Gresham-Barlow earns energy award

By Rob Cullivan

The Gresham Outlook, Apr 1, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Gresham-Barlow School District a 2009 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award “in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency.”

Gresham-Barlow is the first school district in the nation to earn Energy Star’s “most prestigious award,” which was given at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., March 31.

According to Energy Star, the district received an Excellence in Energy Management award in 2006, and a Partner of the Year award last year. Energy Star was introduced in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency.

Kathleen Hogan, director of the Climate Protection Partnerships Division at the EPA, praised the district’s energy conservation efforts.

“Gresham-Barlow’s leadership on energy efficiency has yielded impressive results for their bottom line and our global environment, showing us all what can be accomplished through sustained commitment and action,” she said in a statement.

Gresham-Barlow’s energy efficiency efforts have saved the district more than $1.5 million annually on energy costs, which the district equates to the funding needed for approximately 22 teaching positions.

In an interview with The Outlook last summer, district officials noted they had taken a number of measures to save energy, including closely monitoring ventilation systems to maximize cooling and heating efficiency as well as installing software to closely track whether utility reduction measures are having an effect.

At the Energy Star Web site, the agency noted Gresham-Barlow was “the first organization to be recognized by EPA for achieving 30 percent savings across its entire portfolio of buildings, and increasing these savings to more than 48 percent during the 2007-2008 school year.”

“The staff and students of the Gresham-Barlow School District are committed to doing everything they can to conserve energy,” Superintendent John Miner said in a statement. “The district is reaping the benefits of their dedication in substantial cost savings at a time when state funding for schools is decreasing.”

The 2009 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches and showing others what can be achieved through energy efficiency. Award winners are selected from more than 12,000 organizations that participate in the Energy Star program.

For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll free1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).