From net-zero schools to game-changing policies,
recipients recognized for efforts to green U.S. school infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 12, 2011) –The U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools, working in conjunction with its founding sponsor, United Technologies Corp., today released its inaugural Best of Green Schools 2011 list recognizing school administrators and government leaders in 10 categories for their efforts to create sustainable learning environments.
Recipient schools and regions from across the nation – from K-12 to higher education – were recognized for a variety of sustainable, cost-cutting measures, including energy conservation, record numbers of LEED® certified buildings and collaborative platforms and policies to green U.S. school infrastructure. Their commitments to measurable and innovative sustainable building goals serve as models for schools and campuses everywhere.

“The Best Of Green Schools 2011 recipients represent high notes for the green schools movement over the past year and were selected from the thousands of examples of leadership we have seen from schools, districts, campuses, cities and states,‖ said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. ―Tomorrow’s future leaders are in school today. This year’s designees recognize the importance of educating high-performing, 21st century leaders in high-performing, 21st century classrooms. Why green our schools? Three words: education, sustainability and jobs.”

According to published reports, green schools save on average $100,000 per year on operating costs — enough to hire two new teachers, buy 200 new computers, or purchase 5,000 textbooks. On average, green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than conventionally constructed schools, and if all new U.S. school construction and renovation went green today, the total energy savings alone would be $20 billion over the next 10 years.

“Our commitment to green schools is a reflection of our belief in the importance of energy efficiency, sustainability and education,‖ said Sandy Diehl, Vice President, Integrated Building Solutions, United Technologies Corp., and a Center for Green Schools advisory board member. ―These leaders are taking action today to help improve our schools by saving energy and tax dollars and by creating healthier environments for students and teachers.”

Recipients

Moment for the Movement – U.S. Department of Education, Green Ribbon Schools: Green Ribbon Schools is the first comprehensive and coordinated federal initiative to focus on the intersection of environment, health and education.
Region – Sacramento area: Mayor Kevin Johnson has led the charge to bring together mayors and superintendents from across the Northern California region to create a $100 million revolving loan fund for green school retrofits.
State – Ohio: With 315 LEED registered and certified projects, including 19 schools registered in 2011, Ohio leads the nation with more green school projects underway than any other state.
City – Philadelphia: The School District of Philadelphia made significant steps in 2011 toward the greening of the city’s 291 public schools.
School – Lake Mills Middle School (Lake Mills, WI): In March 2011, Lake Mills Middle School became the first public school in the nation to achieve LEED Platinum certification.
Higher Ed Innovator – University of Texas at Dallas: The University’s new LEED Platinum Student Services Building, which was the recipient of this year’s Innovation in Green Building Award, was designed to improve departmental efficiency and interaction, includes terra-cotta shades on the building’s exterior to provide a unique energy efficient shading strategy and was built $1.1 million under budget.
Collaborators – Kentucky Reps. Jim DeCesare (R) and Mary Lou Marzian (D): This bipartisan team has led Kentucky’s green school efforts and is a model for teaming on green school collaboration. Together, they’ve worked with their colleagues in the Kentucky General Assembly to unanimously adopt resolutions in support of green schools, and have encouraged other states to work across party lines on similar efforts.
Convener – Boston: In September 2011, Mayor Menino hosted the Research Summit on Childhood Health and School Buildings, which brought together a team of interdisciplinary researchers to explore the connection between school facilities and student health. Boston’s public school district is also home to one of the first Center for Green Schools Fellows – a sustainability coordinator who will work within the school district for three years, bringing together faculty, administration, facilities staff, teachers and students to advance whole-district sustainability initiatives.
Policy makers – District of Columbia City Council: In May 2010, the Washington, D.C. council unanimously passed the Healthy Schools Act of 2010, building upon the District’s existing LEED Silver requirement and encouraging schools to achieve LEED Gold certification. 2011 updates to the bill included participation in the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools program, making D.C. the first – before any state – to sign up for the voluntary federal program.
K-12 Innovation – Public-Private partnership in Illinois: A report outlining a plan to green all K-12 schools in Illinois was released in March 2011 as a result of a public-private partnership commissioned by the Illinois’ General Assembly’s October 2009 adoption of House Joint Resolution 45.
Please visit centerforgreenschools.org/bestof2011 for more information on each of this year’s recipients.

About U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 79 local chapters, nearly 16,000 member organizations, and more than 175,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. GDP from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists,
corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org, on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council

The Center for Green Schools is how USGBC is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From the kindergartner entering the classroom, to the Ph.D. student performing research in a lab, the Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and institute innovation toward green schools and campuses. High-performing schools result in high-performing students, and the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. For more information, visit www.centerforgreenschools.org, or Twitter and Facebook.

United Technologies Corp.

(NYSE: UTX), based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing energy-efficient products and services to the global aerospace and building industries. UTC’s products include Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Sikorsky helicopters, Carrier heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems and industrial products, Otis elevators and escalators, and UTC Power fuel cells. More information can be found at www.utc.com and at www.powerofefficiency.com.

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Click to download the official press release

Tipp City, Ohio - In response to the continued growth in Ohio’s demand for energy savings solutions, Energy Optimizers, USA has brought on new talent with the hiring of Mr. Bob Hausmann and the promotion of Mrs. Belinda Kenley to Vice President of Business Development.

Bob Hausmann, Operations Manager
Hausmann, with more than thirty years’ experience in design, development and construction, will manage the company’s energy conservation projects and lighting retrofits, primarily in K-12 schools and local government agencies throughout Ohio. He formerly owned Hausmann Homes, designing and building custom homes and renovating existing homes with a focus on sustainable green living, and was Partner/President of the Special Projects Group at Miller Valentine from 1983-2006.

“I feel that Energy Optimizers, USA provides me with a great opportunity to introduce energy cost savings measures at an important time for Ohio commercial, industrial and institutional facilities ”, shared Hausmann. “With over $7 million dollars in energy savings projects underway, our clients are able to use these cost savings to more effectively manage their money”.

Bob is a registered architect and LEED AP, BD+C, with a B.S. from the University of Detroit. He is affiliated with the U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects, and serves in leadership volunteer roles with Habitat for Humanity and Dayton Red Cross.

Belinda Kenley, Vice President of Business Development
Belinda Kenley formerly served in the capacity of Vice President of Operations and has now been promoted to Vice President of Business Development. Kenley previously worked for the Ohio Attorney General and Auditor of State Betty D. Montgomery and is a member of Centerville City Council. She is in the current class of Leadership Dayton and is active in numerous professional organizations, including Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Association of Energy Engineers, the I-70/75 Development Association, and National League of Cities.

Greg Smith, President of Energy Optimizers, USA says this of Kenley, “Belinda’s role as VP of Business Development is critical for us. Schools and local government agencies across Ohio need to be better informed of their options in cost cutting measures that are available to them today”. Mr. Smith refers to the budgetary relief provided by Ohio House Bill 264, 300 and 420 that provide K-12 schools and government agencies with options on how energy savings measures are paid for over time.

New Location
The company has recently purchased a building along with an adjacent lot at 7950 South County Road 25A in Tipp City to house its expanding team, bringing the total property to about four acres, including two warehouses.

About Energy Optimizers, USA
Energy Optimizers, USA works with Ohio school districts and government agencies to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs. To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919

Read More: Letter from Mr. Whitfield, Springfield City Schools

Find Savings for your School

Dayton, Ohio

The awards program recognizes Dayton-area companies and business leaders who have out-shined their competitors.
“The companies recognized at our annual Business of the Year Awards are impressive businesses from across the Dayton region, including Energy Optimizers, who is building on their success in the green industry, an emerging business category and a frontrunner for the future”, shared Carol Clark, publisher of the Dayton Business Journal.
The Business of the Year judging demanded a rigorous set of objective criteria, with Energy Optimizers, USA being chosen as a finalist amongst many deserving candidates from the Miami Valley.

The judges independently use a 100 point scale for each of the six judging criteria: financials, supporting documentation, innovations, strategy and vision; product or service’s place in the market; outshining others. Those individual scores are totaled and only the top three scorers in each award category are named finalists.
“To be selected from such an impressive collection of Dayton-area businesses is a great honor for us,” shared Greg Smith, Energy Optimizers, USA’s president. ”This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of our growing team to achieve significant value and savings for Ohio’s K-12 schools and government clients”.

The Business of the Year awards, presented by Soin International, is the prestigious black-tie gala held at the Schuster Center downtown that honors companies and business leaders from throughout the area who have out-shined their competitors.

About Energy Optimizers, USA
Energy Optimizers, USA audits, recommends and executes energy-saving changes that make Ohio’s schools more efficient, greatly reducing their cost of operations. All across Ohio, Energy Optimizers, USA is implementing energy savings and conservation opportunities with school districts, including lighting and HVAC retrofits, building controls retrofits, wind and solar installations. Their programs include Energy Savings Projects, Wind & Solar Projects, Maintenance Plan Advisor Services and Energy Efficiency Education and Awareness Programs.

To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Energy Optimizers, USA is sponsoring the reception on November 15th as a way to say THANK YOU to OASBO and the way that they empower new and seasoned SBO’s to make confident, well-informed decisions leading to the health and success of the school districts and communities they serve.

75th anniversary flyer

OASBO eNews

In the article company president Greg Smith shared, “We’ve gone from one employee less than two years ago – me – to 14 employees”. The NRDC article goes on to identify the University of Dayton’s Renewable and Clean Energy Program as well as Ohio Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard, legislation which is often used to fund projects such as the energy efficiency projects at Jackson City Schools that will lower its current $1 million energy bill by close to $160,000 annually.

Read the entire article on the NRDC website here.

The businesses receiving DRG3 Green Business Certification are:

• AAA Wastewater  (Green & Blue Certification)
• APG Office Furnishings
• Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm  (Green & Blue Certification)
• CYP Studios  (Green & Blue Certification)
• Elements IV Interiors
• Energy Optimizers, USA
• Good Samaritan Hospital
• Heapy Engineering  (Green & Blue Certification)
• Miami Conservancy District
• Montgomery County Madison Lakes Learning & Conference Center
• Montgomery County Water Services
• Montgomery County Solid Waste District  (Green & Blue Certification)
• Salem Office Products
• Square One Salon

Green Business Certification Program

The Green Business Certification Program is a voluntary program designed to help businesses take basic green measures to reduce their ecological footprint, reduce their energy and resource use, and save money in the process.  Businesses are also eligible for Water Stewardship Blue Certification.

In the fall of 2007, Montgomery County Commissioners convened a forum of local citizens, government and business leaders to identify strategies to reduce the carbon footprint in Montgomery County and the region.  From the initial meetings, the name Dayton Regional Green 3 Task Force and the DRG3 label was developed in an effort to open the Task Force’s efforts to include all of the Dayton Region and not limit it to Montgomery County.DGR3 has three main areas of focus:  Residential, Business, and Government, with an emphasis on economic development, policy, and education.  To learn more, visit:  http://www.mcohio.org and click on the DRG3 logo.

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Energy Savings for the Bethel Local School District:

Energy Optimizers, USA has designed the Bethel District project to include a building automation control system to utilize advanced energy conservation programs to control the heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Lighting upgrades will significantly reduce the electrical load and improve the energy efficiency and quality of light in the facility. Solar powered automatic restroom sinks and a solar thermal domestic hot water system will be installed, saving energy and water while serving as an educational tool for the students and community. New HVAC systems will be installed in the High School, Junior High, and 1969 Elementary wings. Superintendent Jeff Cassell explains that, “while the project cost is $633,290, it will reduce utility, operating and maintenance costs annually by at least $58,465.”

Energy Savings for the Covington Exempted Village School District:

A basic direct digital control system will be installed to control each of the District’s boiler systems. Numerous lighting upgrades will be made in each of the three buildings to improve the quality of lighting and reduce the electrical load and energy cost. Middle School urinal retrofits will significantly reduce the water and sewer usages. Steam trap retrofits will be made within the HVAC systems at the Middle School and High School, and exposed main steam pipe lines will be insulated to reduce energy loss.

The project cost is $136,100, and anticipated annual utility, operating and maintenance savings are estimated at a minimum of $42,832. The district will realize a net annual cash flow of $30,912 after making annual payments on the project, which will result in a 5.78 year payback including interest. Superintendent Randy Earl states that, “As an administrator, it is my responsibility to ensure that our district is a good steward of taxpayers’ money. I feel that the Covington School District is doing just that by implementing this exciting project.”

Energy Education Program:

Energy Optimizers, USA will work with both school districts to implement an energy education and training program, tied to the curriculum, for students and staff. Activities will include creating and implementing a district-wide energy conservation handbook incorporating suggested student and staff behaviors and expectations that directly affect energy usage, and having the school districts qualify for and become recognized by the Federal Energy Star Energy Efficient Buildings Program.

Greg Smith, President of Energy Optimizers, USA, stated, “We are extremely excited to be working with these Miami County Schools to not only save them a substantial amount of money, but also save the environment and provide their students with a unique educational opportunity and possibly springboard interested students into the field of energy efficiency and/or the renewable energy field. We will also be providing a graduating student from each district interested in the energy and/or engineering field with a $1,000 scholarship during the 2011-12 school year.”

About Energy Optimizers, USA:

Energy Optimizers, USA works with Ohio school districts and government agencies to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs. To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Energy Savings for the School District:

The Green Team Program, which also includes a grant for a $7,500 district “Energy Bike” and $1,500 worth of educational classroom energy activity kits, is all part of the $2 Million energy conservation project being implemented at the school district’s facilities. These projects will reduce the District’s annual energy costs by more than $240,000 per year.

Middle School Student Education and Involvement:

As part of the Ohio Energy Project’s AEGIS (Activating and Energizing Girls in Science) summer program, a team of female middle school students, accompanied by a teacher, will spend three days building an Energy Bike and learning leadership skills. The Energy Bike facilitates comprehensive understanding of the transformation of energy and of the importance of energy conservation. The students will then utilize the Energy Bike to teach the students in the lower grades about kinetic energy by demonstrating how pedaling of the bike transforms energy to electricity that can then be used in everyday life – powering light bulbs, radios, etc. The program is designed to spark girls’ interest in engineering, science- and math-related jobs.

About Energy Optimizers, USA:

Energy Optimizers, USA works with Ohio school districts and government agencies to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and Energy Education Programs. To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptimizersusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.

Media Contact:
Belinda Kenley
Energy Optimizers, USA
Phone 937-877-1919.

Faced with drastic cuts to his utility budget, Coe had resorted to somewhat draconian measures to save energy and cut costs, including putting lockboxes on the thermostats so that teachers and students couldn’t control the temperature. But the utility bill kept creeping up.

The superintendent decided to start investigating. What he uncovered was a surprising bit of mischief. “I actually had one situation in a gym where kids, unbeknownst to the teacher, had pried the lockbox to the thermostat open so they could take it off, adjust the thermostat, and put it back on before the teacher could find out,” he says with a chuckle.

The problem wasn’t only limited to sweaty students looking to cool down during gym class: Coe found that in the off-hours and over summer break, contracted workers were coming in and bumping the thermostat down to 60 degrees or below to keep it cool while rewaxing the floors and performing other maintenance. “The bills were just astronomical,” he says.

So Coe decided enough was enough. Last year, he contracted with energy management solutions provider Schneider Electric to install a “smart” system that automates heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) for all five of the Henry County schools–taking control, quite literally, out of everyone’s hands.

The new IP-networked system, which was completed in February, ties all the thermostats in the district via cabling to a central computer housed in–none other than–the superintendent’s office. From there, Coe and his staff can tailor temperatures to a school’s schedule, turning the A/C on in the gymnasium for a basketball game one day and a beauty pageant in the auditorium the next. The system will ensure that HVAC equipment is turned off when the building is unoccupied and that the temperature never dips below a certain set point.

No one has to be uncomfortable, of course; classrooms are set at 74 degrees for cooling and 68 degrees for heat, but teachers are given a 3-degree variance so they can adjust the temperature if students are complaining. The days of 60-degree cleaning sessions, however, are a thing of the past.

All in all, the system is expected to save the district about $90,000 a year and slash energy consumption by 20 percent–sizable savings for a small, rural school system with roughly 2,900 students. And the savings will be achieved all while enrollment and technology demands increase in the years to come.

Sophisticated Monitoring

Energy management systems are nothing new, of course; for example, Texas’ Corpus Christi Independent School District automated its HVAC and lighting over 10 years ago as a way to keep ballooning electricity costs in check. With the district’s 4,000 classrooms, close to 40,000 students, and 20,000 computers, behavior modification alone wasn’t going to make a dent in its $11 million-a-year electrical budget.

What is new, however, is how sophisticated these systems have become. In Corpus Christi, setting the air conditioners to turn off at the end of the day is just a start; recent modifications to its air distribution system allow district buildings to “adapt” to changing conditions, including humidity levels. By running the air conditioner longer–but at a lower air volume–the equipment doesn’t work any harder than it has to; the school can dehumidify the air without freezing out occupants. That’s crucial for a high-humidity, high-heat environment like Corpus Christi, where year-round air conditioning costs can add up quickly.

The system is also able to adjust to the number of occupants in a room. “It’s just not economically feasible to leave on an air conditioner that runs $235 an hour for one person,” says Scott Kucera, energy and facilities coordinator for the district.

His district has realized a $1 million-a-year payoff from its customized Schneider system, whose four-phase implementation over the past decade has also included a districtwide lighting retrofit, a computer system overhaul, and motion sensors–the installation of which will be completed this summer.

At The Hotchkiss School, a private institution founded in 1891 in Lakeville, CT, a newly installed Honeywell energy-information application works with existing building controls to analyze energy consumption in real time–allowing staff to make sure its historic buildings run as efficiently as its modern ones.

Facility managers can look at weather reports, even market conditions, to understand usage patterns and tweak the system accordingly. The system also automatically cuts energy use during periods of high demand–such as modifying temperature set points or cycling chillers on and off–helping Hotchkiss avoid higher peak-period utility costs. All told, the school has realized a return on investment of 153 percent on its energy-efficiency projects in the past three years.

These smart systems also bear the important reward of time saved. In Corpus Christi, Kucera and his meager staff of two (one assistant, one secretary) are tasked with overseeing the energy management of 60 campuses. “If a teacher calls and says, ‘It’s hot in here,’ [now] we can look at the temperature of a room and say, ‘No, it isn’t’ or ‘Yes, it is,’” Kucera says. “And we can actually diagnose the system. Before our mechanic even leaves, he knows where to go and what’s broken.”

These diagnostic features will no doubt be saving Henry County man-hours, too, since before the new system went in a teacher had to call someone in maintenance “just to adjust the temperature in the room,” says Coe.

And at Hotchkiss, the ability to monitor systems remotely helped avert potential disaster when a winter warm spell triggered a heat pump malfunction in the boiler plant, causing a safety pressure release valve to blow off and antifreeze to spill into the room. Alarms on the smart system immediately notified maintenance technicians, who were then able to use the system to write an emergency work-around and restart the pump.

Finding the Funds

The snag, of course, is that while districts are saving loads of money, many can’t afford to make these implementations to begin with. “Of course, it’s a bit cliché to say that school districts are tight on money,” a Schneider Electric spokesperson says. “But now more than any time before in their history, districts are challenged to make sure that every dollar they get is funneled into the classroom.”

In Henry County, for instance, where money for school utilities comes from local taxes, not the state, high unemployment rates and shrinking tax revenues left Coe wondering how he would modernize his facility.

Enter the performance contract, which allowed the district to completely fund its smart system with the money saved in energy each year. What’s more, Henry County’s annual $90,000 savings is guaranteed, as long as the school is implementing and following Schneider’s energy plan. “We couldn’t see any negatives to it,” says Coe. “When the savings are guaranteed, when you’re able to take those funds that are saved and invest them back into your building to make it more energy-efficient, really with no extra cost–that was a no-brainer.”

Once the project is paid off, schools can choose to invest those extra funds as they see fit, either directing them toward more equipment or diverting them to other projects. Corpus Christi paid off its performance contract several years ago; now it’s looking a using its annual $1 million savings for other energy-efficiency efforts, like retrofitting its older schools to achieve LEED certification.

With the money saved in Henry County, Coe may one day be able to take a more serious look at his district’s energy-efficiency wish list, which includes a water management plan complete with flushless urinals.

And maybe soon, Coe will be able to count on those wattage-wasting staff and students for energy-saving aid. In Corpus Christi, Kucera has seen the folks in his district grow smarter about conservation now that they’ve seen the smart system in action. Whereas he used to have a hard time convincing teachers that they couldn’t work in the classroom all weekend long with the A/C running, he now receives daily suggestions as to how the district can save even more money.

“It’s funny,” Kucera says. “Once you get people changed from wasting energy to saving it, they really jump on board.”

As found contributed by Jennifer Grayson at the journal