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Gresham-Barlow School District

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence

Gresham-Barlow School District (Gresham-Barlow) is the tenth largest district in Oregon and educates approximately 12,000 K-12 students across its 19 schools. The district is receiving ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence recognition for its leadership among school districts in maintaining deep energy savings and continuing to enhance its comprehensive energy management program. Key 2011 accomplishments include:

·         Saving $1.5 million annually in avoided energy costs, equivalent to the combined salaries of 27 teachers.

·         Sustaining its goal of 50 percent cost avoidance for the second consecutive year, as measured against the baseline year of 1997 to 1998, despite a significant reduction in buildings and grounds staff.

·         Assisting school districts in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and Tennessee with setting up energy management programs based on its own successful model.

·         Finding new ways to foster a culture of energy awareness among students and staff by exploring the student energy program at Kenton County School District in Fort Wright, Kentucky, and integrating its energy management best practices into students environmental clubs.

·         Distributing more than $30,000 to schools as a financial incentive for performance, participation, and effort in managing energy use.

·         Continuing to publically post monthly ENERGY STAR scores for each school on its Energy Center website to encourage competition among schools and demonstrate its energy management successes to the community.