Activity 6 HSS:
1.
A green building is a building that does not
produce a large amount of harmful gases into the atmosphere and does not use as
much electrical power. Therefore uses power and other resources efficiently to
reach the basic amount of needs.
2.
Recycling storage, uses electricity only when
needed eg.(automatic dusk and dawn lights), insulation indoors, rain water
collector, lead free painted interiors.
GREEN FEATURES AT SCHOOL
1. Motion sensitive lights in De Beer
House
Motion sensitive lights turn on only when people
are around. This makes sure that no electricity is wasted as it eliminates the
possibility of leaving the lights on. Therefore, electricity is not wasted by
using it when it is not needed.
2. Skylights
in the lunch hall
The skylights in the
lunch hall, facing west, accompanied by its large windows, facing east, means
that the lunch hall receives the most possible light throughout the day. This
means that it limits the need for electric lighting by fully utilizing the
natural rays of the sun in the morning and afternoon.
3. Time
activated spot-light
The timed spotlight
is chronologically programmed to come on at night when it is needed, making sure
that no electricity can be accidentally wasted by leaving it on during the day
when it is not.
4. North
facing windows in De Beer House
With its north-facing
windows, De Beer makes sure to get all the sunlight possible. As the sun moves
from east to west, its rays are concentrated in the direction of De Beer's
windows to ensure that the house gets as much of the light as possible, nearly
eliminating the need for electric lighting.
NON-GREEN FEATURES AT SCHOOL
1. Poor insulation in
classrooms
The fact that a
heater is required is proof that the classroom is not properly insulated.
Insulation would negate the need for additional heating and save
electricity.
2. Rainwater
Runoff
All the drainage
systems in the school see the rainwater just being washed away or poured onto
the ground when it should be being collected. Rainwater collection would both
save water and be more economic as it would save money on the water bill.
3. Non-water efficient shower
heads
The shower heads used in the bathrooms are not
water-saving and often leak, which leads to wasting water. Replacing them with
water-efficient shower heads would lessen the water used and make the use more
efficient. Also, replacing the shower heads would lead to less leaking.
4. Single-flush
toilets
The single-flush
feature on the toilets means that each flush is the same amount of water and
therefore occasionally excessive. Installing a dual-flush feature would lessen
the water used per flush.
5. Small,
badly placed windows
The windows in most
of the classrooms do not face the ideal direction for letting in the most light.
Also, they are tiny and high up, meaning that it is even more difficult for the
sun to shine in. This results in a need for electric lighting. Larger and better
placed windows would make it possible to harness as much of the sun's light as
possible and cut down on electric lighting.
6. Poor
ventilation
The fact that some
offices in the school require air cons is a sign of bad ventilation. With better
ventilation, AC units would be unnecessary and electricity could be saved. This
would be both greener and more economic.
REPORT:
The ideal placements
of windows in the school are evident, for example in the lunch hall and De Beer
House. However, many more buildings have distinctly inappropriately laced
windows, i.e. in most of the class rooms.
Lights that are only
on when they are needed are plentiful in the school, saving electricity by the
prevention of leaving them on by accident or overusing them. These exist around
the school in the form of chronologically timed spotlights and motion sensitive
ceiling lights
In regard to
ventilation and insulation, several of the older buildings in the school are
poor examples. Insulating the walls and ceilings can eliminate the need for AC
units and heaters, saving electricity. However, in some of the newer buildings
there are good examples of both.
A lot of water is
wasted, there being close to no green features that assist in the careful use of
water. Rainwater runs off straight into the ground or the drain and there are
practically no features that assist with using it sparingly, e.g. water-saving
shower heads and dual flush toilets.
CONCLUSION:
While the green
features responsible for the effective use of light (sunlight or otherwise) is
evident in the college, it could be bettered.
Very few buildings
have proper ventilation/insulation and this results in an extended use of
electricity.
New water-saving
features should be installed, as very few water-saving green features exist in
the school.
