NEW YORK, NY–-PS 166, a public elementary school on New York’s Upper West Side, is New York City’s regional winner of the 4th annual Green Cup Challenge (GCC) - a national inter-school energy conservation competition designed to reduce schools’ electricity use.
“PS 166 achieved a 17.75% energy reduction,” says Ozgem Ornektekin, New York Department of Education’s Director of Sustainability. “The school saved $1,845 on its electricity bill (15,380 kilowatt hours), and prevented 20,609 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the environment. PS 166 did an amazing job,” says Ornektekin
The GCC is sponsored by the nonprofit Green Schools Alliance, which unites students to take action on climate change and the environment.
For 4 weeks (January 15 - February 12 - peak winter energy usage) 14 schools in New York City (53 in New York State and 161 nationally) took weekly meter readings and looked for ways to save electricity. PS 166 posted signs reminding everyone to turn off unnecessary lights, set thermostats to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, power down computers, and close windows and doors.
Custodial staff turned off heat and boilers nightly. A Green Team comprised of parents, science teachers, and 5th grade “Climate Captains” walked through the school every Wednesday to see how people were doing. Parents and teachers received weekly communiqués about the school’s progress. A large 3-D “Powerometer” built by Kindergarten parent Kieran O’Connor, was displayed in the lobby to show whether meter readings were going up or down.
PS 166 is already planning its next green event. On April 21st, in honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, the school will host noted climate scientist Professor Marco Tedesco. Tedesco – a Kindergarten parent at the school - has studied melting trends in the Arctic, Antarctica and Greenland. His work has been cited internationally in the context of climate change, water resources management, weather forecasting and projections of sea level rise.
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