Shelby County’s Southside Elementary School earns honor
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 27, 2016) — The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) today recognized Southside Elementary School for earning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, a national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance.
Southside Elementary has become the 300th school building in Kentucky and the eighth school in the Shelby County public school district to earn the ENERGY STAR designation.
“Shelby County Schools are committed to efficient utilization of our funding resources, and implementing energy management strategies demonstrates the depth of commitment to this goal,” said Dr. James Neihof, Superintendent of Shelby County Schools. “Our board of education focuses on best energy efficiency practices whether constructing new facilities or renovating existing buildings, while an energy manager implements daily energy efficiency measures. All this, along with the district’s partnerships with various stakeholders, has led to nearly $2.2 million in cumulative savings since fiscal year 2010.”
Shelby County energy manager Jon Swindler said the newly constructed elementary school saved $83,490 in energy costs during its first year.
“Southside was designed and built with energy efficiency as a goal,” said Swindler. “Its energy utilization index (EUI), or the amount of electricity used per square foot, is 26.4 and is considered among the top two percent energy efficient schools in the nation.
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. Southside Elementary School earned an ENERGY STAR score of 98.
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