Moshannon Valley School District has won several awards and achieved Energy Star certification for their energy efficiency upgrades
HOUTZDALE – On Friday at the Moshannon Valley High School, several businesses, members of the Pennsylvania legislature and representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection gathered for a tour of the building’s award-winning energy efficiency upgrades.
The district recently achieved Energy Star certification, and was a 2017 winner of the Moving to the Head of the Class Award from the KEEA Energy Education Fund, which earned them a no-cost in-depth energy analysis from Warren Energy Engineering.
“The average school district spends more on energy than on textbooks and technology combined. Moshannon’s success, recognized by these awards, demonstrates the savings and performance that can be achieved by a committed leadership. We were fortunate to support Moshannon Valley School District in their drive to provide a better learning environment in the most cost-effective way,” said Kevin Warren, PE, board member of KEEA and principal at Warren Energy Engineering.
Several members of the administration, staff and student body led a short presentation about the schools’ culture of sustainability before beginning the tour, which featured the aquaponics lab, school garden and developing plans to renovate the library into an energy-efficient media center for the community at large.
“We were honored to earn the ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance at Moshannon Valley School District and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in our efficient operation, including, students, teachers, staff and business partners including Warren Energy and Schneider Electric,” said District Superintendent Dr. John Zesiger.
“Saving energy is just one of the ways we show our community that we are good financial stewards with taxpayer dollars. It also demonstrates that we’re committed to doing our part to protect the environment and public health, both today and for future generations of students.”
The tour concluded in the school’s renovated gymnasium, where Dave Kramer, program manager at Schneider Electric, presented Zesiger with “Schneider Electric’s 2018 Champion of Energy Efficiency” award.
Along with the award, Schneider Electric made a donation of $1,000 in support of the aquaponics lab. “We’re proud to have supported Moshannon Valley School District in recently achieving Energy Star certification.
“Five years ago, our partnership began with a focus on leveraging savings to enhance the student learning environment. The district’s enduring commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability made them a clear choice for this year’s award,” said Kramer.
In attendance were the district’s state Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr., state Rep. Tommy Sankey, Marcus Kohl, the director of the DEP Northcentral Regional Office, and several members of the borough council.
