East Lansing's most energy efficient house had its first group of fifth-graders check out its new solar energy display Tuesday.
Students from Haslett's Murphy Elementary School left the Urban Options Energy and Environmental Demonstration House, 405 Grove St., with a better understanding of the importance of renewable resources. But the demonstration served more as a review for the well-informed after-school environmental group.
The environmentally conscious Urban Options house boasts an 86.6-percent efficiency rate for the entire house. It uses recycled newspaper for the best resistance against wind. The house also demonstrates conservation of water with its low-flow toilets and shower heads.
Fifth-grader Bailey McMillan had a positive attitude about solar energy's impact on the future. She said she thinks "it's really cool" people use solar energy for household appliances such as television sets.
"It's important because in a couple billion years, we're not going to have this energy," the elementary-schooler said. "Maybe if we have enough energy stored up, more people will be able to live a little longer."
The children's after-school environmental group teaches kids about scientific concepts of energy, efficiency and conservation as part of the National Energy Education Development Project.
In December, the Urban Options house opened its newest addition, a solar panel about the size of a small coffee table, which provides the energy to recharge batteries and power household appliances.
The solar panel is the result of the $10,000-grant the house received from the energy office of Michigan's Department of Consumer & Industry Services last February.
Fifth-grader Ben Rathbun was impressed by the video Urban Options uses for these demonstrations. It shows how kids across the country are learning about the use of renewable resources for the future.
"Renewable resources don't pollute as much," he said. "It will never run out so we can use it forever. When we get older, our nonrenewable resources may run out so we have to learn how to use renewable resources just in case."
Leading the tour was Urban Options Outreach Coordinator Kristen Brooks, who said she was impressed at how kids are being educated on the importance of conservation.
"They came in and they knew a lot about renewable energy already," Brooks said. "They always seem to be interested and excited that they we can do these things with renewable energy."
Urban Options is trying to educate younger people about the urgency for renewable resources because they will face these issues when it becomes more urgent, she said.
"It's important for them to start realizing, and on some level I think they do, that fossil fuels are going to run out and they pollute," she said.
McMillan and Rathbun's teacher, Katie Demski, will bring her students to the house throughout the school year to get a better impression of the house's other energy efficient displays.
"I just want them to come away with the education that they're using too many non-renewable resources," Demski said.
