Best Green School Innovators For 2011 Ranked by the U.S. Green Buildings Council
January 20, 2012 Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis The U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools has released its first ever Best of Green Schools 2011 list, recognizing school administrators and government leaders in 10 categories for their efforts to create sustainable learning environments.
The cafeteria in Lake Mills Middle School. Photo from miron-constructionnews.com.
Recipient schools and regions from across America – from the elementary to the university level – were recognized for a variety of sustainable, cost-cutting measures, including energy conservation, record numbers of LEED certified buildings, and collaborative platforms and policies to green U.S. school infrastructures.
Lake Mills Middle School (Lake Mills, Wis.) was recognized for the “School” category for being the first public school in the nation to achieve a LEED Platinum certification.
The middle school features a geothermal heating and cooling system, which contributes to the school saving $85,000 annually in energy costs, said the Green Building Council.
The school’s use of a geothermal system benefits the city as well. By using a geothermal system, the school has shifted its energy usage from gas to electric, and because the city owns its own electric company, the energy dollars stay within the city.
Moving up to the category of “Higher Ed Innovator,” the University of Texas at Dallas received recognition for its new LEED Platinum student services building.
community, renewable energy, schools | tagged Best of Green Schools 2011, Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools Fellow program, LEED Platinum certification, LEED certified buildings, The U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools, energy efficiency, geothermal heating and cooling system, green schools