by Brianna Crandall — March 7, 2016—High-energy students and staff at Kekaha Elementary School just achieved an amazing, low-energy milestone, according to a recent announcement by full-service management consulting firm Momentum Bay.
Conservation and energy efficiency measures at Kekaha and 49 other Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) schools have set a new Hawaii green building record. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized Kekaha Elementary with Hawaii Public Schools’ 50th Energy Star certification won by the 50th state, giving new meaning to the phrase “Hawaii Five-O,” notes the firm.
Two of the nation’s most active Energy Star Service and Product Providers, Momentum Bay and Engineering Economics, Inc., have tested air and light quality, and benchmarked electricity, gas and solar photovoltaic (PV) usage at Kekaha, over 100 other K-12 public school campuses in Hawaii, and ten other State of Hawaii agencies.
Compared to similar schools nationwide, Kekaha performs among the top nine percent, according to Momentum Bay. Kekaha’s above-average conservation and energy efficiency measures saved $41,000 in energy costs in just one year, cut Kekaha’s energy usage by 36 percent, and trimmed 70 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its carbon footprint.
The good news is that more Hawaii Energy Star certifications are imminent, says the firm, and the impact of everyone’s commitment to sustainability is becoming more impressive daily.
Hawaii DOE Superintendent Kathryn S. Matayoshi said:
A significant amount of the Department’s budget is dedicated to running our facilities, which includes powering 256 schools. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce these operating expenses while transitioning to a green, energy-efficient future — not only to increase energy cost savings, but also to teach students to be responsible stewards of our shared natural resources.
Hawaii’s public school system is the ninth largest school district in the United States by enrollment, only slightly behind the nation’s seventh largest Houston Independent School District (HISD) in Texas. Momentum Bay operates in both Houston, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawai’i.
Kekaha’s 2015 Energy Star award brings to 50 the grand total of Energy Star-certified K-12 public schools in Hawaii. Despite having an average age of 42 years old, these healthy, efficient green schools operate among America’s best 25 percent of comparable K-12 campuses. Together, this exemplary, “A” grade portfolio of campuses covers 3,840,018 square feet of occupied space across 564 buildings that:
- Saves $4,915,947 annually through energy efficiency and conservation
- Enhances the productivity and lives of 35,637 students daily
- Improves the work environment of 3,318 full-time workers daily
- Uses 39.8% less energy than comparable schools on a weighted square footage average basis
- Avoids 9,560 metric tons of C02 emissions annually, equivalent to 7,836 acres of rainforests
Momentum Bay points out that at this savings rate, the school district will save $250 million (a quarter of a billion dollars) over 10 years, which can then be reinvested in initiatives for more career-ready students, effective teachers and school leaders, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning; data-based innovation; even healthier and safer schools; and faster and better school turnarounds.
For the real-time list of Momentum Bay’s certified buildings, campuses and plants, including HIDOE schools, visit Momentum Bay’s Hawaii office Web site.
