FAQs

When does the Switch Off competition run from?

The Switch Off competition runs in Term 3 of 2010, from Wednesday 21 July until Wednesday 20 September.

Nominations to enter the competition close on Friday 2 July 2010 at 8:00PM WST.

Can all schools enter the Switch Off competition?

All schools which are Synergy customers within the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) are eligible to enter. The SWIS is the area extending north to Kalbarri, east to Kalgoorlie and south to Albany.

Primary schools, high schools, whether public or private, can all enter the Switch Off competition.

Schools which have been built in the past 12 months are ineligible to enter as there will be no comparable energy consumption data from 2009.

Why do I have to provide my Synergy account number?

Synergy requires this information in order to access the meter reading history for your school’s account. This information will be used to establish the winner of the competition.

If you have more than one Synergy account it is up to you if you want to enter one or several of these in the competition (there is a maximum limit of four per school).

Results will be decided on the aggregate of all accounts nominated by a school.

What if my school has built an extension in the past year or removed a room or major appliance?

If your school has been extended in the last 12 months it is likely your energy consumption may have increased from a comparable period last year. This challenge is about discussing and implementing energy saving practices, and schools are encouraged to still participate, even if they believe the addition of a new building may make it difficult to compete with other schools.

How much does it cost to enter?

It is free for your school to enter the Switch Off competition.

By entering and reducing your school’s daily energy consumption you may actually save money on your energy bill.

What do I need to do to enter?

• Visit www.switchoff.com.au to register your school in the competition by 2 July 2010 8:00PM WST. You will need your Synergy Account number handy to register.
• Once on the Switch Off homepage read and approve the Terms and Conditions for the competition, and all other information associated with the Switch Off competition.
• When you have successfully registered a confirmation email will be sent to your account with your school’s log on details.

Why does the winning school need to sign up to the National Solar Schools program to win the Switch Off competition?

By signing up to the National Solar Schools Program (NSSP) the winning school will be able to increase the system size which is installed on their school. Solar Shop Australia will integrate the 1.5 kW prize into the school’s main system (funded under the NSSP) which will add to the educational benefits for the school, and also increase the energy efficiency of the system.

If the school is not eligible for the NSSP a 1.5 kW system will be installed at a suitable location in the school.

What is the National Schools Solar program?

The National Solar Schools Program is a Federal Government initiative which is giving Australian schools a head start in tackling climate change and conserving our precious water and energy supplies.

National Solar Schools program offers grants of up to $50 000 (GST exclusive) to schools to install solar and other renewable power systems, solar hot water systems, rainwater tanks and a range of energy efficiency measures.

For more information visit http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/renewable/nationalsolarschools/

What if my school already has a solar system installed, can I still enter and what prizes will we receive if we win?

Yes, you will still be eligible. Solar Shop Australia will come and assess your existing system and determine if it can be upgraded to include an extra 1.5kW capacity. If this is not possible, Solar Shop Australia will install a separate 1.5kW grid connect solar system on a suitable location at the winning school.

How will you judge the winning school?

On day one of the Switch Off competition each participating school will be required to do a meter reading at 11am and record this meter reading online at log www.switchoff.com.au.On the final day of the competition participating schools will need to submit a final meter reading taken at 11am and record this meter reading online at log www.switchoff.com.au Synergy will validate this data and determine each school’s consumption over the duration of the Switch Off competition.

The winning school will be the one with the biggest percentage reduction in daily consumption during the competition period. Schools will be benchmarked against their daily consumption for a similar billing period in 2009. Meter reading dates from 2009 may not correspond to the exact date of the start of the competition, hence the nearest applicable date will be used.

Where can I find out more information?

If you have any further questions about Switch Off contact Candice Grisbrook on 6212 1832 or email sponsorships@synergy.net.au

How can we reduce our school’s energy use?

There are a number of ways you can reduce the energy consumed by your school. Switching off non-essential lighting, turning appliances off at the wall, and installing energy efficient lights are just some ways your school can save energy.

For further practical energy solutions read visit synergy.net.au/save

How do I read our school’s meter?

Information on how to read your meter(s) can be found here.

What are the prizes?

There are three prizes available with a total prize pool valued at AUD $14,790.

	Prize Description	RRP (AUD)
1st Prize	1.5kW Grid Connect Solar System from Solar Shop Australia	$13,140
2nd Prize	$1000 electricity voucher for your school's Synergy account	$1,000
3rd Prize	Standby devices	$650

RRP given above are an indicative pricing as of 1/5/2010 and subject to change.

What do we need to do during the competition?

On day one of the competition, Wednesday 21 July 2010, each school will be required to conduct a meter reading at 11AM and register this online at www.switchoff.com.au

Every Wednesday for the period of the competition you will need to conduct a meter reading at 11AM, and register this online, with the final reading occurring on Wednesday 22 September 2010.

What happens if I miss a weekly reading?

If for some reason your school misses a weekly reading your consumption for that week will be estimated by Synergy based on your daily energy consumption for the previous week.

To ensure that schools do not miss weekly meter readings a reminder email will be sent by Switch Off each Tuesday of the competition to remind schools to conduct their reading.

What happens after I have entered?

Once you have registered online you will receive a confirmation email with your log on details.

A promotion package will then be sent to your school which you can use to promote your school’s involvement in the Switch Off competition to students, parents and visitors to your school.

How will the winners be announced?

A morning tea will be held at the winning school at a time and date suitable to the winners. Switch Off suggests this is held at your school’s weekly assembly.

Please note media will be invited to the morning tea.

The winner will be announced in early October 2010.

How will students benefit?

How much students learn throughout this program is dependent on how involved your school is in actively promoting this competition to your students.

Throughout the competition students will learn about:

• How they can be energy efficient
• How they can reduce their impact on the environment
• Why it is important that we all do our bit to mitigate the impatcts of global warming
• Renewable energy
• The causes and impacts of climate change

How can we involve students in the competition?

Some ideas to involve students and parents in the competition are:

• Get representatives from different classes to conduct the weekly meter reading
• Put up Switch Off posters around the school
• Put Switch Off stickers near electronic goods and appliances to remind students to Switch Off before they leave for the day
• Initiate class discussions about how your school can reduce their impact on the environment
• Put articles in the school newsletter
• Track your school's progress on the Synergy website and announce how you are going at your weekly school assembly
• Get students to write/draw about how they can be energy efficient at home or at school and put these around classrooms as a reminder
• Print a weekly energy efficiency tip in your school newsletter (you can find some of these on the Synergy website)