate electricity cost over a year on the they begin thinking about replacing their TV set in time
energy fact label. You can easily compare refrigerators for the 2009 digital switch.
or dishwashers to see which is most efficient.
Televisions, however, are not required to carry this
information. The following websites should help you and
your students find energy consumption information for
televisions so you can make an informed decision.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-6400401-
2.html?tag=nav This is a good overall website for
explanations of the basics of power usage by TVs and
other ancillary devices such as DVRs and DVD players.
A chart covering HDTV power consumption lists screen
type and size, watts used when on and when on standby
(remember that the TV is never really off unless you
unplug it), an overall score from CNET and the annual
cost for the electricity to power this TV.
Focus the Nation is organizing a national
teach-in on global warming solutions for NATIONAL TEACH-IN: On January 31st , thousands of
America—creating a dialogue at over a students on every campus, millions of students
thousand colleges, universities, high nationwide, participate in workshops and panels,
schools, middle schools, places of worship, brainstorming global warming solutions. Are you with us?
civic organizations and businesses, and Are your faculty supporting you? Ask ten, twenty, fifty
directly engaging millions of students and faculty to stand up as educators on behalf of your future.
citizens with the nation’s decision-makers. They will say yes. To make this happen, start with the
Focus the Nation will culminate January 31st, sample teach-in.
2008 in simultaneous educational symposia
2% SOLUTION: A national, interactive webcast, airing
held across the country. Our intent is to move
America beyond fatalism to a determination live the evening of January 30th, featuring Stanford climate
scientist Stephen Schneider, sustainability expert Hunter
to face up to this civilizational challenge, the
challenge of our generation. Lovins, and green jobs pioneer Van Jones. Show the
webcast to launch your teach-in. Screen it at your high
Currently over 1000 institutions, mostly school, faith group, civic organization, or at a house party.
colleges and universities, have signed on to Our goal—10,000 screenings and a determination TO
participate, and dozens of college and university STOP GLOBAL WARMING.
Presidents have endorsed the initiative. To maximize both
education and civic engagement, Focus the Nation has K-12 Schools
four key components (see full details at website). Here http://www.focusthenation.org/K-12.php
are two:
About the Posters
Two full color posters are included in every
The second poster features the new Watt Watchers pennant. We
issue of WATTS NEWS — except in the Fall
have printed two replicas of our official Classroom of the Month
issue. We are now including two bonus
pennant. Although only one official silk-screened felt pennant is
posters in each Fall Watts News. You get
available per school and only one official flag is available per district,
four full color posters in this issue! They are
we want teachers to have access to these striking graphics. Maybe
still printed back to back for reversibility. You
you will use the poster pennant to honor your Watt Watcher student
laminate once but get two posters – and then
of the week or your poster flag (Watts News Winter 2007) to
you do it again and have four posters. When
designate your patrol supplies area. Let us know how you put
it’s time for a new look in your room, just flip
them to use.
your posters. Laminating machines are
available at most Regional Education Service
centers if your campus doesn’t have one.
Laminating a poster costs less than 50 cents.
This issue features an investigation into the sometimes subtle but
very important distinctions between energy efficiency and energy
conservation. There is more than one way to save energy. Efficiency
utilizes better technology to harvest savings while conservation
requires behavioral adjustments. An important point is that neither
requires sacrifice or suffering. We hope you will use the poster to
perspective for your students.
 Program News
Project of the Month Club Student Energy Patrols. Navigate to the Stealth Patrols
Are you a student group doing energy and environment section. Complete the form, send it to us and let us know
projects? Then you need to sign up for the Project of the how many students are in your Watt Watchers group and
Month Club. Each month Watt Watchers sends enrollees a we will send you a reward.
project idea, specifics on how to do the project, and we will
also support you through the completion of your project. Email Updates
Project of the Month Club email updates are sent out on the Do you get monthly email updates from
1st Friday of the month. After the update is sent out we post Watt Watchers? Watt Watchers
the project idea on the Watt Watchers website at maintains a listserv that we use to
www.wattwatchers.org. Click on send out monthly program updates.
Students and then navigate to the If you are not getting this monthly
Project of the Month tab. email update, please go to
www.wattwatchers.org and enter
Past Project of the Month your email address in the box at the bottom
Club Ideas: of the page. We will add you to the list.
November –- Recycling
December –- Turn It Off We also have special email updates for
Campaign Energy Managers, Rookie Watt Watchers
Upcoming Project of the Sponsors, and the Project of the Month
Month Club Ideas: club. If you are interested in receiving
January –- Computer those emails, please email
Power Management info@wattwatchers.org and let us
February –- Meter know which one to sign you up for.
Reading Audit Watts Going on with Watt
March –- Watt Watchers Watchers…
Mentoring for Energy Rio Grande Valley Science
Education Month Association Annual Conference
April –- Portable Classroom Audit
May –- Exit Sign Audit At Med High and Science Academy in
Mercedes
To sign up for the club, send
an email to Watt Watchers Feb. 1 and 2, 2008
of Texas at
On February 1st and 2nd the RGVSA will hold its 20th Annual
info@wattwatchers.org and
Rio Grande Valley Science Conference at South Texas ISD
in the subject line put
campuses of Med High and Science Academy in Mercedes,
“Project of the Month Club.”
TX. Friday evening will feature keynote speaker Jason
If you have been participating Dunion, a meteorologist with NOAA’s Hurricane Research
in the Project of the Month Club and have completed one of Division in Miami, FL. This presentation is open to the public.
the projects, please send us a summary and pictures of Saturday, February 2, will consist of four workshop sessions,
your project and we will include it in the newspaper! a TEA Update, exhibits, along with breakfast and lunch.
Registration is from 7-8 am and then the conference begins.
-graphics- Watt Watchers will be presenting workshops on Junior Solar
Small Rodeo Sprint and other Watt Watchers programs. For more
Rosie information, go to http://www.rgvsa.org/conference.htm.

Real Projects Metropolitan Association for Teachers of Science Spring

page 13 Conference “We make a major step
toward reducing our
At University of Houston
Recycling dependence on oil,
Rangers will confronting global
arrive in climate change,
your mailbox
expanding production
soon!
of renewable fuels and
The Recycling giving future
Feb. 2, 2008 from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
R a n g e r s generations a nation
manual that Join teachers from all around the Houston area for that is stronger,
you have been workshops, exhibits, giveaways, and more. Watt Watchers cleaner and more
anxiously will have an exhibit booth and workshops, so come on by secure,” President
awaiting has with all your questions. For more information, please email George Bush said
been printed MATS@rice.edu.
and is in the
upon signing the 2007
mail! Watt Texas Middle School Association Annual Conference Energy Bill.
Watchers is very excited
At the Austin Convention Center in Austin http://
about the release of this new project. We would love to
hear your thoughts and suggestions once you have had an www.whitehouse.gov/
Feb. 21-23, 2008
opportunity to review the manual. news/releases/2005/07/
TMSA is proud to announce that plans are underway now to 20050729-9.html
Rewards for Stealth ensure this will be the biggest and the best TMSA conference
Summaries ever. We hope you will join us at this landmark celebration
Have you sent in your as we celebrate over three decades of serving middle level
summary from your Stealth educators and children in Texas. We expect more than 3,000
Patrols? You need to. Watt educators to attend this year’s conference, which will feature
Watchers has several great general sessions, pre-conferences by some of today’s
rewards for you to biggest names, school site visits to local area schools, in-
choose from when you depth focus sessions, great luncheon speakers and
complete the Stealth Patrol. hundreds of concurrent breakout sessions. In addition, our
The Stealth Patrol is so exhibit hall is shaping up to be bigger than ever! Featured
important to the success of your speakers will be Monte Selby and Ruby Payne. Watt
program that we want to give Watchers of Texas will be there teaching a workshop
you a reward for finishing this
essential first step! Go to the
on Junior Solar Sprint solar powered cars. We would 5
love to see you there. For more information, please
Watt Watchers website www.wattwatchers.org and click on go to http://www.tmsanet.org/conferences/annual.html.
 Lesson PlanFuel Efficiency versus
“America’s strength is
not in our oil reserves,
Fuel Conservation
but in our reserves of Grade Level: 6th-8th Grades
innovation.” Objective: The student will learn about fuel efficiency
and fuel conservation and methods for achieving each.
Senator Joseph
TEKS:
Leiberman, upon
sponsoring legilation Science: 6.3(B,D), 7.3(D,B), 7.14(C), 8.3(B,D), 8.5(A)
to protect the Artic Social studies: 6.21(A,B,C), 6.21(B,D), 6.23(A,B),
Nation Wldlife Refuge. 7.20(C,D), 7.21(B,E,F,G), 7.23(A,B), 8.30(B,E,F,G),
8.32(A,B)
Time: 1 class period
Materials: internet access or printed material on fuel
economy from reputable sources
Vocabulary: fuel economy, hybrid, dichotomous key
Background Information:
In the last year the price of gasoline has gone up
Q: How many dramatically. This price-per- gallon increase has made
professional wrestlers many drivers rethink their choice of vehicle and/or their
does it take to change planned trips. Car-pooling numbers have increased as
a light bulb? people choose to drive their personal car less. Purchases
of vehicles that have higher miles per gallon (mpg) have
A: Three. One to yank also increased, as has advertising of hybrid vehicles. With
the old bulb out, the media (print and television) giving so many choices and
throw it on the floor, ideas, what should the consumer do?
and try to jump onto it You should look at the facts and make the best decision for
from a great height, your personal situation. You should look at what you want
and then actt your outcome to be as well. Do you think fuel efficiency
surprised when it rolls (purchasing the most efficient car available; making your
out of the way at the car more efficient by following simple car driving rules) or
last minute. A second fuel conservation (driving less; combining trips) is more
to pretend to twist the important?
new bulb in – round Lots of facts are bouncing around in the media. The
and round—so far it following facts came from reputable sources such as
almost breaks. And www.fueleconomy.gov.
some guy in a black Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking)
and white striped wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at
uniform whose highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Driving the
function is never made speed limit and smooth starting and stopping can save you
quite clear – to protest $0.16-$1.02 per gallon.
about something or
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at
other, to the complete different speeds, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at
indifference of the bulb speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume
changers. that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an
additional $0.20 per gallon of gas.
Keep your engine properly tuned and check and replace
clogged air filters. This could improve your efficiency by as
much as 10% or $0.31 per gallon. Not only will this increase
your efficiency, but it will also protect your engine.
You can improve your gas mileage by over 3% by keeping
your tires properly inflated. This can save you almost $0.10
per gallon.
Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money.
Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as
much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same
distance when the engine is warm. Trip planning ensures
that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and
efficient. With a little planning, you can avoid retracing your
route and reduce the distance you travel as well. You’ll not
only save fuel, but also reduce wear and tear on your car.
When you decide to purchase a new vehicle, selecting which
A: One. vehicle to purchase is the most important fuel economy
decision you’ll make. The difference between a car that gets
Q: How many 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $775 per
psychics does it take year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel
to change a light bulb? cost of $3.10). That’s $3,875 extra in fuel costs over five
years!
This lesson will help you and your students make an informed
decision based on the “facts” you have.
Setting the Stage:
Ask the students to answer the following questions by show
6 of hands.
1. Have you read an article or seen an advertisement telling
you to save gas by purchasing a new car?
2. Have you read an article or seen an advertisement telling
you to save gas by driving less?
3. Have you or a parent changed your plans based on the
cost of gasoline?
Now have them write an answer to the following question.
1. What would you do to save gas based on the information
you know now?
Activity 1: Fuel Efficiency versus Fuel Conservation
Have the students give you some ideas of methods they
could use to be more fuel efficient or to conserve fuel. Write
these on the board or overhead. Give facts from this lesson
or from other sources as they propose ideas. Use prompting
if they have missed any key areas.
Have the students take the list you made and separate it
into two categories--fuel efficiency and fuel conservation. If
an item does not seem to fit into one category, discuss that
item and determine if you can modify the statement to make
it fit in one category. If it cannot be modified, it may need to
go into two categories.
Activity 2: The Fuel Dichotomous Key
A dichotomous key is a tool scientists use to determine the
species of a plant or animal by asking general questions at
the beginning and making the questions more specific as
they go on.
Use this dichotomous key to have the students determine
which method of saving fuel is the best for them based on
the discussion you just had. Copy the key for each person,
or post the key and have each student go through the
answers quietly and write down their answers.
1a: I think efficiency is more important when saving gas…
Go to Q2
1b: I think conservation is more important when saving gas…
Go to Q5
2a: I can and will purchase a new car…Go to Q3
2b: I will keep my current car… Go to Q4
3a: I will purchase the most fuel efficient car available that
meets my needs.
3b: I will purchase a car that uses new technology, such as
a hybrid or a fuel cell vehicle.
4a: I will drive efficiently by driving the speed limit, using my
gears wisely, driving smoothly so as to limit stop-and-go
driving.
4b: I will do repairs/changes on my vehicle to make my car
more efficient (proper tire pressure, change the filters,
etc.).
5a: I will not drive… Go to Q6
5b: I will drive… Go to Q7
6a: I will take public transit to get to the places I need to be.
6b: I will use a bicycle, scooter or walk to the places I need
to go.
7a: I will combine trips and use the shortest route possible
so I will drive fewer miles.
7b: I will carpool so we are collectively traveling fewer miles
on the road.
Activity 3: What Does My Decision Bring?
Have each student research his or her decision on ways to
save fuel through the dichotomous key exercise. Have them
find ways that they can save fuel through efficiency or
conservation or research a new car. Find out how much
they could save based on their parents’ current driving habits
and vehicle (or base it on your driving habits and vehicle).
Discussion:
1. What kind of car do you or your parents drive? How many
miles to the gallon does it get?
2. What other product costs might increase due to the
increase in fuel prices ( the cost of food and other goods
will eventually go up as well because of America’s reliance
on cross-country truck drivers to deliver goods.)
3. Should people be required to drive more fuel efficient cars
and take inefficient cars off the roads?
Resources: www.fueleconomy.gov
 Mentoring Your Feeder Schools
Mentoring in Your Feeder Schools
Watt Watchers of Texas wants your help in getting all the
schools in your district watching watts! One of the best
ways to get everyone involved ineliminating energy
waste is to make sure that the schools that feed into your
school are busy watching watts. It is simple, free and fun
for high school students to go to the middle schools and
elementary schools in your feeder pattern and share the
message about Watt Watchers. Take the students on
their first patrol and check up on them from time to time to
make sure they are giving out tickets to those energy
wasters and thanking the Zero Hero’s in their schools.
Follow these 5 simple steps to get your feeder schools
started today:
4. Go on Patrol - be there to take the younger students
on their first Watt Watchers patrol. Help them design Q: How many
their route and make sure they are marking their seventies disco dancers
charts and giving out tickets and thank you notes. does it take to change a
Remind the students to keep the charts in a file so light bulb?
that they can award the Zero Hero Award at the end
of the school year to the teacher that wasted the A: Two. One to boogie
least amount of energy! up the ladder and one
5. Stay in Touch – it is very important that you contact to say “Get
the feeder school to make sure that their program is daaowwwn!”
running smoothly and answer any questions they
might have. Watt Watchers would also like to know
how you and your mentoring schools are doing so
please send us an update on your program!

1. Contact a teacher – did you have a favorite teacher in Don’t’ forget to reserve a mentoring kit!
the elementary school and middle school that you Watt Watchers has created a kit to make this project
went to before coming to your high school? Is that easier for your student group to complete. The kit
teacher still teaching at that school? Or is there a contains presentation slides to help inform the audience
science club or other organization in the middle or about the Watt Watchers program, CD-Rom with all the
elementary school that is interested in doing energy program materials, Patrol Kit to leave with them to
projects? Contact that teacher; inform them about complete their daily patrols, class set of coloring books to
the Watt Watchers of Texas program. help get them excited about their new Watt Watchers
2. Contact Watt Watchers for a kit – the kits are free and program and a Tale of Two light bulbs demonstration kit to
every school that participates in Watt Watchers get them thinking about energy efficiency. You don’t want
needs to have a complete kit. Call or email us and to mentor a program without this kit. So get one reserved
we will ship a kit for each school that you are for your project!
implementing a program.
3. Setup a time to meet the new Watt Watchers – -End-
coordinate a time with the new Watt Watchers of
Word count: 580
Texas sponsor to go to the feeder school and teach
the students about the new program. Take them on a Graphics: students with list on pg 26 Real Projects
stealth patrol and show them how to gather data. The light bulb jokes in
WW kit
When they are ready to kick off the program and this issue of WATTS
announce Watt Watchers to the entire school help Y socket with bulbs
NEWS are classics.
them come up with ways to teach the other students,
teachers and administrators about this new
That is, they have been
program.. One great idea is to do a skit about the “recycled” from a
program during an assembly - this allows everyone previous issue of the
to learn about the program, have fun and be excited Watt Watchers
about the energy saving program that is starting at newspaper. The jokes
the school. for this issue were
previously published
Texas Solar Car Race Event... in the Summer 2004
WATTS NEWS. It is
Continued from pg. 2
OLackland City Elementary School, Northside ISD, San noteworthy that they
Location: Don Hardin Athletic Complex, Northside ISD, San
Antonio, TX remain approximately
Antonio, TX
OLeon Valley Elementary School, Northside ISD, San as funny today as they
Date: Saturday May 17, 2008 Antonio, TX were over 3 years ago.
OMonroe May Elementary School, Northside ISD, San
Past Winners (Schools Listed Alphabetically): Q: How many caribou
Antonio, TX
O Bowden Elementary School, San Antonio ISD, San does it take to change a
ORayburn Middle School, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX
Antonio, TX light bulb?
OStevenson Middle School, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX
OEd White Elementary School, Clear Creek ISD, Seabrook,
OTimberwilde Elementary School, Northside ISD, San A: None. Caribou are
TX
Antonio, TX hardy animals that
OGalm Elementary School, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX
OFor more information on all the competitions please go to migrate between
OKnippa Middle School, Knippa ISD, Knippa, TX http://www.txses.org/tjss/Index.htm or contact Watt tundra and wide open
Watchers. plains and therefore
have no need for an
artificial light source.

Supply and Publication Order Form

awards & flyers
Please return this form to Watt

__ Certificate of Achievement Fax: 1-888-USWATTS

W a t c h e r s o f Te x a s .

Provide one to each student that participated during the year Mail: PO Box 68660,
El Paso Texas 79968
Q: How many
__ Zero Hero Award Email: info@wattwatchers.org dieticians does it take
Award for classrooms that always turn out the lights to change a light bulb?
__ Most Improved Watt Watcher Award
A: Just one but they
Award for classrooms that change their habits
will probably
__ Flyers substitute a :lite” bulb.
Set of all the 8-1/2x11 color flyers
Name: _______________________________
School: ______________________________
__ Color tickets and Thank you notes District: ______________________________
For laminating to make permanent Email Address: ________________________
11
THE TRANSMISSION LINE
“For many children
and young adults,
global warming is the
atomic bomb of today.
Fears of an
environmental crisis
are defining their
generation in ways
that the Depression,
World War II, Vietnam
and the Cold War’s
lingering “War Games”
etched souls in the
20th Century.
“Parents say they’re
searching for
productive outlets for
their 8-year-olds’
obsessions with dying
polar bears ...
Psychologists say
they’re seeing an
increasing number of
young patients
preoccupied by a
climactic Armageddon.
Next time you’re
talking to a child about
climate change, tell
him or her we’re
building a world where
the air is cleaner;
people are healthier;
there are no more oil
wars; we have forests
in our cities; our
buildings are more
beautiful; we have lots
of ways to move
around; we’re free
from energy crises;
and people and
ecosystems have
learned to live
together.
We all know the
nightmare. Now we
need a dream.”
Joseph Romm,
energy expert, author, and
former Asst. Secretary of the previous experience in changing other formulas. If you
Department of Energy need more information on which formulas they have
See the entire blog at:
http://
gristmill.grist.org/
story/2007/10/23/
16023/290/
?source=daily
12
Pg3 Transmission Line capacity by 45% in a single calendar year and injecting
CFL to Become Official Texas State Bulb an investment of over $9 billion into the economy, the
The mayors of five of the largest cities in Texas launched American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) disclosed
a statewide campaign to reduce energy. The mayors of in their annual report.
Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin Top States include:
declared the compact fluorescent light (CFL) the state Texas
bulb of Texas. The mayors are kicking off a statewide - 4356 MW
campaign to persuade residents to replace old light bulbs California
with energy-saving CFLs. Texas mayors vowed to launch - 2439 MW
an effort to make the lights available, to encourage their Minnesota
use, and to suggest that people give them as gifts for - 1299 MW
Christmas or other occasions. Iowa
The CFLs cost more than incandescent bulbs, but are - 1273 MW
about 75% more energy efficient. “We’d rather spend Washington
money on conservation than on building power plants,” - 1163 MW
Austin Mayor Will Wynn said. The Houston Chronicle reported that Texas expanded its
The designation of the state bulb by the five mayors is wind-energy capacity by 57% in 2007 and that an
unofficial; a resolution must pass the state legislature to additional 1,238 MW are now under construction.
make the designation permanent. Some other official
Texas designations are the state plant: prickly pear h t t p : / / w w w. a w e a . o r g / n e w s r o o m / r e l e a s e s /
cactus; state shoe: cowboy boot; state snack: tortilla AWEA_Market_Release_Q4_011708.html
chips and salsa; the state dish: chili con carne. The Texas
Legislature publishes a complete list of state symbols http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5464122.html
and resolutions can be found at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/
ref/abouttx/symbols.html. Change a Light Bus Tour Boosts Pledges to Nearly One
Source: http://www.eere.energy.gov/ Million
state_energy_program/project_brief_detail.cfm/ DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
pb_id=1233 (EPA) announced last week that nearly 1 million U.S.
residents have pledged to change more than 2.6 million
Texas State Energy Conservation Office receives IREC light bulbs to more efficient versions-an effort that will save
Innovation Award nearly $70 million in energy costs and prevent 1 billion
pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. The
The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) announcement came at the end of the 20-day Energy
was a 2007 Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Star Change a Light Bus Tour, a nationwide campaign
Innovation Award winner for its Texas Solar for Schools that encouraged attendees to change at least one light
Project. This project contracted the Lower Colorado River bulb in their house to an energy-saving Energy Star bulb.
Authority to install 14, 1-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) The Change a Light Bus Tour stopped for 16 events in
systems on 11 schools, one environmental learning 10 cities.
center, and one utility office in a city with a large school If every U.S. household replaced just one conventional
district student population. The PV systems were installed light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, the country would save
primarily for demonstration and education purposes to nearly $600 million in energy costs every year, save
allow students to see the equipment up close and to view enough energy to light 3 million homes, and prevent
and monitor its output online. Most installations are in greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more
rural Texas communities. The learning center will also than 800,000 cars. Energy Star bulbs use about 75%
have a 2.4-kW wind turbine installed to demonstrate wind less energy than standard bulbs and last six to ten times
energy technologies as part of its curriculum. longer.
For details about the award, see the IREC 2007 Energy Star Bus Tour Website: http://www.energystar.gov/
Innovation Awards at http://www.irecusa.org/?id=109. index.cfm?c=bus_tour.bus_tour_index
RE < C
Google has a new formula for energy. Expanding beyond DOE and GM Launch EcoCAR Competition to Follow
scanning the internet, the search engine giant is now Challenge X
looking for answers to our energy and environmental DOE and General Motors Corporation (GM) are
quandaries. A new program called RE<C will invest sponsoring a new collegiate competition in which
hundreds of millions of dollars to make Renewable university teams will re-engineer a production GM vehicle
Energy Cheaper than Coal. Google will make strategic to meet the requirements for earning Zero Emissions
grants and investments in organizations working to Vehicle (ZEV) credits from the California Air Resources
produce renewable energy at a cost below that of coal- Board. The competition, called “EcoCAR: The NeXt
fired power plants. Challenge,” will require teams to explore advanced
Their investment could have a significant effect and help propulsion technologies such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids,
speed the transition to renewable energy. This is a project all-electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. The teams
to watch, especially since Google has significant could also explore alternative fuels, lightweight materials,
and improved aerodynamics. And it truly is the next
challenge, as DOE and GM are currently sponsoring
changed - you can just google it. Challenge X, a three-year university competition to re-
http://www.google.com/corporate/green/energy/ engineer a Chevrolet Equinox to minimize its fuel
index.html consumption and emissions. With that competition
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/ concluding in May 2008, the EcoCAR competition will
28/MN8UTJR7P.DTL take its place in fall 2008.
GM Press Release: http://media.gm.com/servlet/
GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/
Texas Continues to Lead Nation in Wind Power n e w s p u b l i s h e r / s u p p o r t _ f i l e / 11 - 2 9 - 2 0 0 7 / 3 9 /
Shattering all its previous records, the U.S. wind energy 071129ridedrive.pdf
industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW) in 2007, EcoCarAnnouncement:
expanding the nation’s total wind power generating http://www.challengex.org/pdfs/
new_ecocar_announce.pdf
 Your Rookie Year and
Your First Mission
Welcome to Watt Watchers of Texas! We are excited Watt Watchers will send you your Rookie Certificate, and
about your enrollment in Watt Watchers. You may already your patrolling students will each receive a CFL.
have or will soon receive your Watt Watchers of Texas
CD-ROM and Kit. Take a few minutes to browse through Remember that we are here to help you. If you have any Q: How many eastern
your supplies and get to know the materials. If you have questions about any of these milestones, please email European ballet
any questions about these materials, feel free to contact us at info@wattwatchers.org. dancers does it take to
us at info@wattwatchers.org or 1-888-USWATTS. If you change a light bulb?
are reading about Watt Watchers for the first time, you The Starting Point (subtitle)
can enroll on our website at www.wattwatchers.org and A: None, they like
When you put money in the stock market, you know how Danzig in the dark.
join the rookies. It is never too late in the school year to much you started with so you know whether you gained
start patrolling. or lost money. When you go on a diet you weigh yourself
Rookie Milestones (subtitle) on the first day so you know how much weight you gain
or lose. When starting a Watt Watchers of Texas student
There are several milestones you will want to achieve energy patrol you also need to know where you are
during your first year as a Watt Watcher Sponsor. These starting from. You need to know what the “health” of your
milestones represent the important steps in starting (and school is at your starting point. Later, you
continuing) a successful program. W a t t will use t h i s starting data for
Q: How many extreme
Watchers will reward you each comparison after you
optimists does it take
step of the way. have been
to change a light bubl?
patrolling for
Step 1: Complete a a few weeks A: None, because look!
Stealth Patrol. or months. It’s getting brighter!
When you How do It’s definitely getting
complete this y o u brighter!
patrol and send know if
us your data, we y o u r
will send a efforts
pencil, eraser, or sticker h a v e
for each of your changed
patrolling students. You a n y
choose the reward that behaviors if you
would fit your students don’t know where you
best. started from?
Step 2: Complete The Stealth Watt
your first month of Watchers Mission
regular patrols. allows you to determine
Regular patrolling is how much the student
important in a patrol program at your
program. You school is needed. This
need to be out in the halls mission will teach your
looking for lights that are on in unused students how the Watt
rooms and reminding teachers to turn off lights Watchers patrols will
when leaving the room. Send us a summary work without giving
from your first month of regular patrols and we tickets and thank
will send a pencil, eraser, or sticker for each of your you notes, simply
patrolling students. You choose doing the patrol and marking your
the reward that would fit your record sheet. Complete this
students best. mission and you will be rewarded!
There are some guidelines that
Step 3: Complete three months of SO, YOUR JOB IS TO GO you need to follow in completing
regular patrols. Three months of QUIETLY THROUGH THE this mission.
regular patrolling will give you great
HALLWAYS WITHOUT
data about the energy usage at
CAUSING ANYONE TO Don’t tell anyone outside your
your school. You will see results
from your ticketing strategies as WONDER JUST WHAT class or patrol group what you are

teachers who used to get X’s on YOU ARE UP TO. BY doing. Your operation must be
completely unknown to anyone
the patrol check sheet change and QUIETLY CHECKING FOR
outside your group if you are
begin to get 0’s. We would like to WASTED ENERGY going to get a good picture of
see a comparison of your current WITHOUT FANFARE, what your school is doing. We all
data after three months of YOU CAN FIND OUT know there are not many secrets
patrolling to your Stealth Patrol JUST HOW IMPORTANT in a school, so just try to keep your
data. Send us your comparison IT IS TO TURN OFF secret mission low key—
and Watt Watchers will send you a LIGHTS AND COMPUTER especially if you had to alert those
mechanical pencil and an energy MONITORS WHEN THEY around you that your students
related book for your classroom.
ARE NOT NEEDED. would be going on a walk. Make
Step 4: End of Year Summary. It sure that your group understands
is important to look back at your that the idea is to check up on
year and evaluate the changes you saw in your school in everyone’s habits as they are
terms of energy usage. It is also important to evaluate now—before they know what you know. That is, turning
your program and think about ways you might change it out the lights in one empty classroom two hours each
day saves $50 over a 180-day school year. 13
for the better for next year. Send us your end of year
summary including data from your patrol records, and Continues on pg. 14
 Your Rookie Year...
Continued from pg. 13
So, your job is to go quietly through the hallways without 3. When you come to a classroom where energy is being
causing anyone to wonder just what you are up to. By used because there are students in the room, you put
quietly checking for wasted energy without fanfare, you a “Ö” on the patrol record form.
can find out just how important it is to turn off lights and 4. When you come to a classroom where energy is being
computer monitors when they are not needed. Keep used but there is no one in the room, then energy is
score for the number of empty classrooms you find and being wasted. Put an “X” on your
add them up at the end of one week. What would the patrol record form.
savings be if you started a Watt Watchers student energy
patrol program and changed these teachers’ habits? 5. When you come to a
classroom where
Before you start this Stealth Mission you need to make energy is not being used
a few decisions. and there is no one in the
room, then
1. Develop procedures for your building—how will the energy is
Watt Watchers patrol? Consider times when b e i n g
classrooms are normally empty, such as lunch, recess, saved. Put
before and after school. Which rooms and areas will a “0” on your
be included? Use a fire drill map to help you determine patrol record form.
which areas of the school will be patrolled. Will any
areas be off limits? How will the bathrooms, stage 6. Patrol every day for one
areas, teacher’s workroom, week.
offices and closets be handled? 7. At the end of your Stealth
Where will the W a t t Mission, read your
Watchers patrols pick school’s electricity meter
up and store t h e i r again. Subtract the first number from the second
supplies? What extra supplies number and this will tell you how much electricity your
will you need? school used for the duration of your Stealth Mission.

2. Choose patrol s t u d e n t s — 8. Use your patrol record forms to make a summary of

t h i s program is your results. Was there a particular classroom that
successful at any seemed to always do the right thing? A classroom
grade level and with diverse student that didn’t?
populations, including at-risk, learning 9. Use the information you gathered during the Stealth
disabled, special education, and gifted and Mission to design your Watt Watchers Student Patrols
talented. Being a member of the Watt for the rest of the school year.
Watchers Patrol could provide recognition to 10. Begin to publicize your patrols and educate the
students who rarely receive opportunities for teachers and students in your building about their
leadership. The younger the students, the more energy use. Use specific examples from data you
supervision needed. The students must want to gathered from your school (for example, each student
participate and be able to carry out the tasks in our building uses $X of electricity every school day).
consistently and honorably.
Stealth Watt Watchers allows you to get a picture of your
Now you are ready to start your Stealth Mission. school’s power usage and the energy waste that is
1. Read your school’s electricity meter at the beginning occurring. It also gives you the baseline data you need to
of day one of your Stealth Mission. Record this and compare to when you begin the regular Watt Watcher
store it somewhere safe. If you are not sure where Student Patrols. At Watt Watchers of Texas we would
the electricity meter for your school is located, ask also like to see your baseline data. Please email us a
the district energy manager, principal, or head summary of your data when you have completed your
custodian. Stealth Watt Watchers Mission. We will compile the
2. Take your materials and start your energy patrol. You information from all Texas schools that return their data
will need a check sheet patrol record, pencil, and a and let you know how you are doing in comparison to
few quiet students for each patrol. Your mission is to other schools in the state. We will also reward your patrol
go to every classroom in the school and check to see program for their hard work.
if energy is being saved or wasted. You also need to Have questions, need assistance or more materials—
patrol 3 times a day during this stealth patrol: before Call 1-888-USWATTS or email info@wattwatchers.org
school (to see what waste is happening at night); We would love to help you with your program!
during lunch (this is a good place to see daily
behaviors); and after school (when students are
leaving, is energy being saved or wasted).

Energy Managers: Establish Guidelines...

Continued from pg. 3
How do I implement an Energy Awareness Campaign?
There are many ways to make people aware of energy:
through posters in the schools, made by your Watt Watchers
patrols; or announcements from the school administration
or Watt Watchers patrols. Your school district is unique in
many ways –- put that uniqueness to work in your campaign.
Watt Watchers is here to assist you with implementing your
Watt Watchers program. We would love to brainstorm with
you to assist in establishing your district Watt Watchers
guidelines. We have lots of tools available for your schools
to make their programs a huge success –- everything from
PowerPoint presentations to graphics for posters to sample
14 announcements and letters to teachers. If we don’t have
what you are looking for, let us know and we will get to work
on it –- other districts might just be looking for it too!
Bad Bulbs,
Whatcha gonna do? Bad Bulbs
Whatcha gonna do — when they come for you?
Campus Crime Wave Your project may include providing an estimate of the
Roundup a posse. Your savings that could be realized when the scofflaws are
school’s light bulbs may be rounded up and
law breakers. Recent replaced. You
legislation in Texas might even
requires only energy efficient calculate what’s
light bulbs to be used in cheaper –
instructional facilities. group re-
House Bill 3693 lamping now or
states, “A using the stock
school on hand before
district switching to CFL’s.
s h a l l Cut Off Cartel
purchase Supplies
for use in each type of light fixture in an instructional facility Ask your custodial staff what kind of bulbs they have in
the commercially available model of light bulb that: (1) the stockroom and cut off the supply chain. An effective
uses the fewest watts for the necessary luminous flux or way to stop waste is to stop buying the wrong bulbs.
light output; (2) is compatible with the light fixture; and (3) Send a memo to your district purchasing department
is the most cost-effective, considering the factors summarizing your results.
described by Subdivisons (1) and (2).” This provision
became law in September 2007. Your Watt Watchers Even Handed Justice
group can go after the gang of thieves operating on your Not all incandescent sockets
campus, identify the bad boys, and report them to the lend themselves to a
authorities. simple CFL switch out
Bad Bulbs vs. Good Bulbs and some bulbs are
used for only a few
If your school district has a hours per year. Your role
million square feet of buildings is to organize the search
on 20 campuses (or even a and line up the options so
fourth of that) it could be your district can make
challenging for decision good decisions about
makers to know what light cost effective lighting. It is
bulbs are in which sockets. likely that almost every
You can help by looking at campus has some really
some bad bulbs. The bad boys — go bust those bad
most obviously bulbs.
inefficient bulbs
will be the Resources
incandescent Bulk Purchases
bulbs still http://www.quantityquotes.net/
h a n g i n g Calculators:
around your
Energy Star
campus.
You know www.energystar.gov/ia/business/ bulk_purchasing/
the ones – bpsavings_calc/Calc_CFLs.xls
e s s e n t i a l l y Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
unchanged since http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/
Thomas Edison eep_fluorescent_lamps_calc.html
invented them over Partnership for the Advancement of Technology in
125 years ago. Housing (PATH)
Make no mistake these are true gangsters living a life of
http://www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=19983
crime – they use four times as much electricity to produce
the same amount of light as compact fluorescent bulbs!

Survey your campus for incandescent bulbs. Make a list LIGHT OUTPUT EQUIVALENCY
of the location, type, and wattage of all the incandescent
To determine which ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs will provide the same amount of
bulbs at your facility. You may need tools (clipboard, light as your current incandescent light bulbs, consult the following chart:
binoculars, or even a ladder) and assistance from
INCANDESCENT MINIMUM COMMON ENERGY STAR
custodial or maintenance staff to identify what types of LIGHT BULBS LIGHT OUTPUT QUALIFIED LIGHT BULBS
replacement bulbs they are using. When you find them WATTS LUMENS WATTS
— blow the whistle on them. There may not be a reward 40 450 9-13
for their capture but you can feel very good about saving
60 800 13-15
energy, saving money, and preventing pollution.
75 1,100 18-25
Some likely hideouts for incandescent bulbs include: 100 1,600 23-30
Downlights, recessed lights, bullet lights, canister lights, 150 2,600 30-52
some exterior lights (spots & floods), lights on signs, and
… don’t forget exit signs.
Follow the Money
15
There Is No
‘Away’

We live on a spaceship called Planet Earth. All systems are self-contained. Everything stays on-board. When you throw something ‘away’ you really
only throw it ‘over there.’ And, sooner or later – what goes around, comes around. Or, as the America Recycles Day slogan says –“It All Comes Back
To You.” When people are asked where trash should go one common reply is NIMBY – Not In My Backyard. In other words, anywhere is fine as
long as it doesn’t affect me. Although it is not always obvious, it does affect each of us because it‘s all our backyard. Thankfully, we can choose to
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle, and Re-Buy to prevent our spaceship from being trashed.
http://www.kab.org/ http://www.texasrecyclesday.org/downloads/ARD_poster.pdf http://www.cleantexas.org/

Watt Watchers of Texas NONPROFIT

ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

get your EL PASO, TX

The Energy Center pennant!

PERMIT NO. 77

University of Texas
at El Paso
P.O. Box 68660
El Paso, Texas 79968
Please Route:
o Science Chair
o Student Council
o Librarian
o Energy Manager

Winter 2008 http://wattwatchers.org

1-888-US WATTS