Following its commitment to raise public’s awareness on energy efficiency, IIEE as an energy think-tank is replicating previous Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Awareness Raising Program, namely Duta Hemat Energi (DHE) program. DHE program aims to raise awareness on energy efficiency among youths by using easy-to-apply quantitative methods. This present program is running in partnership with Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) 46 as donor and fully supported by Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources [KESDM — Ed] and Education Agency of West Java Province [Dinas Pendidikan Jawa Barat — Ed]. To be noted, this program is in line with KESDM’s agenda in energy efficiency and energy conservation sector, thus helping government to promote energy-efficient lifestyle.
Setting youths as program’s main target audience, there are 10 high schools from West Java area participating in this program. Each school is ought to commit 10 students as a team of DHE and 1 school staff as Energy Manager. DHEs will act as main actors who will apply energy efficiency measures in their school, while Energy Manager will act as supervisor for DHEs. Through a thoughtful discussion with Education Agency of West Java Province, there are 10 selected high schools: SMAN 3 Bandung, SMAN 5 Bandung, SMA Al-Ma’soem Bandung, SMA BPI 1 Bandung, SMK 2 Pasundan Bandung, SMKN 3 Bandung, SMKN 4 Bandung, SMKN 6 Bandung, SMKN 9 Bandung, and SMKN 12 Bandung.
Where to start: being on the same page
After several preparation meetings, West Java DHE program was launched in 13 August 2019. This event was focusing on getting same perspective on the program’s goal and overcoming challenges in the implementation. Thus, every principal and Energy Manager of participating schools were invited to ensure each school would support DHE program and its continuity in the future, considering the positive impacts this program offers.
Started with the opening from Executive Director of IIEE, Hakimul Batih, Ph.D., who emphasized the importance of familiarizing energy efficiency to youngsters, as it eventually will become habit for the new generation. Then there were other speeches delivered by representative of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Hendro Gunawan, M.Sc., representative of BNI 46 Bandung, Vona Yudhatama, and closed by Head of Education Agency of West Java Province, Dr. Ir. Dewi Sartika, M.Si. The underlying statement from the speakers was that education system could effectively support behavioral changes in energy efficiency.
After the speeches, the event continued with capacity building and workshop on energy efficiency for Principals and Energy Managers. In this session, participants were shown the theoretical framework of energy efficiency as basic knowledge. There was also practice on utilization of energy efficient appliances and calculation of electricity savings as empiric evince to attract participants in performing energy efficiency programs in their own school. IIEE as trainers highlighted that each school’s forthcoming programs should be adjusted with each’s strength and plausible opportunities. For instance, vocational schools which specialize in engineering could try to focus on their schools’ workshop buildings, while those who specialize in media and design study could try to concentrate on designing attractive products as campaign media for energy efficiency.
In the following day, a 2-day training for DHEs was held in SMAN 3 Bandung. Since energy efficiency is not yet included in school curriculum, DHEs found it exciting to learn something they never came across before. Training for DHEs focused more on process to draft energy efficiency programs or campaigns that would be run by DHEs, as well as making each DHE recognized their own capability to suit with drafted energy efficiency programs. In the end of the training, every school’s DHE presented their creative ideas and programs to share hindsight among others.
Hereafter, DHE would implement the program for two months before the project ended.
New Challenge, New Opportunity, and Test of Consistency
The real test came after the training ended. With brand-new energy efficiency know-how, the challenge began when DHEs have to campaign on energy efficiency to their schoolmates or school staffs. Not only dealt with technical issues, DHEs had to anticipate with social aspects, e.g. public speaking, negotiating with their peers and teachers, delivering ideas to teammates, etc. This made DHE program is not mere dissemination project of energy efficiency, but it serves a complex series of methods that will stimulate students in both analytical and social skill. Nevertheless, the most important thing needed to run the program is consistency. With the hardships to balance between academic constraint and DHE program’s continuance, it is necessary for all of the DHEs to perform high endurance throughout the program.
The DHEs of each school would have been given 2 months to apply their programs and IIEE team would hold monthly assistance sessions to monitor each team’s performance, which would be held on mid-September and mid-October. From this assistance sessions, DHEs would receive feedbacks from IIEE team to improve their existing programs, so they can employ better methods. (to be continued)
