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FAQ

Q: Why should I try to conserve electricity? What good does it do?
A: Nearly 50% of energy in the United States comes from burning coal. Mercury that naturally exists in coal is then released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40% of the mercury emissions in the U.S.

In addition to environmental stewardship, electricity costs money. The more money that can be saved on energy, the more will be available for programs and in the classrooms. In FY08, CCPS was nearly $400,000 over budget for utility expenses. We need to do what we can in order to curtail consumption and contain costs.

Q: We’ve always been able to use personal appliances in the past, why can’t we use them now?
A: Appliances such as microwaves, coffee pots, and refrigerators may still be used in our facilities, however, they should be located in communal, centralized areas, such as staff dining rooms. Centralizing these appliances not only helps conserve consumption, costs, and the environment, but reduces risk by controlling access, limiting the number of hazard points in the building, and lessens the possibility of misuse. Additionally, centralizing appliances minimizes the potential of electrical system overloads and the necessity of having to increase our facilities’ electrical capacities.

Q: You said appliances could be used if they served a school-related purpose. How do I determine whether my appliance is school-related?
A: “School-related” is defined as having a genuine educational need, that is an appliance used for the direct benefit of students. Some examples of school-related appliance use would be a refrigerator used in science labs for experiments or a fan for a student who has a condition requiring that the room temperature be outside of the standard set points. All appliances approved for use in our facilities must adhere to the Safe & Acceptable Use Practices for Appliances outlined in the Best Practices For Energy and Resource Conservation handbook (see page 20).

Q: I do not have a school-related purpose, but still want to keep my personal appliance. What are my options?
A: You are invited to fill out a Personal Appliance Request Form which must be signed by your building administrator. Your request will be reviewed and either approved or denied. You will be notified either way. All appliances approved for use in our facilities must adhere to the Safe & Acceptable Use Practices for Appliances outlined in the Best Practices For Energy and Resource Conservation handbook (see page 20).

Q: My mini-refrigerator is an Energy Star rated appliance. Wouldn’t it make more sense to use these smaller ones than the full size refrigerator in our staff dining areas?
A: No. The truth is that mini-refrigerators, Energy Star or not, use more electricity per square foot than regular, full size refrigerators.

Q: The thermal comfort temperature ranges seem too hot/cold for me. How did CCPS determine the ranges?
A: The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the authorities on occupant thermal comfort among other building standards, “specifies the combinations of indoor space environment and personal factors that will produce thermal comfort conditions acceptable to 80% or more of the occupants within the space.” According to ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, “temperatures should range from 68° F to 79° F.” CCPS’ temperature set points for cooling and heating seasons are 74° F to 78° F and 68° F to 72° F, respectively.

Q: It feels too hot/cold in my classroom or work area. What do I do?
A: Whenever a space is reported to be too warm or cool, the process has always been to notify the building’s head custodian who will take a temperature reading of the space. If the reading deems the room to be outside of CCPS’ thermal set points, the head custodian will submit a work order to have the issue addressed. Building administrators are empowered to authorize the use of temporary space heaters and fans in those instances until the problem has been resolved.

Employees should be reminded to dress appropriately. Buildings, after a long weekend or extended break, may be warmer or cooler than normal. In cool weather students and staff should dress in layers. Similarly, thinner garments and short sleeves should be worn in warmer weather in accordance with the professional appearance expectations.

Q: The office or classroom across/down the hall is comfortable, but my area is too hot/cold. What’s going on?
A: The insulative or thermal properties of various building materials (brick, metal, wood, etc.) varies greatly and all conduct heat/cold differently. Therefore, a building that has brick or masonry walls may feel colder than those made of wood. Also, the orientation of the building itself (i.e., whether it receives a lot of direct sunlight or not) may exacerbate problems. For example, the walls of a brick building that receive little or no direct sunlight in the winter will always be colder than walls that do and walls that receive a lot of direct sunlight in the summer will be warmer than walls that do not.

In addition, many of our buildings have been modified to accommodate additional programs and capacities that the original HVAC systems was not intended to handle. A common example is when a classroom becomes a computer lab and additional heat created from the computers is created.

Another possible explanation is that the unapproved use of space heaters and fans causes thermal imbalances in other areas of the building affecting the comfort of co-workers. In addition, heaters and fans can cause false thermostat readings on which the computerized energy management system relies to regulate itself. Furthermore, HVAC systems were designed to operate with classroom windows and doors closed. Therefore, opening windows and keeping doors to hallways open will only exacerbate problems.

Q: Who is responsible for overseeing that the energy conservation measures in this handbook are implemented and followed?
A: As with all policies and regulations, you are responsible for your compliance with the energy conservation measures and for being responsible stewards of our environment and tax payers’ dollars. All building administrators, as well as members of the Leadership Team and Board of Education, will receive copies of the building energy audits conducted at each site.

Q: Our facilities are continually being used by a number of outside groups. What can schools do to conserve energy and natural resources under these conditions?
A: With the growing number of before and after-school programs, community meetings, adult education courses, sporting events, and performances, our facilities are operating long after students have gone for the day. Our best defense is a good offense, so spread the word about energy and resource conservation. Be sure to post conservation materials throughout your building and in particular, in those areas most used by outside groups. Informing outside groups of how their actions directly impact your building’s operating costs is a step in the right direction. Attach conservation reminders to Use of Building Contracts, reminders such as limiting the use of stadium lights for practices, not leaving outside doors open when HVAC systems are in operation, or turning off lights and equipment when leaving.

Q: What should I do if I see examples of energy or natural resource misuse?
A: You can help everyone by modeling correct conservation behaviors. So if it is as simple as turning off the lights in an empty office or classroom, just do it. However, be sure to report any maintenance-related issues (leaky faucets, etc.) to your head custodian right away.

Q: How is the HVAC system in my building controlled?
A: Every building’s heating and cooling is controlled by a computerized Energy Management System (EMS). Based on when your building is occupied or unoccupied, these times are then entered into the EMS, which controls whether the heating or cooling systems run. When the system detects temperatures outside the normal set points for occupied times (Summer 74° F -78° F ; Winter 68° F -72° F ) the system will turn your building’s heating and cooling system on.

It is important to remember that HVAC systems were designed to operate with classroom windows and doors closed. Open doors and windows and the use of heaters and fans can cause false thermostat readings on which the computerized energy management system relies to regulate itself.

Q: How much energy do computer monitor screen savers save?
A: None. Screen savers were useful years ago to prevent image “burn-in” on old monitors, but they do not save any energy. Sleep programs which darken the screen, however, do save energy and should be enabled on all computers equipped to do so.

Q: Our school’s gymnasium has mercury vapor lamps, not fluorescent lights. I understand it is not practical to turn these lights on and off for short periods of time. Is this correct?
A: Yes, that is correct. Mercury vapor lights and metal halide lamps, commonly found in gymnasiums, need a few minutes to re-light once turned off. The best strategy for reducing energy costs in these areas is to schedule when lights need to be turned off/on. Also, take advantage of controlling banks of lights with the switches. It’s possible that not every light in the gym needs to be on for a particular activity. In this case, perhaps only a portion of the lamps need to be on. Mercury vapor lamps consume 200 to 400 Watts each (depending on type) so the potential savings from controlling these lights is significant.

Q: How can I get students more involved?
A: Energy and resource conservation is a cross-curricular theme. Science and Math are subjects that have an obvious connection to conservation; however, students can create posters; write, report, and post informative articles and facts about their building’s conservation efforts; and take active conservation roles like in school grounds clean-up campaigns or recycling programs. Here are some other ideas to get students involved:

Assign a student as the light monitor for your classroom to make sure the lights are turned off when leaving.
Encourage students to look for and report instances when energy and resources are not being used wisely. The more eyes we have to help us look for savings opportunities, the better.
Create posters and other conservation materials to display in your classroom and building.
Have students report the facts and status of your building’s conservation efforts—or other conservation tips and reminders— during morning or afternoon announcements.
Volunteer as your building’s Energy Champion and lead a “green team” of students on energy patrols throughout your building.
Be sure to communicate to the EEC any activities in which your students and school participate; The EEC likes to recognize and celebrate your green efforts, as well as learn about additional ways to get our students involved.

Q: What external resources are available to further my energy and natural resource conservation efforts?
A: In addition to the many links found on the LEAP website, there are many local organizations that can offer additional information about greening your workplace or home. Here are a few:

Cecil County Landfill, www.ccgov.org
Cecil Soil Conservation District, http://cecilscd.com/
Fair Hill Nature and Environmental Center, www.fairhillnature.org
Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards, Cecil County Chapter, www.cecilfb.sailorsite.net/
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/
North Bay Adventures, www.northbayadventure.com/