288 Kentucky schools now certified
MAYSVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2015) — Ewing Elementary School had earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, a national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet has announced. A certificate, signed by Gov. Steve Beshear was presented to school officials during the Sept. 9 meeting of the Fleming County Board of Education.
The new school building was completed in the fall of 2013 and designed as an ENERGY STAR compliant facility to reduce the building’s carbon footprint and lower energy costs.
“In the past 12 months, energy consumption has been reduced by 23 percent, saving the school $15,677 in energy costs,” said Terry Anderson, energy manager for Fleming County School District.
With the addition of Ewing Elementary, Kentucky is currently home to 288 ENERGY STAR certified K-12 public schools, a significant increase compared to 12 schools ENERGY STAR certified in 2008. Kentucky currently ranks second for percentage of ENERGY STAR schools nationwide.
The building performs in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide and features energy-efficient lighting and geothermal heating and cooling systems. Energy management planning, which includes shutdown procedures during school breaks, along with HVAC controls and lighting sensors that turn off when a room is unoccupied, maximize the building’s energy efficient systems. Teachers, staff and students also actively participate in conservation efforts and amplify school energy savings.
“Our goal is to make sure that all our schools receive this prestigious recognition for energy efficiency and conservation,” said Dr. Brian Creasman, superintendent of Fleming County School District. “This is our third school to earn ENERGY STAR certification. Not only is it good financial practice, but we are setting an example of how to protect the environment and conserve energy for future Kentuckians.”
EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance scale helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Ewing Elementary School earned an ENERGY STAR score of 83.
Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.
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