Students’ energy buzz

By Rebecca Fraser
YEAR eight students at Kambrya College have won an award for spreading the news about energy efficiency.
The school’s students received a $200 grant for their school as a runner-up prize in the Origin Energy Participation Awards.
Kambrya was one of 50 schools that entered the awards, which involved more than 1250 students.
Open to schools in Victoria and South Australia, the awards acknowledge students who share their energy saving knowledge with their local communities. Judges looked for creativity, enthusiasm and great energy saving ideas.
Science teacher Libby Evans said one class conducted an energy audit, looking at ways energy was used around their school.
She said they were shocked to discover just how much energy was being wasted and set out to teach their school community how they could reduce energy use and make a difference.
Ms Evans said students gave speeches at school assemblies, created informative posters, placed reminders around the school (for example, to turn off computer screens), wrote articles for the school newsletters and emailed teachers.
The students also created model energy-efficient houses to display at a special environmental summit held at the school.
Ms Evans said special guests from the City of Casey and Parks Victoria listened intently at the summit as the “scientists of the future” explained their environmental projects.
“The students built model dwellings with all the joys of modern living but with an environmental eye. They showed that every house can enjoy living and still cut energy use,” she said.
One year 8 student’s house was built for all seasons with solar panels, hot and cold water tanks, a solar powered pool and even an insulated entertaining area. The house used methane from compost for cooking and a windmill to generate power. It also had eaves that blocked the summer sun and trees to keep the atmosphere fresh.
Ms Evans said designing the houses and entering the awards had given students a chance to be creative and apply their science to something interesting and relevant to their future.
The judging panel commended the students on conducting energy audits to see where energy was wasted and then for developing an education campaign to change the school community. They said the students’ enthusiasm and imagination was impressive.