The Junee Community Power project announced it has teamed up with Junee High School to start an integrated studies project that will see 27 grade 9 and 10 students improve energy efficiency in homes. 

Chair of the Junee Power Project Dennis Lambert said the project came from a South Australian study that slashed hundreds from households’ power bills. 

“I saw a project done by the CSIRO in Adelaide where they leak-tested 150 homes using infrared cameras and sealed any leaks they found,” Mr Lambert said.

“It cost about $200 per home to seal the leaks, but those households saved $400 on their energy bills as a result in the first year alone.” 

Now, Junee’s students are going to do the exact same thing in their own households under the mentorship of Mr Lambert and Dr Michael Ambrose, who conducted the original study for the CSIRO in Adealide. 

Mr Lambert said the project won’t stop there.

“Once the students have gone and sealed the house, they’ll also give a report to the household on other ways they can make their home more energy efficient,” he said.

“They’ll do a cost-benefit looking at things like upgrading your electrical appliances, particularly fridges, for more energy efficient ones, installing LED lighting, and insulating the house’s roof, walls, or floors.” 

Mayor Neil Smith, who deputy chairs Junee Community Power, said the project was invaluable in the face of crippling energy prices.

“Junee ranks 5^th highest in the state for power disconnections, because people can’t meet the high cost of power, so this is certainly a problem throughout our community,” Cr Smith said. 

“This project is probably a first in NSW, if not Australia, in terms of bringing school students into the issue as a way changing our energy use habits over time.” 

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