One year ago today, Texas set a new record for electricity demand, surpassing the previous record set in August of 2016. For the first time ever, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) the organization that operates and maintains the Texas electrical grid, reported an hourly peak load of 72,192 megawatts (MW). ERCOT expected the […]
Texas knows heat, and the long summer pushes demand higher and higher through the summer months. Air conditioning contributes a large portion of demand for electricity every summer (and some winters too), but that's not the whole story. In addition to air conditioning, there are lots of ways around the house (and school) where we […]
Watt Watchers has partnered with KLRN, San Antonio's public television affiliate, to offer professional development directly related to Watt Watchers. Attendance at KLRN sessions earns continuing education credit for Texas teachers. Training sessions scheduled for over the summer are currently being scheduled, so subscribe to our newsletter near the bottom of the home page or […]
During the school year, students could arrive to school by car, by bus, or even walking or by bike. Even over the summer, many cities leverage buses as part of their public transportation strategy in order to keep people mobile while reducing pollution and community costs. The Watt Watchers team has prepared an activity that […]
Once school is out, lots of families hit the road through the summer months. Whether by car, train, or plane, lots of Texans take advantage of the wide open space to travel and explore new places. Watt Watchers is taking the month of June to look at transportation. Looking first at private automobiles, America is […]
From Houston's energy corridor to Dallas, Texas is known as a big energy state. Many know the state ranks highly in oil and gas production (and consumption) but everyone should know about Texas's strong renewable sector. For example, Texas leads the country in wind-powered electricity generation.¹ However, solar, conventional hydro, municipal solid waste, wood waste, […]
Watt Watchers has partnered with KLRN, San Antonio's public television affiliate, to offer professional development directly related to Watt Watchers. Attendance at KLRN sessions earns continuing education credit for Texas teachers. Training sessions scheduled for over the summer are currently being scheduled, so subscribe to our newsletter near the bottom of the home page or […]
The Watt Watchers focus for the month of May is Renewable Energy. Here's a list of all the activities related to renewable energy that are part of the Watt Watchers archive. Solar Power Geothermal Energy Hydropower Wind Biomass Each of these activities references Energy 101: Energy Technology & Policy. Access to Energy 101 for Texas […]
The Texas Energy Managers Association Conference begins tomorrow in Waco, Texas. If you’ve registered for the conference, join the Watt Watchers team as we review the past year of developments and look forward to new developments in the future. This conference celebrates the tenth year of educating and building community for Texas Energy Managers, and […]
Earth Day (22 April 2019) is a global event mobilizing millions of people around the world into political and civic participation. Organizations and individuals in more than 190 countries around the world march, sign petitions, meet with elected officials, plant trees, and clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and public sector agencies time their […]
Discovery Education and Itron, Inc. have teamed up to launch the 2019 Week of Resourcefulness. They will launch a brand new STEM investigation every day of the week. The investigations will be designed for teacher-directed, activity based learning, and they will explore the unexpected connections between energy and water. They will release a companion guide […]
Ever wonder what happens to those materials when they go into the blue bin? On today’s Global Recycling Day, take your students the step farther and explore what comes next. Keep America Beautiful and the Ad Council created a succinct online reference and game that explains the rest of the recycling lifecycle. Build your own […]
The Global Recycling Foundation created Global Recycling Day in 2018 in an effort to get more individuals engaged with the concept of recyclables being a resource rather than waste. Falling on 18 March every year, Global Recycling Day is an opportunity for individuals across your school and community to become laser focused on what they […]
Conservation isn’t always about using less. Especially when looking at materials, conservation can take the form of using something for another purpose in order to reduce the overall burden of waste entering landfills. Consider ways to reuse material waste, such as projects celebrating creative expression. One of the Watt Watchers activities developed as part of […]
If you are using the original version of the Watt Watchers materials or the new version currently being released, then you may be interested in becoming a Watt Watchers ambassador. This informal group of educators, energy managers, and other stakeholders meets remotely via teleconference about once per month to discuss the progress of the project, […]
Part of the activity Energy Resources: Primary vs. Secondary originated with Chapter 3 of Energy 101: Energy Technology and Policy, which introduces the difference between primary and secondary sources of energy. Access to Energy 101 for public school students and teachers in Texas is provided by the generous support of the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) as […]
One of the obstacles to becoming an energy expert is that the energy sector uses specialized vocabulary. Becoming fluent in energy requires mastering the terminology and its nuances. There are many different background terms, units, and phrases that need to be mastered on the way toward fluency. For example, understanding the difference between primary and […]
