WCPSS Recognized for Sustainable Energy Efforts
The Wake County Public School System won a Sustainable Energy Leadership Award March 22, 2005, at the second annual North Carolina Sustainable Energy Conference at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The State Energy Office in the N.C. Department of Administration honored WCPSS for the district’s energy efficiency, sustainability and energy education efforts.
“We take a comprehensive approach,” said Jyoti Sharma, director of Facilities Planning. “We couple designing sustainable schools with educating our staff and students on energy conservation.”
WCPSS involves students and staff in teaching and learning about energy and environmental conservation with hands-on experiences through the EnergySavers program. The school system has adopted High Performance Guidelines to help address sustainability issues in new and existing school buildings and to include, where possible, rainwater and gray water collection systems, water-efficient landscaping, energy management plans, solar and other renewable energy systems and practices, and the use of recycled construction materials.
Sharma and Mazie Swindell Smith, director of Organizational Development, accepted the award for Wake County schools.