FIVE local school students and staff are switching off.
The schools – Canning Vale Primary School, Lynwood Senior High School, Riverton Primary Campus, Rossmoyne Primary School and St Norbert College – are participating in an energy reduction competition called Switch Off, involving 70 WA schools.
The school with the biggest percentage drop in daily energy consumption over the course of term 3 (to September 23) will win a solar power system, worth about $13,000, from Solar Shop Australia.
Rossmoyne primary teacher and co-ordinator of the school’s Switch Off initiatives, Robyn Higgins, said while winning the competition would be a bonus it was not the main focus.
“For us it’s about changing behaviours and making a difference to the environment,” she said.
She said the school had already implemented initiatives to get the message across and change habits.
These included displaying a sandwich board around the school with the switch-off message, public announcements at recess and lunch breaks, ensuring all computer monitors are switched off and a student patrol responsible for switching off lights, computers and heaters.
There are also plans to put timers on chilled water fountains.
Schools are required to submit weekly meter readings that will be converted to a daily figure and compared to the same period last year.
A leader board will be published on the Synergy website and updated weekly to keep track of how each school is performing. The winner will be announced in October.