Crittenden County Elementary School - Marion, KY

Briefly describe 3 projects your organization has undertaken during the 2011 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition to improve your building’s energy efficiency.

Crittenden County Elementary School reduced custodial staff’s work days to four 10-hour days, instead of five 8-hour days during the summer months. This was in an effort for the building to be unoccupied for three days each week.

The team engaged Eco Pals Energy Team to ensure all teachers and staff members are using task lights when the room is not occupied with students. And, lights, computers, and TVs are turned off when not in use.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFL bulbs were given to teachers to place in task lamps. Student lunches are served in brown bags on Fridays to reduce energy use of the ovens and dishwashers in the cafeteria, which gained support of the cafeteria staff.

How has the 2011 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition made a difference in your organization’s efforts to save energy?

EPA’s National Building Competition has provided media coverage and awareness of the importance of each person doing his or her part to reach an attainable goal of energy conservation at its highest level at Crittenden County Elementary. A grant provided a free vending miser for Crittenden County’s vending machine to conserve energy.

Briefly describe ways you have engaged your community in your efforts during the 2011 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition (e.g. events, posters, signs, contests, open houses, web forums, etc).

A front page article in The Crittenden Press on the Eco Pals Energy Team showcased the building’s efforts to make a difference in energy consumption. The NEED regional coordinator and Eco Pals posted signs on all community bulletin boards to spread the word of the team’s participation in the Competition. Eco Pals recorded a radio commercial which broadcasted across Western Kentucky, promoting the team’s participation in the Competition and ways to conserve energy around the community. Eco Pals also presented at the Crittenden County Board of Education meeting to share the participation in the Competition and ways to conserve energy in homes and businesses in Marion, KY. Eco Pals made daily media announcements on the school’s intercom and access channel encouraging students and staff to turn off lights, lamps, and electronics, and encouraging staff members to put printers on energy-saver mode and turn off all appliances when not in use.

If your efforts have been covered by online news outlets, please provide the Web link(s) here:

http://www.ksba.org/news/article/battle-of-the-buildings/

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