With rising energy prices, schools in Wisconsin and across the nation are more focused than ever on saving energy. While schools in Fond du Lac, Monona Grove, Fort Atkinson and others have cut costs by taking dramatic steps, such as installing a geo thermal heating and cooling system, others have reduced energy usage by simply replacing old lights with new, energy efficient T5 or T7 lighting fixtures. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the nation’s K-12 schools spend $6 billion annually on energy costs. While much of this cost can’t be avoided, the DOE estimates that schools could realistically reduce energy usage by 25 percent, which would annually save schools $1.5 billion on energy bills. The Tomorrow River School District in Amherst dramatically reduced its energy usage by taking an energy inventory of its facility. In addition to upgrading its HVAC system and installing motion sensor lights, the district identified areas of the school that were leaking heat and corrected it. Now the school district is one of the more energy-efficient districts in the state. While other districts, like the Cornell School District, may not have the resources to upgrade their schools, staff and school leaders are focused on cutting down on energy usage by turning off lights when not in use and lowering the heat at night. “In our schools, every little nickel and dime counts,” Cornell school board President Pam Baughman said. “I think our energy conservation efforts are very positive.” Watch for July issue of Wisconsin School News for an entire issue dedicated to helping school districts learn more about saving energy and going green! | 
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