TOWANDA - All three of the Towanda School District's schools have been awarded the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification, which is a very unusual achievement for a school district, an official from Honeywell Business Solutions announced at the Towanda School Board meeting this week.
The certifications signify that the three buildings are in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and that they meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a press release from the Towanda School District.
"The Towanda School District is pleased to accept EPA's Energy Star certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," Towanda School District Business Manager Doreen Secor said. "Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs."
Commercial buildings that earn EPA's Energy Star certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a press release from the Towanda School District.
To earn the Energy Star certifications, the school district embarked a guaranteed energy savings project, which is increasing the comfort and energy efficiency of the schools, the press release said. The energy savings project, which will cost $1.8 million, is being undertaken by Honeywell Building Solutions. The energy savings project began last fall and is now 71 percent complete, said Patrick J. Salmon, an account executive with Honeywell Building Solutions.
"Among K-12 schools in Pennsylvania, I believe there are 61 buildings that have an Energy Star certification," Salmon told the school board on Monday. "You have three of them. You are actually in the stratosphere (compared to other school districts)."
Salmon said the guaranteed energy savings is moving forward more quickly than expected, and was only scheduled to be about 45 percent complete by this time, he said. Some parts of the project will need to be done next summer, after school lets out, he said.
Salmon credited good communication between Honeywell and the school district for moving the project along.
He said there have been no change orders for the project, and said he doesn't expect there to be any by the time the project is complete.
As part of the energy savings project, the school district applied for the Energy Star certifications, Salmon said.
James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.
