It's Easy Being Green at Lamplighter
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It’s Easy Being Green at The Lamplighter School
The LamplighterSchoolEarns the ENERGY STAR for Superior Energy Efficiency
DALLAS, March 27- Each day when the students of The Lamplighter School swing on the playground or plant flowers in the campus gardens, the air they breathe has been made a little cleaner due to the environmental commitments made by the school. The LamplighterSchool is the first school in the United States to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection.
“Despite what Kermit says, it’s actually pretty easy to be green,” said Dr. Arnold Cohen, Head of School. "We teach our students that it is important to protect and preserve our environment. From an early age they water and care for plants as well as run an after lunch composting program. We feel it is important for us to model this behavior as well by running an energy efficient campus.”
For a school that values innovative thinking and creative solutions, upgrading systems called for more than standard repairs or purchasing costly new equipment. By working with Charles Hansford of 4-L Engineering and T.E.A.M. Solutions, the school was able to renovate the original 1968 heating and air conditioning system and make it easier to run, while reducing energy usage by an astounding 47%. The system of chillers and boilers is viewed and controlled via the internet and daily consumption is monitored. “Roughly 98% of this equipment is still vintage 1968,” says Hansford. “We did it by changing the way the system operates; it’s more on a control level”
“Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an office building, getting the most out of your energy dollars – while reducing your carbon footprint – just makes sense,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
