TIPP CITY, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Two elementary schools in the New Richmond Exempted Village School District have received recognition as energy all-stars after attaining the coveted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification with the assistance of Energy Optimizers, USA and SHP Leading Design.
The certification places Locust Corner Elementary and New Richmond Elementary Schools in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for meeting strict energy efficiency performance levels. Buildings that earn the EPA’s Energy Star rating use 35 percent less energy and generate 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than similar buildings.
“This is a tremendous honor for our schools and our community,” said Adam Bird, superintendent of New Richmond Schools. “We set out to make our buildings more energy efficient, to make our classrooms more comfortable and conducive to learning, and to make better use of our dollars by reducing our operational expenses. The Energy Star certification reinforces that we made the right decisions for our students, our community and our future.”
The certification follows a major upgrade to the District’s lighting, HVAC and controls systems in partnership with Energy Optimizers, USA, and SHP Leading Design.
The project, which was launched in May 2013 and completed in January 2015, included:
- Replacement of all existing lighting with more energy-efficient systems
- Energy-efficient upgrades to the District’s mechanical equipment
- Integration of the buildings’ controls into a web-based system
- Energy education program, engaging students in energy efficiency and environmentally friendly activities.
As part of the project, Energy Optimizers, USA, compared each building’s utility bills before and after the project. The company then used this information to assign each building a score using the EPA’s Energy Star energy performance scale.
The study showed that the energy conservation project significantly reduced the amount of energy needed to operate the two elementary schools:
- Locust Corner Elementary
- Baseline Energy Star Rating – 61
- Post-Project Energy Star Rating – 89
- New Richmond Elementary
- Baseline Energy Star – 38
- Post-Project Energy Star – 83.
A building must attain a score of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification.
“We are so pleased to have partnered with New Richmond Schools on this journey,” said Belinda Kenley, vice president of Energy Optimizers, USA. “Not only is the District’s Administration and Board investing in smarter energy solutions for the District, they are setting a standard for high performance and energy conservation that the entire region will take note of.”
About Energy Optimizers, USA
Energy Optimizers, USA works with educational, governmental, commercial and industrial customers 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.
The company was named to the INC. Magazine Top 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. (2014), was named the Fastest Growing Company in the region for two consecutive years by the Dayton Business Journal (2013, 2014), and was named a finalist in the Dayton Business Journal “Best Places To Work” competition in 2016.
To learn more about Energy Optimizers, USA, visit their website at http://energyoptusa.com or call them at (937) 877-1919.
News Source: Energy Optimizers USA
