Work Education - Energy Audit :
WORK EDUCATION - ENERGY AUDIT
Sessions were conducted in the month of June and July for high school students
Programme Overview
Keeping in line with the New Education Policy, the Skill Development programme has been initiated to develop the capacity; right habits and a positive attitude in our youth to allow them to coexist consciously and compassionately with the environment. The Energy Audit activity was designed for the students to get an insight into this field of work simultaneously engaging them into retrospection of personal habits and leading them to be responsible citizens.
Objectives :
1) To introduce students to the terms ‘Energy Audit’ and ‘Energy Conservation’.
2) To create awareness of adapting subtle changes that can make a difference and contribute towards saving energy.
3) To dissect simple domestic electrical devices thereby initiating the road to discover the way things work.
4) To instill the habit of tinkering with appliances leading towards technical acumen.
Activity Description:
1) The meaning of ‘Audit’ and ‘Energy Audit’ was explained.
2) Students were shown different electrical appliances and the concept of electrical energy consumption was discussed.
3) They were introduced to ‘kWh’, the commercial unit of electricity.
4) Students were guided about the different terminologies mentioned on an electricity bill. They were shown how the number of electrical units consumed per month is calculated and charged per unit.
5) The attention of students was drawn to the wastage of electrical energy by carelessness and improper use of modern technology. They were then made to realize that simple modifications in our habits and replacing old electrical devices with modern devices can reduce a lot of wastage of energy and help their parents save money.
E.g. Switching to LED bulbs and CFL’s instead of the old incandescent bulbs.
Assignment Description:
Students were assigned to prepare a brief report on the appliances used at home. They were instructed to give details of the power rating of each appliance and note the usage of the same. Based on this data , they were taught to calculate the monthly electricity bill.
Objectives of the assignment:
1) The students were involved in a Do-it-yourself Home Electrical Energy Audit. They have tasted their first experience of being an Energy Auditor which can be pursued as a career option.
2) It provided a hands-on experience to identify the devices used in their homes which consume the maximum energy and adopt ways to conserve energy and money.
Conclusion
The most significant aspect of the Energy Audit activity was to derive the relevance of the theory learnt in their science subject and apply the knowledge in real life situations.
The session instilled in them a sense of responsibility. They realized that energy conservation is not a complex task and can be practiced by all. With simple lifestyle changes a lot can be contributed towards reducing the atmospheric pressure thus leading to saving the environment.
By dissecting simple electrical devices, the students were set on the road to discovery. It changed their perception and opened avenues to be a scientist at ISRO or NASA.
Future Undertakings:
We wish to extend this ‘Electrical Energy Audit’ to an extensive ‘Energy Audit’ which will consider all types of energy losses in our homes and contemplate corrective measures that can be taken up. We firmly believe in the adage ‘Prevention is better than cure’(and less costly too).
As our population bulges at an alarming rate, energy will become a very costly and a scarce commodity. Its conservation is imperative for human survival. Hence we plan to keep our students prepared well in advance for this impending catastrophe.
