On Monday, December 11, 2023, BAS150 Energy Auditing students gathered at Milwaukee’s Discovery World to present the results of the energy audit the students conducted on the nearly 15-year-old facility to Discovery World’s Chief Operating Officer, Carl Schoettel, and Vice President of Exhibits and Audience, Jon Emmerich. In addition to an analysis of the Museum/Aquarium’s current energy usage, students provided recommendations to reduce consumption and save the facility money. The presentations were the culmination of a semester-long, project-based learning assignment that provided auditing students with a hands-on challenge they will encounter in the field.
In October, students attended their first on-site visit, where they learned about the inherent challenges of managing the energy consumption of the 120,000 sq. foot Museum/Aquarium, its facilities, and exhibits. They were also provided with a behind-the-scenes walk-through where they were shown the hot water, heat pump water, and lake water loops, domestic water heating, lighting, and heat pump systems that are the backbone of the facility. The students presented their findings solely or in teams of two, and the leadership team from Discovery World expressed their gratitude for the information they received.
The benefits of the project-based learning experience, or living lab, were multi-fold. In addition to students gaining experience, they had to leverage their “soft skills” (interpersonal communication and teamwork) that organizations often stress when describing what they are looking for when recruiting new employees. Also, the opportunity strengthened the industry partnership between BAS/MATC and Discovery World, with Jon Emmerich stressing that he looked forward to continuing to work with BAS and possibly even providing onsite classroom space in the 2024-2025 academic year.
