2024/2025 Recognition
2024-2025 Efficient and Healthy Schools Program Recognition
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Efficient and Healthy Schools Program (EHSP) aims to recognize schools and districts for improving their energy performance, advancing resilience, and promoting a healthy learning environment.
We invite you to join a growing network of schools, school districts, and organizations applying for the recognition!
Join us on October 9th at 11am Pacific | 2pm Eastern to learn about 2024-2025 Efficient and Healthy Schools Recognition Program.
This is a great opportunity to showcase national leadership that prioritizes students and staff by addressing energy efficiency and health in school buildings. Our kickoff webinar will feature speakers from the U.S. Department of Energy who will discuss recognition objectives - to honor schools and districts that are leading the way in their efforts to improve energy performance and promote a healthy learning environment. The webinar will also provide an overview of the submission process and timeline.
Register for the webinar today!
Emerging and exemplary schools and districts will be recognized in the following categories:
Data Detective
Honoring schools and districts who demonstrate best practices to assess, benchmark, and utilize building data to prioritize school improvements.
Retrofit Revolutionary
Honoring schools and districts that showcase exemplary retrofit projects to improve energy efficiency, resilience, and promote a healthy learning environment.
Performance Pro
Honoring schools and districts who strive for continuous improvement through operations and maintenance (O&M) activities, performance evaluation, and retro commissioning (RCx).
Solutions Strategist
Honoring schools and districts who develop plans and make committed goals to advance district initiatives that achieve sustained and long-term improvements of their school buildings.
Support we provide for schools and districts:
- One-on-one technical assistance.
- Cohorts to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
- Mentorship from previous recognition honorees.
- Tailored and packaged resources to help implement projects.
Apply Now! The submission deadline is December 20th 2024.
Program Kickoff Webinar - October 9th
Join the Efficient and Healthy Schools Program team on October 9th to learn about our 2024–2025 recognition program. The program is a great opportunity to showcase national leadership that prioritizes students and staff by addressing energy efficiency and health in school buildings.
Benefits of Recognition Include:
Want to see projects from previous year's honorees?
In 2022-2023, the program recognized 17 K-12 schools and districts serving over 600,000 students in 15 states. These schools and districts achieved substantial energy savings and greatly improved the learning environment through indoor air quality, lighting, and building control improvements. The honorees include a diversity of schools leading the way, from schools in urban cities to others that serve our rural communities. See their success stories and examples. Image: ISD 197, Best in Class Honoree.
“We are so honored and humbled to be named Best in Class in the category of Energy Efficiency Plus Health. It has been such a helpful, educational, and inspirational experience for us to partake in the Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign,” said Katherine Walsh, Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Program Director at Boston Public Schools. “We have learned a lot from you and your team of experts - thank you for providing such important resources and support to K-12 schools." Check out projects from last year’s recognition honorees.
To learn more, contact us at schools@lbl.gov.
See more details about inspiring projects below!
Retrofit Revolutionary: In 2020, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) undertook a massive project encompassing a suite of measures at Park Middle School, originally constructed in 1926. This work, funded from a $290 million bond covering a variety of LPS projects, sought to address a variety of thermal comfort issues and better control of air contaminants. This project builds on a 20+ year foundation of innovative design and high performing buildings led by the LPS Director of Operations. See the case study.
Performance Pro: In 2019, Katy Independent School District, in Katy, Texas, set out on a course to systematically upgrade the aging Building Management Control Systems (BMCS) district wide. BMCS replacements and upgrades have been applied to over 6 million square feet of conditioned space and 44 facilities over the past four years, with the goal of upgrading all schools. Each upgrade includes upgraded hardware and application of a standardized, enhanced sequence of operations and graphics that prioritize efficiency while maintaining proper ventilation rates. See the case study.
Data Detective: Boston Public Schools (BPS) is committed to providing high-performing school buildings and grounds that have healthy indoor air quality. In November 2020, the BPS Facilities Management Mechanical Engineer and Sustainability, Energy, Environment Program developed an request for proposal (RFP) for vendors to provide indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring. The RFP included system requirements and the scope of requested services. In January 2022, the BPS Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Program launched the IAQ Monitoring System across all BPS schools. See the case study.
Solutions Strategist: In April 2023, Bellingham Public Schools (BPS) released a draft of the district’s first five-year Climate Action Plan. BPS has been taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings and operations since the early 2000s. The first capital projects bond to include energy efficiency upgrades was passed by the community in November 2013, and since then, BPS has steadily adopted other practices such as Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol standards and programmable LED lighting. BPS is also enrolled in the Energy Conservation Services Management Program with their local utility. See the case study.