Staff report

Campbellsburg Elementary School has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA. With this most recent designation, all of Henry County’s school buildings are now ENERGY STAR certified.

“Henry County Public Schools is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Tim Abrams, superintendent. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

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. Henry County Public Schools improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.”

To earn the ENERGY STAR, Campbellsburg Elementary took the following actions: window replacement, installation of high efficiency lighting throughout the building, installation of new exterior doors, actively participated in Kentucky School Boards Association’s (KSBA) School Energy Managers Program to actively track and find ways to reduce energy consumption and utility costs, but most importantly established a school based energy team, made up of students, whose task is to reduce energy consumption.

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 to 100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, data centers, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, houses of worship, and warehouses.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products, 1.4 million new homes and 20,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants that meet strict energy- efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past twenty years, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented

more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.

For more information about ENERGY STAR Certification for Commercial Buildings: www.energystar.gov/labeledbuildings.