Activity Introduction

Quick summary: In this lesson students complete a whole school lighting audit with the aim of delamping classrooms. Students use a lux meter to identify over-lit areas of the school and also manually count the types of lights used. Using their real world data, students make key recommendations on how energy use could be reduced at their school. 

Learning goals:

  • Students recognise the relationship between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Students recognise where energy consumption can be reduced at their school and home.
  • Students understand that replacing halogen downlights with LED downlights will have both environmental and economic benefits.

General capabilities: Numeracy, Critical and creative thinking.

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability O1.6.

Australian Curriculum content description:

Science Year 7

  • Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are non-renewable (ACSSU116).

Science Year 8

  • Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135).

Syllabus Outcomes: SC4-11PW, SC4-12ES.

Topic: Switch to Save, Energy

Time required: 120 mins.

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – oversee students conducting an audit.

Resources required: Lux meters (one per group), Student Worksheet – one copy per student OR computers/tablets to access the online worksheet. Take It Home – Lighting Audit.

Digital technology opportunities: Digital sharing capabilities.

Homework and extension opportunities: Includes opportunities for homework and extension.

Keywords: Energy, audit, greenhouse gas emissions, school, appliances, C02e emissions.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher preparation

Overarching learning goals: By participating in this lesson students recognise the relationship between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. They recognise where energy consumption can be reduced at their school and home, and will understand that replacing halogen downlights with LED downlights will have both environmental and economic benefits.

Teacher content information: Electrical energy is part of our everyday lives at home, at work and at school. Most of our energy is produced by burning fossil fuels and this has a range of environmental, social and economic impacts. One of the most significant impacts is the release of greenhouse gases. A solution is a transition to clean energy sources. Another solution is to think about our personal energy footprint and reduce the amount of energy we use.

In technical terms, energy is the ability to make changes or the capacity to do work. Energy appears in many different forms including kinetic, potential, gravitati

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Student Worksheet

Whole School Lighting Audit

In groups you will be auditing a number of rooms in the school to measure:

  • The light level using a lux metre.
  • The number and types of lights.

What is a lux meter? A lux meter is used to measure light so you can identify over-lit areas in your school where globes can be removed. This is called delamping.

  • Set your lux meter to 2000 lux as a measurement.
  • Measure lux levels at table or waist height.
  • Test a room with the lighting on and off.
  • Visit four or five different points in a room.
  • Compare your findings to the National Standards.

Lux levels - National Standards

AREA LEVEL (LUX)
General purpose classrooms (at desks and whiteboard) 240
Physical education class area 240
Change rooms 80 - 100
Technical studies/computers 320
Science/home economics/music/art/trades 320
Assemble hall (auditorium areas) 100
Library reading areas 320
Library shelves 240
Office and administrat
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