Saving energy, the fun way!

Media release

Practical (and fun, we promise!) school resources to learn more about saving energy both in the classroom and at home.

To help support the sustainability conversation in our local schools, we’ve put together a range free learning activities. Whether you're a teacher, parent or caregiver, these tools can be used to learn more about saving energy both in the classroom and at home.

Get your hands on these free activities!

Small changes can make a big difference to energy efficiency at your school - Download your Energy Efficiency Checklist

Territory Tailored Advice

 

We teamed up with Anula Primary school and COOLMob to discover how Territory schools can save money while using less electricity.

It’s also a great way for students to learn more about sustainability – you can put this into practice by creating fun projects and activities.

Watch this video to hear simple and effective tips that we learnt when we visited Anula Primary School:

 

Save energy today!

 

We love helping local schools set goals to save energy. Here are some easy ways to get started:

Do you want an instant snapshot of your current energy consumption?

An energy savings audit is a great way to start your energy savings journey. There are two types of audits:

  1. Type 1 audit – focusing on opportunities with a less than two-year payback. These suit smaller sites or larger sites looking for a broader scope.
  2. Type 2 audit – a detailed breakdown of energy performance which will identify a wider range of opportunities for energy savings.
  3. Type 3 audit – focusing on individual subsystem on site, rather than the whole facility. Submetering is required for a Type 3 audit.

Energy audits that are compliant with the AS/NZS 3598 standard are most relevant for schools with an annual energy expenditure over $75,000+GST. A reduced scope is recommended for smaller schools.

Take a look at The Northern Territory Government’s Smarter Business Solutions Program.

Here you will find free advice and grants to help you reduce your energy, water, waste and materials costs.

The key to energy saving is knowing exactly what dominates your energy consumption.

Below is a useful breakdown of a typical commercial building here in the Territory. Air-conditioning is by far the most used appliance.

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A few simple changes can help your school save on your energy bill. Here are some top tips and tricks to get you started.

5 Handy air conditioning tips for immediate payback:

  1. Use time scheduling on your control to make sure the units are never left on outside of your opening hours.
  2. Make sure your units are set to “cooling-only”.
  3. Only use set-points as low as the desired temperature for the space.
  4. Use ceiling fans alongside your aircon.
  5. Make sure doors are closed when aircons are on.

5 lighting and other measures tips:

  1. Switch to LED lighting – this will typically reduce your lighting costs by 60%.
  2. Install occupancy sensors for automated lighting control.
  3. Consider Solar PV.
  4. Replace domestic hot water systems with “heat pump” electric storage systems – they use around 75% less energy than direct-electric systems.
  5. Set computers and laptops to “hibernation” mode when they are not being used, and always switch off at the end of the day.