AEP Ohio

Award category

Education

Year released

2013

Now in its fourth year, AEP Ohio's energy efficiency education program, e3smartSM, engages teachers, students and their families in learning about energy from source to efficient use at home. Seven lessons teach students in the classroom about energy forms, sources, transformation, conservation, consumption and efficiency.

Students learn at school about lighting, heating and cooling, insulation and air sealing, water heating, and appliances. Students apply learning at home through the installation of energy-saving items. Teachers receive a 214-page guide, and resources and support materials including correlation to Ohio Science Standards. The curriculum is also provided on CD-ROM and lessons adapted for use with SMARTBoards are available on-line. New teachers attend a day-long workshop where they learn how to teach each lesson, practice activities, receive the teacher guide and are provided with kits of materials to support hands-on instruction. Participation has grown from 13,500 students in the first year to 31,700 students in the third year. Counting the 2011/2012 preliminary savings of 5.2 MWH, total energy savings for the three years are 11.3 MWH.