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The Schools Clean Energy and IAQ Summit convened in Denver, Colorado on June 11 and 12, 2024 at Denver Public Schools' Regis Groff Campus. Over 60 attendees were present, including 39 school district staff to celebrate the 2023-2024 Efficient and Healthy Schools Program recognition honorees and to learn about the nexus of clean energy technologies for improving energy efficiency and indoor air quality (IAQ) in school operations, maintenance, and renovations. This was also an opportunity for staff to collaborate and learn from one another.
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, partners from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools, and the New Buildings Institute brought together experts, sponsors, and practitioners in the fields of school building decarbonization, energy efficiency, HVAC operations, indoor air quality, and maintenance and operations for the diverse and engaging two-day event.
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Want to learn more? The Summit provided new connections, helpful resources, and inspiration to keep the work of creating healthy and efficient schools going. A shared Google folder for the event contains all of the resources from the Summit including the slides, resources, and an attendee contact list to help you stay in touch with new connections.
Photos from the Summit and recognition ceremony can be found here.
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Pictured above: staff from one of the Program's Honoree districts, Lansing Public School District (MI) with their award. | |
Apply for the 2024–2025 School District Fellowship Program |
Due July 26th
The Center for Green Schools is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our annual School District Fellowship Programs, which will run from September 2024 to September 2025.
Through this unique program, the Center for Green Schools offers participants of our professional sustainability and indoor air quality (IAQ) leadership networks the opportunity to work strategically in a small fellowship cohort to learn new leadership skills, access targeted support and resources to carry out specific goals, and find focused time for connecting with peers.
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Center for Green Schools, Schools Resiliency Summit |
September 10-11th 2024
Join the Center for Green Schools on September 10-11 in Austin, TX for the in-person School Resiliency Summit! School systems are faced with increasing climate-related challenges like extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and power instability, and they must plan for these challenges to provide safe and healthy learning environments for students and staff. This training is designed to connect K-12 school district staff with their peers, experts, and key resources for implementing, communicating, and funding strategies for schools to be prepared for the future.
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Sign Up Now: Energy Efficiency Finance Foundations – Virtual Training this Summer | |
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Looking to maximize federal grants by leveraging private capital? Unsure how to navigate “finance speak” with contractors and vendors? Consider joining the U.S. Department of Energy and Berkeley Lab this summer for a six-part webinar training series titled Energy Efficiency Finance Foundations.
The target audience for the training is public-sector energy professionals, sustainability and facility managers, and finance officials seeking to deploy energy efficiency upgrades with the aid of financing. Each training module will help participants navigate "finance speak," know what questions to ask, and strengthen public-sector knowledge of energy efficiency financing tools to successfully prepare for building energy upgrades. The series will span six weeks with each training module lasting about an hour.
The training series schedule is as follows:
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July 17: Technical and Financial Activities after Contract Signing
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July 24: Engaging with Stakeholders and Partners
Note: These training webinars will not be recorded, the class size will be limited, and participants will be invited to share feedback on the training.
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Going Deeper on IRA Tax Credits for Schools - Webinar Recap | |
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools program recently hosted a webinar titled “Going Deeper on IRA Tax Credits for Schools.” This new opportunity to receive tax credits through “elective pay” is a way for schools to pursue energy projects for facilities. In this webinar, Loudoun County Public School shared three messages for other school districts considering elective pay. This was followed by a chance to hear from tax experts and “go deeper” into topics such as the base and bonus credits, project timelines, labor standards, and domestic content.
If you are not already receiving updates, we encourage you to visit the Renew America's Schools website and sign up for information blasts with funding opportunities, resources, and events relevant to schools and partnering organizations.
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If you're new to the IRA tax credits, check out “Beyond Grants: Federal Funding for School Facilities” in preparation for the webinar titled “Going Deeper on IRA Tax Credits for Schools” mentioned above.
Resources referenced in the webinar:
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Schools and the IRA — UndauntedK12 - Resources relevant to topics covered in the webinar to help leaders in the education space navigate the tax credits in this generational funding opportunity.
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Clean energy tax credits for schools factsheet - This resource provides an overview on how tax credits can be used to advance energy projects in schools.
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Center for Green Schools - Informational resources on making your school more sustainable, healthy, and resilient.
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DOE Teaming List - The Teaming Partner List facilitates connections between school districts and industry partners willing to support schools with meeting their energy and climate goals. Join here!
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Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) Webinars Roundup | |
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Check out the slides and webinars from previous ESPC Campaign events below to review valuable takeaways on a variety of performance contracting topics.
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To learn more, visit
efficienthealthyschools.lbl.gov
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