Green Teens Participate In Energy Audit Training Workshops

The NYC Green Teens Program engages teens from around the city to become leaders of their local recreation centers. These teens, participants in the Summer Youth Employment Program, learn how to make a positive “green” impact in their community and encourage the public to follow by their example. You can typically find the Green Teens in City parks encouraging the public to recycle and not litter. This summer the Green Teens took their sustainability smarts inside to the agency’s recreation centers to increase awareness around energy conservation.

The Green Teens participated in energy audit workshops, led by the non-profit Solar One, at a recreation center in every borough. Solar One donated their services for the audits. The organization strives to empower people with the knowledge and resources they need to cultivate sustainable practices in their communities. Through these training workshops the teens were able to engage in valuable hands-on exercises to learn how to reduce energy consumption at Parks and at home.

Starting with the basics, the teens learned how energy is generated and distributed in New York City. After the teens had a better grasp on the basics of energy, the teens learned about the energy consumption of common household appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, and televisions.

They then tested out various appliances at each recreation center using Kill-A-Watt meters. The Staten Island teens determined through their calculations that Faber Recreation Center uses a total of 113.148 kilowatt-hours each day, but 42.24 kwh of this total is used just to power the air conditioning! They also calculated that when everything is turned off in the center, it is still using 25.34 kwh of energy due to constant outdoor lighting, exit lights, and phantom energy.

As a final activity, the teens created an energy conservation poster promoting “green” practices to inform the local community.

Now it’s your turn. Take the quiz below and test your knowledge of energy in NYC!

1. The average American uses how many times the amount of energy as the global average?
a. 2 times c. 6 times
b. 14 times d. 25 times

2. How many power plants are in all five-boroughs of NYC?
a. 7 c. 51
b. 23 d. 100

3. What is the largest source of energy waste in NYC?
a. Lights c. Baseball Stadiums
b. Exercise machines d. Construction Equipment

4. Compared to the average American who consumes 4,000 kw-h/year, how much does the average New Yorker consume?
a. 10,000 kw-h/year c. 2,000 kw-h/year
b. 200,000 kw-h/year d. 500 kw-h/year

E-mail green.teens@parks.nyc.gov to learn more or to get involved in the Green Teen program at your local recreation center. The audit training ties in with Parks’ Sustainable Parks Plan, which focuses on staff and public education related to energy, water, and material resource conservation. Learn more at nyc.gov/parks, keyword: Sustainable Parks.

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