Energy Saving News
Night Stalker Teaches Energy Saving
Near Albany, New York State, Jim Brown (right), a middle school teacher in Colonie, is known for night stalking the hallways and classrooms of all the schools in his district, begging the question why?
The answer - to save energy.
This may appear to be bizarre behaviour and a strange way to go about energy saving, also Jim doesn’t do this as an ardent tree-hugger or environmental campaigner. Jim does it as he gets paid over $25,000 extra a year to be the District’s Energy Educator.
His nocturnal activities also support his regular newsletter contributions and the energy saving information he disseminates to the district schools faculty, these actions prove his extra payment is warranted because as a result of these efforts the district has saved $2.7 million since 2001!
Explaining and educating faculty and even pupils, about energy saving seems to be the natural path to take but why the night-time wanderings?
Jim, who has keys to all 10 of the district schools, visits the establishments after the last person has left – he then wanders to see what has been left on, what is running inefficiently and examines any other area where energy could be saved, often discovering over or under heated buildings or computers left running.
These activities are an excellent way of discovering where savings can be made – what is left on, what is running incorrectly, what thermostat is set too high or low and then back the findings up with figures in educating the day to day users of the audited buildings leading to a change in behaviour.
But will Jim ever be able to stay at home with his wife and kids?
Probably not – as happens so often behaviours change and then revert back to former ways. Hence Jim will continue to find energy savings, even in the same places action had already been taken, unless they turn to intelligent automated solutions to support the actions taken by people.
Wednesday 27th January 2010
