Earlier this month, the Alexandria City Public Schools began to publicize its greenovation efforts. Not only has ACPS included “Environmental Stewardship” as one of its principles, it is committing to “Provid[ing] clean, safe and conducive learning environments that utilize best practices for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability” for its students by “Integrat[ing] environmental stewardship throughout the curriculum, as well as facility design, construction and operations” and “Collaborat[ing] with the City of Alexandria to achieve the Eco-City vision.”
The Alexandria School Board has declared that “energy-conserving construction shall be a high priority.” Fortunately for the citizens of Alexandria, this is not a new commitment. In July 2007, T.C. Williams won the Green Innovation Award in the Best Institutional Project from the Sustainable Building Network and in 2009 the school became the first school K-12 institution to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Finally, ACPS and the School Board are committed to bringing sustainable design to Minnie Howard also through an “innovative combination of solar and ground-source geothermal energy” (geothermal energy – no longer just for Iceland!). Engineers estimate the new energy system will slash the schools energy bills by 66%. For more information on the school’s green initiatives, click here.
Needless to say, your faithful correspondent is eager to see what ACPS will do this year.
