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School boards adopt plan to reduce the shock of skyrocketing electricity bills program is a `Haltonized' guide being distributed to the project's stakeholders, said Ron Ballentine, the Halton public board's co-ordinator of science Halton's two major school boards have a plan and technology, and environmental education. to take some of the shock out of their escalating The guide contains provincial research statistics electricity bills. and Halton public board figures for 2005-06 conArmed with the promise of $90,000 in fund- cerning electrical usage, primarily via computer ing for the next three years from the region's four monitors and general lighting. Websites, posters electrical utilities, the Halton public and Catholic and stickers are also part of the training and inforboards are embarking on a venture to educate mation being made available to school staff. staff and students about energy consumption. "Everything we do environmentally we do it The Conservation Education and Demand together," Ballentine said of the two Halton Management Program is a three-year school boards. partnership co-ordinated by the Halton He said the boards will have equiLearning Foundation-- the fundraising table access to the multi-year funding body of the Halton District School from the local utilities. Board-- involving the Halton public "It depends on the need each year, and Catholic school boards and the four (but) we have identified what to work local distribution companies (LDCs) on first. Building (environmental conthat provide electricity to the region-- trol) automation systems aren't new but Burlington Hydro, Halton Hills Hydro, the modifications and additions to the Milton Hydro and Oakville Hydro equipment, the new software or techEnergy Services. niques, are." STEVEN The goal is to develop and impleHowever, the attitude of consumers, PARFENIUK ment strategies that result in significant as much as the new products themreductions in electricity consumption selves, can have a positive impact on within Halton's schools. energy usage, said Halton board facilities superinUsing a combination of existing Ontario tendent Gerry Cullen, noting he is emphasizing EcoSchools resources and modified and new the program's potential to change the attitude of resources, the program will provide information school staff and students over any anticipated and training to enable school staff to identify and cost savings. carry out actions that are intended to produce "It's not really a dollars and sense issue as savings both financially and environmentally. much as the right thing to do. We don't have a lot Halton public board business superintendent of big industrial (electrical) stuff. For us it's lightSteven Parfeniuk said they have budgeted $3 mil- ing," Cullen said of the board's biggest source of lion for the board's electrical costs during the cur- electricity consumption. rent school year. The forecast was to consume Ballentine said lighting accounts for about 15 49,100 megawatts (49 billion, 100 million watts) per cent of electrical costs in a typical home but of power during 2006-07. about 45 per cent in schools and board adminis"Our across-the-board costs for electricity are trative offices. Lights and computer hardware are going up 5-10 per cent per year," noted the prime culprits, items that students and staff Parfeniuk. can exercise some control over, he said. He said spikes in electricity costs have been "It's computer monitors and peripherals, like tempered somewhat by the board's membership printers, but mostly the monitor-- it uses more in a power-buying consortium of 46 Ontario energy than any other part of the computer." school boards. Heating and air-conditioning are centrally Parfeniuk said he didn't know enough about the controlled and the responsibility of the new board-wide program to speculate on anticipat- school/building custodian and may not end up as ed savings but said the game plan is simple. part of an energy action plan. "The No. 1 thing we can all do to save energy Each school will assemble an Eco Team. is turn the lights off." If you're energy-conscious Comprised of an administrator-- likely a princiat home, "Take that attitude to your workplace," pal-- a teacher, custodian and several students, he said. Ballentine said it will be akin to an environmental One aspect of the new energy conservation club. TIM WHITNELL Special to The IFP