NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (March 26, 2015) – The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet announced Wilmore Elementary School has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies the school building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. Officials from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and the Kentucky School Boards Association presented a certificate signed by Gov. Steve Beshear during the March meeting of the Jessamine County Board of Education. “We are extremely proud of the efforts of our students and employees to support energy savings in our school district,” said Jessamine County School Superintendent Kathy Fields. “It takes a team effort to promote energy efficiency, from the design and maintenance of our buildings to the habits and behaviors of those who work and learn here. As students learn to be more conscientious stewards of our resources and form life-long habits, our efforts pay off both now and in the future. These good decisions result in significant cost savings, allowing us to put less money into running our facilities and more funds into the learning that takes place inside them.” Jessamine County Schools Energy Manager John Clemons reports annual energy savings at Wilmore Elementary of more than $10,000. The 15-year-old school was recently renovated with energy efficient lighting and a HVAC system that controls heating and cooling during times when the school in unoccupied. The district also implemented a “dark campus” program, turning off lights when buildings are shut down, to further reduce energy consumption. Teacher and student participation also contributed to the school earning ENERGY STAR certification. Wilmore Elementary School is currently completing a pilot project to earn Kentucky’s first U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for Existing Buildings (LEED EB). The all-volunteer project is supported by the USGBC Kentucky Chapter, the Kentucky School Boards Association, the Kentucky School Plant Management Association, the Kentucky National Energy Education Development Project, the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. “Wilmore Elementary School’s ENERGY STAR certification is a direct outcome of the LEED EB project,” said Clemons. “Our ENERGY STAR score has risen to 84 from the original 68 at the project’s inception. When completed, Wilmore will serve as a model, showing other schools how to reduce energy, implement sustainable practices and return energy savings back to educate students.” The USGBC LEED certification program for existing buildings encourages sustainability and focuses on improving building operations and maintenance. The LEED EB certification is a point-based system with six general categories, each with points that required volunteer resources at Wilmore Elementary. Categories include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in operations. Completion of the LEED EB certification will occur later this year. 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. Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. For more information about ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: www.energystar.gov/labeledbuildings. For more information about Kentucky’s energy efficiency program for schools: www.energy.ky.gov.
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