Since becoming one of the district schools in a pilot energy conservation project that began last September, Alexander Elementary has received gold status every month but one. To achieve gold, a school must reduce its energy consumption by more than 10 per cent.

“We have saved a lot of energy in our school by turning off the lights when they are not being used. I am very proud of our teachers, staff and students,” said Alexander principal Brenda Stevenson.

Operating as energy champion at the site, principal Stevenson made posters that hang beside light switches. These posters remind people to turn off lights when they are not necessary.

“Under the program run in conjunction with BC Hydro, schools and other sites are evaluated monthly based on their electrical energy savings compared to last year,” said the district’s BC Hydro-sponsored energy manager Brian Branting.

“If they reduce by more than 10 per cent, they win gold; more than 5 per cent garners silver; and more than 2 per cent nets bronze,” he said.

In October, energy champions from each site attended an orientation workshop.

“The objective is to operate an organized conservation behaviour program at selected sites and then compare the results to the rest of the district,” the energy manager explained.

And it’s working! By the end of January, the sites in the behavioural program had reduced their electrical consumption by 12.3% compared to last year, while sites not in the program had reduced by 9.2% compared to the previous year.

Also involved in the pilot project are Cowichan Secondary, Lake Cowichan Secondary, Quamichan, AB Greenwell at Yount, Alex Aitken, Alexander, Koksilah, Maple Bay, Palsson, and the school district’s board office complex.

Oh, and the month Alexander didn’t win gold? In December they were a very strong silver with 9.2% energy reduction.