The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
High school’s energy-efficient rating worth $1 million
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> Increased energy efficiency and green technologies built into the Pottsgrove High School renovation last year will be worth $1 million.
The money goes back to 2014 when the district received a $2 million grant to make the high school more energy efficient.
The grant came from the Pennsylvania Alternative and Clean Energy program.
The catch was the technology required to increase energy efficiency added $1 million to the cost of the $32 million project completed last year.
It meant spending about $1 million in energy efficient equipment like solar panels and water conserving bathroom fixtures and tests, certifications and paperwork relating to construction methods, materials and even the distance materials were shipped.
Had the building not achieved the certification, the district would have had to return the $2 million, as well as being stuck with the additional $1 million of buying the equipment.
Conversely, in order to keep the $1 million left over, the school had to pass an energy efficiency test by earning a gold LEED rating.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
A variety of factors are examined and Pottsgrove needed to earn 60 points in the rating system to receive a Gold rating. It received 65.
The only higher level is platinum.
“LEED certification identifies Pottsgrove High School as a showcase example of sustainability and demonstrates leadership in transforming the building industry,” according to a release from the district.
Mahesh Ramanujam, the president and CEO or the U.S. Green Building Council and Green Business Certification, recently presented the certificate to the district.
This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.