Beech Street School recognized for superior energy efficiency

Beech Street Elementary School has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

"We are pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Kevin O’Maley, chief facilities manager for the City of Manchester. "Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

Manchester School District currently has 9 energy star certified schools, and that number is expected to grow to 14 by the end of this school year.

Buildings that earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Beech Street School improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its building. The school has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 29.8 households for a year.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.”

To earn the ENERGY STAR, Beech Street School has reduced its energy consumption by 41.3% since 2009. To achieve these savings, city employees inspected the school with infrared cameras to determine areas of heat loss and improve efficiency. High efficiency mechanical systems were installed. Additionally, city employees ensured that the environmental quality in the school did not suffer as a result of efficiency. Air quality, temperature, humidity, and lighting levels were monitored.  

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products, 1.4 million new homes, and 20,000 commercial buildings, schools and industrial plants that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past twenty years, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.