Energy Star

Energy Star Awards

Since 2009, OPS has won a total of 47 Energy Star Awards, for individual schools and the district as a whole. Seven OPS schools have also won the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Award, which is one of the most prestigious green schools awards in the country. The District continues to strive for this level of excellence in environmental stewardship.

In 2023, 3 schools were recognized with Energy Star Certification:

• North High School
• Beals Elementary
• Fontenelle Elementary

Congratulations to these schools!

Strategies

The District has pursued many strategies to reduce building energy use over the years. Dozens of schools now have real-time energy monitoring systems that help the District determine when and where energy is being used so that conservation strategies are targeted. LED lights are the norm in new renovations and new buildings. Communicating and implementing energy conservation practices is also essential to reducing energy use, and the District’s Energy & Water Management Team is focused on monitoring energy use and providing direction and solutions to schools for continued conservation.

These strategies and additional guidelines for reducing energy use are included in the Environmental Stewardship Plan. The District will also likely see significant reductions in energy use with the completion of upgrades as outlined in the recent Facilities Assessment.

How to Support This Goal at Your School

Try establishing an Energy Patrol Team where students walk through the school at the end of the day to ensure lights are turned off, computer equipment is shut down as appropriate, blinds are closed to help with insulation, etc.

*A new “Green Team Guide” will be available in the coming months!