An effort by students and staff at Panorama Ridge Secondary to conserve power this month has paid off.
On Monday – Earth Day – the school was presented with the Energy Conservation Cup, in recognition of the 30 per cent decrease in energy recorded at the facility over the course of the week prior (April 15-19).
The savings were the highest of eight schools vying for the Cup, and equalled power usage recorded during spring break – when the school was closed.
Semiahmoo Secondary placed second, with savings of 15 per cent (up from nine per cent savings in the first round); Guildford Park, with 13 per cent savings (down from 20 per cent in the first round), finished third.
L.A. Matheson, which won last year, accomplished a 12 per cent savings.
The other four schools competing in the final round were Clayton Heights, Fleetwood Park, Johnston Heights and Sullivan Heights.
“Every school did well and student engagement was high,” Alasdair MacKinnon, the district’s director of energy management and sustainability, said in a statement.
The secondary school challenge is among energy-saving initiatives aimed at reducing energy use in the Surrey district by 10 million kWh over five years. The district partnered with Pulse Energy two years ago for assistance, getting real-time data on energy consumption for each school.
Monday, members of Panorama Ridge’s G-Force “green team” accepted a trophy and plaque denoting their win.