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Watts Next Australia

Phone: +61 8 8244 7653

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16.01.2022 Here is a new campaign focused at high schools and helping create momentum around climate change and renewable energy. Let your local high schools know!

16.01.2022 What actually do we do? Watts Next uses a real-time monitoring system, the eGauge, which we install into the school's switchboard. The really cool thing that we do, is to help the teachers and students read and understand what the meter is saying. We provide extended lesson plans using the eGauge which cover a variety of areas, such as physics, graphing, finance and general science and we are happy to spend time in-school ourselves, teaching the kids or the teachers. It's an integrated approach to learning about real-life applications.

15.01.2022 We are looking forward to more schools connecting up with the Watts Next program and joining in with our small teams competition. Details to follow...

15.01.2022 Our new website is very close to being ready... Looking forward to sharing it with everyone. There is some great functionality there for teachers and students to interact and share ideas.

14.01.2022 Northern Territory schools are set to get a whole lot of solar! #renewableenergy #solarschools

14.01.2022 There is growing concern about the mathematical skills we are teaching in our schools, as in the article attached. Watts Next provides a practical and exciting way to help children apply numeracy skills.

12.01.2022 Enviroweek is coming up. This is a great opportunity for schools and students to become more involved in sustainability activities. Watts Next staff can offer support including measurement of the effectiveness of any actions taken by a school.

09.01.2022 Watts Next will be at the Sustainable Living Festival in Gawler next weekend. Come and say hello! While you're there, listen to the lovely Sophie Thomson speak, eat some delicious food and get inspired.

03.01.2022 Our website is live! Check it out : www.wattsnextaustralia.com.au

03.01.2022 As a father of three adult children I have experienced their journey through the last two years of school with great interest. With a background and love of sci...ence and mathematics I was looking forward to providing my offspring with guidance and advice so that they may share my passion for science in later life. As our first born went through year 12, she was doing mathematics and the question why do I need to know that was asked often. This brings me to the reason for writing this short piece. In the article Real life does not add up by Tim Williams , published in the Adelaide Advertiser on Thursday 18 December 2014. Will Morony, the CEO of the Australian Maths Teachers Association states that the issue with high school maths was not content but context, I fully agree with that statement. So, since relevance is a real issue in teaching maths (or any other subject for that matter), how can we introduce relevant, current and worthwhile issues into the classroom that provides students with their own insight into the use and usefulness of mathematical techniques to provide real answers to real problems? I have given this topic some real thought over the last 10 years and started to develop some ideas around how one can make learning mathematics fun and interesting and yes.relevant. I have been fortunate to meet some positive and committed individuals that share my vision and together we have developed the Watts Next Australia program. Watts Next Australia is built around a net enabled energy meter that provides real time information on the electricity consumption of selected electrical circuits. Students can log onto the web server that is located inside the metering device and view changes in electricity consumption of the metered site with any web enabled device such as tablets and smart phones. Since the data displayed on the web server is in real time, students can, for example turn off the air-conditioning system and see the immediate reduction in energy consumption and in return watch the steep increase in consumption once the system is switched back on. This is real, real-time and relevant information that links the student's behaviour with immediate impacts in the consumption of electricity. The Watts Next Australia metering system also allows the students and teachers to download the energy consumption data to a .csv file that can be manipulated in a spreadsheet such as Excel. Once downloaded students can calculate and explore issues such as: Maximum consumption in any given time frame Minimum consumption any given time frame Average consumption Total consumption (area under the curve!!) Cost of electricity Statistical Analysis such as histogram and pair wise analysis Statistical fit of outside temperature and electricity consumption Savings potential; and much more... As well as using mathematical techniques to examine the electrical consumption characteristics at the school, the data can also be used to discuss the social and environmental impacts that arise from the use of electricity. Part of the program involves face-to-face time between Watts Next professionals, the teaching fraternity and the students providing context on how a valid career can be pursued in the field of engineering and the importance of mathematics in that pursuit. The program has been implemented in two High Schools in South Australia and the initial feedback is very positive. One of the schools has joined the program in late 2013 and has implemented the following program in 2014 among year 10 students. The students split into individual engineering firms of between 4 and 6 students Each firm investigated electricity consumption by various equipment Each firm engineered a solution to reduce energy consumption All firms provided a presentation to the schools business manager outlining their solutions This is program provides students with the ability to apply mathematical techniques to real life issues. It also improves the student’s confidence in data acquisition and analysis. The Watts Next Australia program presents a great opportunity for students to gain insight in to the actual activities that an energy engineer undertakes on an daily basis. It is the hope of the Watts Next Australia team that the program may inspire some of the participants to pursue a career in engineering. And wait, there is more.. the cost of the Watts Next Australia program will be more than offset by the benefit of lower electricity bills. The Watts Next Australia program is working hard to expand the membership in 2015 as the benefits to each member increases with the number of members in the program. Watts Next Australia is proudly South Australian and addresses many of the recommendations that have been made by educators to provide students with a firm context in relation to transferring maths skills from school to job. We, as a society, are moving towards a future that becomes increasingly complex. Mathematics being both the language of nature and technology is becoming increasingly important for young people pursuing meaningful and fulfilling career paths. To alleviate some of the problems we will face in the future requires bright, engaged and able young minds; let's provide our students with the best opportunities to fulfill that role.

02.01.2022 Would you like to learn how to live lightly? Join the Living Smart course being run in Gawler to meet other locals interested in living lighter on the planet, w...hile learning new skills and making lasting changes chosen by you, to fit your own situation. The seven week course is a unique journey that brings people together to learn from and support each other, helping to create networks of like-minded locals. Course topics include: living simply, waste, water, gardening for biodiversity, gardening for food, energy, healthy you, healthy home, transport and community. A skilled facilitator adapts the content of each topic, based on the needs of each group and the expertise within the group. By the end of the course, you are energised, inspired and ready for the next step, whether that’s small changes in your own home or embarking on a community project. The next course is in Gawler and you can register at eventbrite or contact Rachel at [email protected] /0407775868 or Hayley at [email protected] /0439804008. If you have any queries or would like to see the course in your area please don’t hesitate in contacting us at [email protected] See more

01.01.2022 If you are a property owner, this forum will provide you with some valuable support and ideas to help reduce the risk of bushfire damaging your property. Keynote speaker is David Holmgren, co-founder of permaculture and builder of several bushfire resilient properties. Also speaking are Helen Hennessy of the Country Fire Service, and Tony Fox from Natural Resources Management Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges. There will also be information stands and the opportunity to speak t...o people from BlazeAid, Sampson Flat Garden Revival and other relevant organisations. There will be tea and coffee and light refreshments for sale as well as seedlings. Please RSVP by email to [email protected] or at the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/events/884648921558567/ so we have an idea of attendance numbers. Please forward this information to all your networks - workplaces, schools, general interest and community groups. The event is designed to be of interest to property owners all over South Australia so we would like to reach the biggest audience possible. See more