Chesapeake Public Schools announced that Grassfield High School has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance.
ENERGY STAR certified buildings are verified to perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide, based on weather-normalized source energy use that considers occupancy, hours of operation, and other key metrics. ENERGY STAR is the only energy efficiency certification in the United States that is based on actual, verified energy performance. As part of the certification process, the school was inspected by a licensed Professional Engineer and verified to meet building code requirements for proper ventilation.
The ENERGY STAR certification was earned as part of a year-long partnership between Chesapeake Public Schools and Damuth Trane, a Chesapeake, VA based professional energy services company. Natural gas and electricity costs for the HVAC systems were reduced by $47,796 during the 12-month period as compared to the prior baseline year. CPS School Plants also reported a reduction in comfort complaints from the school. Besides reducing energy costs, the improvements are expected to extend equipment life, reduce future maintenance costs and increase system reliability.
“We’re honored to earn ENERGY STAR status for Grassfield High School and appreciate the efforts of the Damuth Trane team and CPS School Plants employees involved in the efficiency gains,” said Dr. John Bailey, Director of School Plants for Chesapeake Public Schools. “Saving energy is just one of the ways we show our community we care, and that we’re committed to doing our part to create and maintain healthy learning environments while being good stewards of our operational budget.”
Damuth Trane and Chesapeake Public Schools collaborated on a prototype project consisting of four schools, which also included Greenbrier Middle, Jolliff Middle and Oscar Smith Middle. The total energy cost avoidance for the four schools totaled over $210,000 versus the prior 12-month period. Grassfield High represented almost $48,000 of these savings.
Clint Damuth, President at Damuth Trane spoke at the Chesapeake Public School Board Meeting in May. He remarked “The accomplishments we are recognizing tonight were made possible due to the courage and leadership of Superintendent Jim Roberts and Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Paige Stutz. Over two years ago they challenged our Energy Engineers to find ways to make improvements but without adding costs. Thank you for challenging us.”
On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings use 35 percent less energy, cause 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and are less expensive to operate than their peers—all without sacrifices in performance or comfort.
For more information about ENERGY STAR for Buildings and Plants, visit www.energystar.gov/buildings