Consumers Energy visited St. Paul School in Owosso to teach the fourth- and fifth-graders about energy using a program called “Think! Energy!” It’s a 45-minute, interactive hands-on program. The program is designed to teach students the value of renewable resources and environmental stewardship. Each student took home an energy efficiency kit. The kit contains energy efficient technologies that can be used at home: a 5-minute shower timer, energy-efficient light bulbs, an energy-efficient nightlight, an energy-efficient showerhead and an aerator for a faucet. Seen above, from left, Jacob Evon, McKenna Sovis, Andy Lee-Hyung-Woo and Allie Pumford display items from an energy kit.

source – Argus-Press.com

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Our electric and gas utility businesses have each been in operation for over a century. We have leveraged that wealth of experience and assets to develop a number of non-utility subsidiaries which provide energy-related services to business and industry nationwide.

E-power presenter Tiffany Foland explains a smart strip surge protector to members of the community at Cleveland Elementary School in Allentown, Pa.

While that may seem like a stretch, it made perfect sense to the younger members of the audience at the Take Action at Home Community Forum at the school on Thursday (9/22). With parents cheering them on, six young volunteers ate one cookie as fast as they could, demonstrating unrestrained use of natural resources. The second cookie was eaten at a controlled, measured pace, showing resources would last longer when used in such a way.

The school’s cafeteria was filled with parents and children who came to hear an energy efficiency message, get a kit containing items to help with energy efficiency at home and raise money for their school. The E-power forum gives grants to participating schools, based on attendance at the forums, and Cleveland netted $1,000 for its turnout. The school is already working hard to reduce its energy use and has a 3 percent reduction goal for this school year.

“We already have the Take Action and Bright Kids programs for students in schools in our service territory, and we normally reach more than 19,000 children and teachers a year. The forums are new this year, and we’re working with parent – teacher groups with the goal of bringing more parents into the energy efficiency fold,” said Mary Thompson Grassi, the E-power coordinator for schools programs. “So far, the response has been great.”

The Take Action at Home forums educate audiences on where energy comes from, how it’s used and how they can be more energy-efficient. A video, played at the forum, shows children talking about ways they learned to save energy in their home. About 20 programs are being offered at various schools across the PPL Electric Utilities service territory and will continue through October, which coincidentally is also Energy Awareness Month.

They are offered in English and Spanish, targeting low-income neighborhoods.

“It’s important for families to take action on energy efficiency, and programs like this one instill the knowledge on how to do it and hopefully the enthusiasm to get started,” Thompson Grassi said. “All this helps strengthen the partnerships PPL Electric Utilities has with the communities it serves.”

source – mlive.com

When Cordonna Smith reached into a bag of candy that represented “human energy,” the sixth-grader pulled out only one Starburst for herself.

Her classmates at Jackson’s Hunt Elementary School followed suit.

“You guys were very energy-efficient,” said Kitty Foyle, noting that there wouldn’t have been enough candy — or “human energy” — for everyone if students had taken more than one candy apiece.

“What we’re trying to do is teach you to be energy efficient, so everybody can have energy for their homes, schools and businesses,” said Foyle, a presenter from the National Energy Foundation, which assists Consumers Energy with its educational program “Think! Energy,” along with the Michigan Department of Education.

The program — which visited Hunt last week — is part of the Jackson-based utility’s energy-efficiency program that was launched to comply with Michigan’s Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act of 2008.

Consumers Energy this year plans to present the program to more than 15,000 students in grades four through six.

National Energy Foundation employees talk to the children about how to make smart choices when they use energy. Among other things, they tell them to turn off the lights when they leave the room, shut off the water while brushing their teeth and to keep doors and windows closed when the air conditioner or furnace is running.

Cordonna, 11, said she planned to take shorter showers after listening to the presentation. She typically spends about 20 minutes in the shower, she said.

Katie Holder of the National Energy Foundation told the students to set a “shower coach” timer for five minutes.

The children received kits from Consumers that included the timer, three Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, a high-efficiency showerhead, faucet aerator and energy-efficient night light.

Link

For more information on Consumers Energy’s “Think! Energy” program, go to www.consumersenergy.com and click on “Our Company” and then “Kids and Teachers.”

source