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Nearly every day, at least one media outlet somewhere in the country carryies a story about the success of our clients’ behavior-based energy conservation programs. Below are just a few examples of the great work they are doing, and the privilege it is to serve them in such tangible, noteworthy ways.
Energy Education Media Contact: Jan Noel-Smith 214.273.2814 jnoelsmith@energyed.com
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Evening Star April 1, 2009 Lugar praises schools BY KATHRYN BASSETT WATERLOO — U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar has honored the DeKalb County Central United School District as a Lugar Energy Patriot. “We name Lugar Energy Patriots as a way to recognize outstanding Hoosiers who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in taking concrete action to improve America’s energy security. I am pleased to recognize DeKalb County Central United Schools for their efforts to save energy in northeast Indiana,” Lugar said in a news release Tuesday. Each month Lugar recognizes outstanding Hoosiers with an Energy Patriot Award. In 2004, the DeKalb Central school district began an energy conservation program to reduce utility bills. At last month’s DeKalb Central school board meeting, energy manager Ed Benbow reported the district has saved more than $2.6 million it would have spent on energy during the four years and nine months of its energy-management program. “We must be stewards both financially and environmentally,” said DeKalb Central school district superintendent Ken Fowble. “If we can save money that would have gone toward utility bills and use that for programs and staffing for the kids, it becomes a huge win-win situation. With the help of Ed Benbow, our energy manager and best known as ‘Energy Ed,’ we are able to keep this program strong.” DeKalb Middle School science teacher Jed Freels said, “I believe in the Big T’s of ‘Energy Ed’: Turn it off, turn it down and tune it up. Each light switch, furnace and other equipment that is turned off, turned down, and tuned up uses less energy, and we appreciate that.” “There is a health factor in all of this,” said McKenney-Harrison Elementary School principal Mike Ellinger. “When our air is cleaner, so are our bodies.” DeKalb Middle School teacher Cindy Hamm said she tries to be more aware of how much energy she uses each day. “If this program has taught our school community anything, it is that every little bit helps and no savings is too small. Everyone can contribute to building a greener community and world,” Hamm said. DeKalb High School senior Andrea Sowle said, “I believe in each person’s civic and personal responsibility to the community and environment they live in, and this project definitely promotes that feeling. “It is a cultural issue … seeing all the effort being put into conserving energy at my school made me proud that my school was on board,” Sowle added. “Seeing the money that has been saved by our school really made this entire effort hit home, literally. My sister and I started turning off lights and recycling at home — things we would not have done without learning it at school.” Mary Deetz, DeKalb High School head custodian, said the district now is able to catch problems with its equipment early. “Our staff is now recognizing when the air feels different and suggesting that filters be changed, rather than waiting until the specific times each year when they would normally be switched out,” Deetz added. “Saving energy does not cost millions and millions of dollars at the start,” said Fowble. “It truly doesn’t take money, only knowledge. It starts with one person at a time doing what they can to conserve energy in their own life.”
Evening Star
April 1, 2009
Lugar praises schools
BY KATHRYN BASSETT
WATERLOO — U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar has honored the DeKalb County Central United School District as a Lugar Energy Patriot.
“We name Lugar Energy Patriots as a way to recognize outstanding Hoosiers who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in taking concrete action to improve America’s energy security. I am pleased to recognize DeKalb County Central United Schools for their efforts to save energy in northeast Indiana,” Lugar said in a news release Tuesday.
Each month Lugar recognizes outstanding Hoosiers with an Energy Patriot Award.
In 2004, the DeKalb Central school district began an energy conservation program to reduce utility bills. At last month’s DeKalb Central school board meeting, energy manager Ed Benbow reported the district has saved more than $2.6 million it would have spent on energy during the four years and nine months of its energy-management program.
“We must be stewards both financially and environmentally,” said DeKalb Central school district superintendent Ken Fowble. “If we can save money that would have gone toward utility bills and use that for programs and staffing for the kids, it becomes a huge win-win situation. With the help of Ed Benbow, our energy manager and best known as ‘Energy Ed,’ we are able to keep this program strong.”
DeKalb Middle School science teacher Jed Freels said, “I believe in the Big T’s of ‘Energy Ed’: Turn it off, turn it down and tune it up. Each light switch, furnace and other equipment that is turned off, turned down, and tuned up uses less energy, and we appreciate that.”
“There is a health factor in all of this,” said McKenney-Harrison Elementary School principal Mike Ellinger. “When our air is cleaner, so are our bodies.”
DeKalb Middle School teacher Cindy Hamm said she tries to be more aware of how much energy she uses each day. “If this program has taught our school community anything, it is that every little bit helps and no savings is too small. Everyone can contribute to building a greener community and world,” Hamm said.
DeKalb High School senior Andrea Sowle said, “I believe in each person’s civic and personal responsibility to the community and environment they live in, and this project definitely promotes that feeling.
“It is a cultural issue … seeing all the effort being put into conserving energy at my school made me proud that my school was on board,” Sowle added. “Seeing the money that has been saved by our school really made this entire effort hit home, literally. My sister and I started turning off lights and recycling at home — things we would not have done without learning it at school.”
Mary Deetz, DeKalb High School head custodian, said the district now is able to catch problems with its equipment early.
“Our staff is now recognizing when the air feels different and suggesting that filters be changed, rather than waiting until the specific times each year when they would normally be switched out,” Deetz added.
“Saving energy does not cost millions and millions of dollars at the start,” said Fowble. “It truly doesn’t take money, only knowledge. It starts with one person at a time doing what they can to conserve energy in their own life.”
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