by Shane Henson — December 30, 2011—A North Carolina school district is getting high marks in energy efficiency this semester. Thirteen buildings from Henderson County Public Schools have earned ENERGY STAR labels this fall, after a thorough review from Morrisville-based Southern Energy Management (SEM). Included in the project are a dozen elementary, middle and high schools, along with the district’s Information Technology Center.
“This is an intentional move for our school district,” said Bill Parker, assistant superintendent for administrative services. “Maintaining energy-efficient facilities is part of our school district’s strategic plan. We have two LEED-certified schools and saw the opportunity to pursue the ENERGY STAR label with our other facilities as a natural next step.”
The school district is leading the way among other districts in the areas of energy management and sustainability. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henderson County Public Schools was one of only seven North Carolina school districts that had buildings earn ENERGY STAR labels in 2011. School district energy manager Dave Lyons helped prepare the buildings for the ENERGY STAR process, performing internal audits that led to lighting retrofits prior to SEM’s review. He also helped get individual principals involved in reducing their schools’ energy usage.
