Thirty-nine students in Weimar Junior High School were transformed into “energy detectives” thanks to Fayette Electric Cooperative (FEC), San Bernard Electric Cooperative (SBEC) and the City of Weimar. These students participated in PowerHouse™, the educational program that targets residential energy efficiency and resource management. 

The Lower Colorado River Authority developed the PowerHouse™ energy investigation program in 1998. The program was co-sponsored by FEC, SBEC and the City of Weimar for Karen Hoskins’ sixth grade science classes at no cost to the school.  

“In fifth and sixth grade science classes, we study energy production from fossil fuels as well as alternate energy resources. The PowerHouse  program helps connect our studies to real world situations.  It allows students to learn how to conserve energy and save energy costs,” said Ms. Hoskins. 

Students enter data about their personal habits into an online program that connects their actions to the impact they have on the environment and natural resources.  They then receive a report with practical solutions that they can use and share with their families so they can save money on their monthly utility bill and help the environment at the same time. 

During the interactive presentation, students discover that LED lights consume 80-90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last much longer, and that a programmable thermostat can be one of the most effective investments for their homes, both offering energy savings on their families’ utility bills. 

“I liked the PowerHouse  program because it teaches us to save money,” said Lauren Hinze. 

“The fifth cooperative principle is ‘Education, Training and Information’. Fayette EC and the other co-sponsors share a vested interest in the education of students in schools located in or near their service territories,” said FEC Marketing and Training Coordinator Catherine Poppe. “This program demonstrates that this principle is being fulfilled in the schools where the PowerHouse energy investigation program is presented.”