For Immediate Release
September 1, 2009
Contact:
Cass Cannon
Community Relations Specialist
Charlottesville City Schools
434-245-2962
Cass Cannon@ccs.k12.va.us
Media Release
Five Charlottesville Schools Shine as ENERGY STARS
Five Charlottesville City school buildings have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR® designation for superior energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR schools and scores are:
- Johnson Elementary (94)
- Clark Elementary (82)
- Venable Elementary (83)
- Burnley-Moran Elementary (78)
- Jackson-Via Elementary (77)
They are the first Central Virginia schools to earn the ENERGY STAR designation. Only 33 other schools in three other Virginia school divisions are ENERGY STAR schools. Greenbrier Elementary and Charlottesville High School have met qualifications and their applications are being processed.
Charlottesville City Schools staff and maintenance staff from Charlottesville’s Public Works department have collaborated for several years in making all school buildings more energy efficient. They have installed more efficient lighting, upgraded heating and cooling systems, installed low-flow and automatic flush valves, and monitored utility usage on a monthly basis.
The ENERGY STAR rating system, which requires a rating of 75 or above, compares a building’s energy consumption to similar buildings nationwide. Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov.
From L to R: Burnley-Moran principal Daphne Keiser; Jackson-Via principal ElizaBeth McCay; Clark principal Gena Keller; Johnson principal Vernon Bock; Venable principal Jamie Mathieson.***