Kekaha Elementary, Certification Number Five-O, Saves Hawaii Money
Published 02-17-16
Submitted by Momentum Bay
High-energy students and staff at Kekaha Elementary School just achieved an amazing, low-energy milestone.
Conservation and Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) at Kekaha and 49 other Hawaii Department of Education schools set a new Hawaii green building record. Today, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Kekaha Elementary with Hawaii Public Schools’ 50th 2015 ENERGY STAR certification won by the 50th state, giving new meaning to the phrase “Hawaii Five-O.”
Two of the nation’s most active ENERGY STAR Service and Product Providers (SPP), Momentum Bay and Engineering Economics, Inc., have tested air and light quality, and benchmarked electricity, gas and solar photovoltaic (PV) usage at Kekaha, over 100 other K-12 public school campuses in Hawaii, and ten other State of Hawaii agencies.
Compared to similar schools nationwide, Kekaha performs among the top nine percent. Kekaha’s above-average conservation and Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) saved $41,000 in energy costs in just one year, cut Kekaha’s energy usage by 36 percent, and trimmed 70 tons of CO2 emissions from its carbon footprint.
“These impressive results don’t just save money for the school district, they also contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment for their whole community,” said Jean Lupinacci, Director, ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch at the EPA. “We applaud the Hawai'i State Department of Education for its national leadership in energy efficiency and dedication to protecting our most precious natural resource – our children.”
The good news is that more Hawaii ENERGY STAR certifications are imminent. And, the impact of everyone’s commitment to sustainability is becoming more impressive daily.
Hawaii DOE Superintendent Kathryn S. Matayoshi said, “A significant amount of the Department’s budget is dedicated to running our facilities, which includes powering 256 schools. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce these operating expenses while transitioning to a green, energy efficient future – not only to increase energy cost savings, but also to teach students to be responsible stewards of our shared natural resources.”
Hawaii’s public school system is the ninth largest school district in the United States by enrollment, only slightly behind the nation’s seventh largest Houston Independent School District (HISD) in Texas. Momentum Bay operates in both Houston, Texas and Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Kekaha’s 2015 ENERGY STAR award brings to fifty the grand total of ENERGY STAR certified K-12 public schools in Hawaii, the fiftieth state of the union. For the real-time list of Momentum Bay’s certified buildings, campuses and plants, including HIDOE schools, please visit http://www.momentumbay.com/hawaii.
Despite having an average age of 42 years old, these healthy, efficient green schools operate among America’s best 25 percent of comparable K-12 campuses.
Together, this exemplary, “A” grade portfolio of campuses covers 3,840,018 square feet of occupied space across 564 buildings that:
Students, teachers, and fellow taxpayers may be wondering: “What if Hawaii or my school district could capitalize on energy efficiency and conservation to save $250 million over ten years, and then reinvest those savings competitively for even more high performance students and teachers?”
If you were to win a quarter of a billion dollars, how would you reinvest in America’s future: career ready students, more effective teachers and school leaders, more STEM learning, data-based innovation, faster and better school turnarounds, or even healthier and safer schools?
Mahalo (thank you) to the State of Hawaii Department of Education for leading 256 of the nation’s 130,000 K-12 schools, and for using energy efficiency to secure better lifelong opportunities for generations to come.
About Momentum Bay
Momentum Bay (855-624-2924) is a full-service management consulting boutique focused on energy, water and sustainable real estate. From Houston to Honolulu, Momentum Bay is one of the nation’s most active EPA ENERGY STAR Service and Product Providers (SPPs), helping 2,500+ buildings get a bit fit, boosting employee productivity and business value. Why? To secure sustainable success: healthier profits, healthier people, and a healthier planet. What? Momentum Bay restores good, old-fashioned values in a modern world through better habits and technologies – from conservation and efficiency to health. How? By equipping real estate and other executives with sound facts, integrated plans, and practical actions at momentumbay.com
Hawaii Public Schools: http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org
Engineering Economics, Inc.: http://eeiengineers.com/
ENERGY STAR: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings
Momentum Bay (877-326-8392) is a full-service management consulting boutique and general contractor focused on energy, water and sustainability. From Houston to Honolulu, Momentum Bay is one of the nation’s most active ENERGY STAR Service and Product Providers, helping 2,500+ buildings get a bit fit, boosting employee productivity and business value. Why? To secure sustainable success: healthier profits, healthier people, and a healthier planet. What? Momentum Bay restores good, old-fashioned values in a modern world through better habits and technologies - from conservation and efficiency to health. How? By equipping real estate and other executives with sound facts, integrated plans, and practical actions at momentumbay.com
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