The Aspen School District is committed to being a part of the larger community conversation about sustainable energy usage in our future. For more information about ASD and the Aspen Energy Challenge, click on: Aspen Energy Challenge
The Aspen School District is committed to helping students realize their full potential as today’s community members and tomorrow’s global leaders. To this end, our schools have embraced environmentally friendly practices to create a culture of sustainability in curriculum and in-practice beyond the classroom.
The 2013 Holy Cross Energy Think Big Grant showcases the district’s and community’s dedication to investing in the future of our kids and in the health of our community through making the investment in energy efficiency. The Think Big Grant matched Holy Cross energy funds, dollar for dollar, to incentivize energy efficiency improvements which saved 500,000 kWh and 16,000 therms, the equivalent to $40,000 annually or the starting salary of a first-year teacher.
The energy efficiency projects completed in 2014 were four years in the making, starting with commissioning reports developed by SGM in 2012 with support from the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE). CORE helped manage the implementation of the energy efficiency improvements, including extensive lighting upgrades, and the enhancement of lighting and building automation control systems. The lighting changes at the school district helped improve lighting quality and at the same time, lowered lighting costs.
In addition to environmental benefits and utility bill savings, these projects have increased building comfort, decreased maintenance costs, and established stronger automation controls. Tom Heald, Assistant Superintendent remarked, “We are building on success of LEED certification to take the lead in green energy practices. This is part of the District’s pledge to work toward energy sustainability and stewardship. These changes aren’t just about sustainability, but saving money and teaching our children about responsible habits.”
These efforts serve as a springboard to further community-wide collaboration to reduce energy consumption under the Aspen Energy Challenge. The Think Big Grant initiated big projects and big energy savings, but is just one piece of the ongoing efforts to continue to reduce energy consumption. Aspen was identified as a semi-finalist in the Georgetown University Energy Prize, a two-year national competition challenging communities to use energy more responsibly for the prize of $5 million. Learn more about the Aspen Energy Challenge and how you can participate at the Aspen Energy Challenge website: