Energy Monsters Could Be Hidden At Your School!

Did you know refrigerators and freezers are one of the most energy-hungry appliances in our home and schools? They’re always hungry because they’re constantly working hard to keep cool!

Schools across Nova Scotia have been searching for energy-wasting appliances, or as we like to call them: Energy Monsters! An Energy Monster wastes energy with leaking door seals, poor insulation, and inefficient compressors. New models are typically more energy efficient because Canada has federal guidelines to ensure appliances are equipped with efficient compressors, improved cooling coils, and better insulation.

Now that you want to find the Energy Monsters in your school, check out our Energy Monster Support Package! This package has a step by step action plan so you can kick the Energy Monsters out of your school and collect some money too. Yes, money! Efficiency Nova Scotia’s Appliance Retirement Program will properly recycle fridges and freezers that are at least ten years old, and give you $30 apiece. For more information check out our Appliance Retirement Fact Sheet.

As students search for Energy Monsters, how will you know when you’ve found one? Once an appliance is located, students can use the Appliance Assessment Worksheet. You’ll see all the questions to investigate if your appliance is an Energy Monster. If you are a more visual learner, the Energy Monster Cartoon will help as you try to detect the Energy Monster.

Think you found an Energy Monster? Why not add the Energy Monster decal you received from your Engagement Officer? Make plans to either tune up the appliance so it runs more efficiently, or retire that Monster.

Interested in how much energy an appliance uses for the year? The Plug Load Worksheet will guide you through the calculations. It’s a great life skill, as well as an exercise for math class or grade 6 – 9 science. Want to figure out the payback period if you were to retire your Energy Monster and buy a new appliance? These resources can help!

So what are Nova Scotia students finding?

When students at West Northfield Elementary went on a hunt for Energy Monsters they found one very energy-hungry deep freezer that had a broken door seal, poor insulation, and lots of ice on the inside wall. They were quick to add the decal and can now put their math skills to the test and calculate the payback period to replace this Energy Monster with a new energy efficient freezer!

Students at New Germany Elementary were surprised to find refrigerators with glass doors usually had lights that stayed on 24 hours a day! They know that is wasting energy, especially when the light bulbs are incandescent instead of LED. Now the assignment is to figure out how to turn it off that light. At Green Schools NS, we encourage everyone to use their discovery to take action and help the Earth!

There has also been some great conversation about how New Germany Elementary’s current appliances could become more energy efficient. Some examples of energy efficient changes would be keeping the cooling coils cleaned, defrosting the freezers, moving appliances out of direct sunlight, and adjusting the temperature of freezers to be less cold. Some students even mentioned they would love to help their grandparents save energy and money by telling them about what they learned!

Lots of fun, lots of learning, and lots of energy saving is in the future from keen energy-wise students across Nova Scotia!

-Natalie McMaster
Engagement Officer, Southern NS