Residents of Colwich, Kansas, near Wichita, are being asked to remove their old incandescent light bulbs and install energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead.
On Saturday, Aug. 16, Westar volunteers visited each household in Colwich to deliver CFL's in varying wattages and ask residents for the participation in a study of the town's energy use. Colwich Switch Survey
Goals of the study
- One of the goals is to statistically validate energy savings by Colwich residents as a result of increased CFL usage.
- A household survey was conducted prior to launching the Colwich Switch project so that residents' baseline energy use can be calculated.
- A similar survey will be conducted one year from now to determine energy use since the project launch date.
- The statistical difference in energy use after adjusting for changes in weather, electrical, appliances, and household demographics will reveal any energy savings that occur from greater CFL use.
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Demographics
- Colwich is a town of about 450 households, 15 minutes northwest of Wichita.
- Because of its size and willingness to participate, Colwich was a prime candidate for this study.
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How much can Colwich be expected to save?
- If Colwich households replace six incandescents with the six CFLs they've been given, and those bulbs are on an average of 4 hours a day, each household has the potential to save $30.00 a year or about $2.50 a month on the lighting portion of their bill.
- Throughout the year, Westar will provide educational materials as well as monitor the city's energy usage as a whole.
- Energy efficiency tips will be sent to Colwich residents throughout the year, and Westar will also give residents updates on how their energy consumption changes.
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Pictures and video from the kickoff event Saturday, Aug. 16th.
Colwich Switch Update 6-16-2009
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