Schools, churches, corporations, local governments and seemingly any group that owns a non-residential building can sign up to take the Energy Star Challenge which calls on them to reduce their energy use by 10%. This is a terrific program that also provides the information and tools with which to accomplish the goal, including communication materials to share information and success stories.
The Energy Star Toolkit offers energy monitoring programs and other materials tailored to each type of group;for example the Guide for Congregations provides materials to:
- get started and achieve "quick wins" with easy, proven energy savers
- analyze larger opportunities
- track energy usage and calculate resulting savings
- materials and resources to "green your congregation"
Similarly appropriate materials and resources are provided for schools k-12 and higher education institutions -- from teaching tools, info on how to finance improvements, and guidelines for energy management. Bringing green building techniques to school settings is particularly gratifying because multiple tests have shown that better air quality and daylighting improve student test scores.
See the Energy Star Challenge Case History for Council Rock School District in Newtown, PA and other case histories on the site.
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