The Project

The Junior High is studying the science of sustainability with a focus on energy and physical sciences. Rather than start with topics from a textbook, the class decided on two real projects they would like to accomplish. The topics for classes are coming from this practical approach—what do we need to know to get the job done?

Change Your Bulbs and Save!

The first project is to convince and enable Marlboro households to convert their lighting from incandescent to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). The class set a goal of converting 50% of the town’s existing incandescent lighting. We started with our own room. After calculating the classroom’s electricity load, we made changes to the lighting that will save us 247 kWh per month—at $.12/kWh, that’s a savings of almost $30/mo.

See the numbers on the JH Classroom Electricity Load page.

In an initial survey of 20 households we found out that the median number of bulbs per house is 40, with 29% of those being CFLs. See the Survey of Bulbs in our Households.

We are in contact with local power companies about finding an affordable supply of CFLs and hope to make them available to residents—part fundraiser, part community service. Stay tuned.

Off the Grid

Our second and most ambitious project is to research the feasibility of obtaining some of our classroom electricity from solar power—then doing it. We will be posting what we learn on our website. Any assistance along these lines will be most welcomed.

So, we’re not only learning about energy, entropy, atomic theory, and how electricity works, we’re also trying to make a difference in the world, one step at a time.