The Talladega County School System recently became the first school system in Alabama to be named a national Energy Star Leader by reducing its energy costs by $2.3 million during the past four years.
In May, 13 schools in the system were awarded Energy Star Building Labels from the Energy Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).
Energy Star is a government-funded program that works to encourage energy-saving practices in homes and businesses.
Dr. Suzanne Lacey, Superintendent of Talladega County Schools, said the schools employed several methods to lower their energy expenditures.
"Our entire school community has pitched in to implement simple measures such as turning off lights when classrooms were unoccupied, placing thermostats at appropriate levels during school and after school, and shutting down electronic equipment after hours," Lacey said.
Along with combined efforts from students and teachers, Energy Education Manager Alex Stewart works for Talladega County schools to monitor energy usage.
"When he notes areas of concern, he makes site visits to determine where a problem might exist," Lacey said. "He gets to the root cause of the problem to ensure that corrections are made in a timely fashion."
Stewart said Talladega County Schools has been working with Energy Education, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, since 2006.
"We developed a comprehensive energy management program for the entire school system," Stewart said.
He added that there is more to conservation than turning off lights and electronics.
"There are many things we do both big and small, but the greatest thing we have accomplished is a school-wide awareness of the importance of energy conservation," Stewart said. "The things that families struggle with on a daily basis to save on their utility costs, we have been able to do successfully as an entire school system."
Dr. Patsy Lagen is the principal of Fayetteville High School, one of the 13 Energy Star Building Label Award winners in the system. She said Stewart played an essential role in her school's reduced energy costs.
"It is easy to tell employees to set thermostats appropriately and close blinds, but Mr. Stewart has the hands-on approach to checking buildings over weekends and holidays to make sure that air conditioning is not running with windows open," Lagen said.
In the future, Lacey said the school system plans to maintain low levels of energy usage.
"We will continue to follow our same action plan that is currently in place simply because it is working," she said.
With about $800,000 in federal stimulus money, Talladega County Schools will make conservation-centered building improvements for the upcoming school year.
"More energy efficient windows, insulation, and new heating and cooling units are being installed throughout Talladega County Schools," Lacey said.
The requirements for an Energy Star Building Label depend on scoring from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Energy Performance Rating System. The 13 schools in Talladega County that earned the label scored in the top-25th percentile.
"The award is a reflection to our commitment of excellence and accomplishment," Lacey said. "We like to set the pace for others to follow."
Including Talladega County, 14 public school systems in Alabama received economic stimulus grant money in November through the ADECA to help reduce energy expenditures.
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