The Kenton County School District
Ft. Wright, Kentucky
Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence
Energy Management
The Kenton County School District (KCSD) educates more than 14,000 students across more than two million square feet of space. The district continues to make great strides in energy efficiency through committing to ongoing energy management, investing in energy-efficient new construction, involving students in energy efficiency initiatives, and adopting new technology. Other school districts from across Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina have modeled their energy programs after KCSD’s successful energy management approach, and many have adopted its E=WISE2 student program. KCSD is receiving ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence recognition for its significant commitment to building and operating energy-efficient schools and for using ENERGY STAR tools and resources as a central component of its energy program. Key 2015 accomplishments include:
- Saving more than $1.4 million in avoided energy costs through the use of ENERGY STAR tools and resources in 2015, and saving more than $8.3 million since 2005.
- Increasing the district’s average 1–100 ENERGY STAR score by nine points in 2015, with a total increase of 37 points since 2005.
- Implementing a new “Shutdown with ENERGY STAR” program, which helped the district save more than $6,000 when it shut down schools for Thanksgiving break.
- Expanding the student energy-efficiency internship offered through the district’s Green Engineering Academy. In 2015, the district employed two student interns who worked to improve energy performance alongside KCSD, JCPenney, and New Energy Technologies. The interns are now energy captains for seven local JCPenney stores. Interns also helped track and report on energy performance during the “Shutdown with ENERGY STAR” event.
- Promoting its participation with the ENERGY STAR program on the district’s website, in presentations, at luncheons, and in published materials.
- Holding student workshops in partnership with the E=WISE2 educational program to teach students about the value of environmental conservation.