TIPP CITY, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Two elementary schools in the New Richmond Exempted Village School District have received recognition as energy all-stars after attaining the coveted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Energy Star certification with the assistance of Energy Optimizers, USA and SHP Leading Design.<\/p>\n
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\nThe certification places Locust Corner Elementary and New Richmond Elementary Schools in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for meeting strict energy efficiency performance levels. Buildings that earn the EPA\u2019s Energy Star rating use 35 percent less energy and generate 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than similar buildings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tremendous honor for our schools and our community,\u201d said Adam Bird, superintendent of New Richmond Schools. \u201cWe set out to make our buildings more energy efficient, to make our classrooms more comfortable and conducive to learning, and to make better use of our dollars by reducing our operational expenses. The Energy Star certification reinforces that we made the right decisions for our students, our community and our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The certification follows a major upgrade to the District\u2019s lighting, HVAC and controls systems in partnership with Energy Optimizers, USA, and SHP Leading Design.<\/p>\n
The project, which was launched in May 2013 and completed in January 2015, included:<\/p>\n
As part of the project, Energy Optimizers, USA, compared each building\u2019s utility bills before and after the project. The company then used this information to assign each building a score using the EPA\u2019s Energy Star energy performance scale.<\/p>\n
The study showed that the energy conservation project significantly reduced the amount of energy needed to operate the two elementary schools:<\/p>\n
A building must attain a score of 75 or higher on EPA\u2019s 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so pleased to have partnered with New Richmond Schools on this journey,\u201d said Belinda Kenley, vice president of Energy Optimizers, USA. \u201cNot only is the District\u2019s Administration and Board investing in smarter energy solutions for the District, they are setting a standard for high performance and energy conservation that the entire region will take note of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Energy Optimizers, USA works with educational, governmental, commercial and industrial customers to implement energy savings opportunities to reduce operational costs, including lighting retrofits, renewable energy projects (wind and solar), HVAC retrofit projects, building automation retrofits and energy education programs.<\/p>\n
The company was named to the INC. Magazine Top 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. (2014), was named the Fastest Growing Company in the region for two consecutive years by the Dayton Business Journal (2013, 2014), and was named a finalist in the Dayton Business Journal \u201cBest Places To Work\u201d competition in 2016.<\/p>\n